I have been TIG welding thin (0.030") aluminum this morning and when the arc is lighting up, if it is on the work, it will blow a significant piece of the joint away. Starting the arc on the filler rod or a runoff tab is a way to avoid this. Once the arc is established, the current control works well and I have to increase the current significantly to start the weld. I think it is because the machine (Syncrowave 250DX) takes a while to shift from arc start to current control. This is not a new situation, the machine has always done this.
Does anybody else with a Syncrowave have similar issues? Is this a common thing with transformer machines? Is this the excuse I need to get a little inverter welder? Other than this, the Syncrowave has been a great machine for me.
Thanks in advance, BobH