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Robert LaLonde
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I'm going to setup and test an ancient Miller piggy back high frequency TIG today. Of course in my early research everybody practically screamed that I have to use a DC CC power supply for it. Now that I understand the principles of where you use CC and where you use CV I get why it needs to be CC. HOWEVER, once I stated that I wanted to weld thin gage aluminum with it, that I can already easily weld (relatively) with my DC MIG from .080 to .25 and can do .375 if I preheat a few people grudgingly admitted that it might be possible (and maybe even better) to do thin gage aluminum with an AC CC power source. Add on that the piggyback machine itself is selectable for AC or DC and one or two more grudgingly said it might work.
Today I am going to test it out on some .0625 5052 sheet pieces I have laying around left over from various projects. I would have done it sooner, but I won't run one of my welders when any of the CNC machines are running. They run every day during the week. I've forgotten or lost focus once or twice and done it. I never had an issue, but I prefer to play it safe. Nothing like being 8hrs into a 9hr job and having your mill go haywire.
I picked up some 4043 TIG wire for 6061 and some 5356 TIG wire for 5052. I went through my drawer full of old gages and regulators and found a spare flow regulator so I don't have to yank one off my Miller 212. For now I will have to borrow the argon bottle off of it. I don't have any stainless bar stock for backing butt welds, but for just setting a little steel contamination won't matter. I'm just going to be working with scraps and making test welds if it works today.
Today I am going to test it out on some .0625 5052 sheet pieces I have laying around left over from various projects. I would have done it sooner, but I won't run one of my welders when any of the CNC machines are running. They run every day during the week. I've forgotten or lost focus once or twice and done it. I never had an issue, but I prefer to play it safe. Nothing like being 8hrs into a 9hr job and having your mill go haywire.
I picked up some 4043 TIG wire for 6061 and some 5356 TIG wire for 5052. I went through my drawer full of old gages and regulators and found a spare flow regulator so I don't have to yank one off my Miller 212. For now I will have to borrow the argon bottle off of it. I don't have any stainless bar stock for backing butt welds, but for just setting a little steel contamination won't matter. I'm just going to be working with scraps and making test welds if it works today.