The sound of TIG welding aluminum?

I too have a TA 185TSW. The frequency of the "hum" should be quite different at different frequencies -- the arc is a sort of speaker that's creating sound at the frequency of the arc. Or if you have the arc at very low frequency, that could create the stuttering.

The stutter> Hi,

"stuttering"

From 8 years of teaching welding I suspect that your amperage it too high and the tungsten is too far away.

Not tha I am psychic, but those 2 faults are the most common with beginners on AC TIG of aluminum.

I can hear somebody running 2 long of an AC arc from across the shop.

Get your torch in closer and the sound will smooth out.

Peter

Trying to address a your specific needs about what it shoudl sound like, overall: For an arc with no "pulsing" (pulsing = the machine goes cyclically between a blast of power and a little power - say one time per second or quicker), the sound of AC TIG welding Aluminum/Aluminium, especially at higher AC frequencies like 100+Hz, is like a piercing insect buzz, is it not? Like a loud version of a wasp or bee wing flapping???

(or have I been getting something wrong!?)

Richard S.

Ernie Leimkuhler wrote:

aluminum sheet

"stuttering"

Thanks. It sounds like the noise I should hear is not the same as I would be hearing while welding steel though, correct? IOW, if I'm doing it right, will the noise still be louder than when I'm welding steel?

Peter

That's it. With the pulser off and the frequency set at 50Hz, the noise was like a slow, loud bee. When I turned the frequency up to 100Hz the noise smoothed out a bit and obviously increased in frequency. It seemed to weld well (or at least as well as I could make it) but the noise was a concern.

Peter

That is exactly what was happening. It stuttered the worst at 50Hz and got better at higher frequencies.

I had the pulser off when I first noticed it.

Peter

yes, AC TIG is louder than DC TIG

Not knowing but a conjecture is this : beat frequency of 50 Hz and when a 60 Hz source is added a 10 Hz carrier is generated as well as 110 Hz with 50 and 60. Making for a rich sound of sorts. The arc trigger an oscillator likely sweeps frequency as it decays generating more harmonics into the metal 'speaker'.

Martin

The speaker is not the metal, it's the arc itself. In hi-fi audio, there used to be tweeters that used no moving parts, just an arc.

Thanks.

Peter

When TIG welding DC, the arc is a gentle hiss in a quiet location and you simply cannot hear it if there are fans going or any other typical background noise.

Richard S.

For a fun trick, take an old stereo out to the shop, and hook a speaker lead to each of a piece of carbon from a D sized flash light battery. insulated from each other and about 4-6" apart.

With your OA torch, direct a flame that touches each electrode, and turn on the stereo. You will get a surprising amount of music volume and clarity from the flame itself.

Gunner

"Considering the events of recent years, the world has a long way to go to regain its credibility and reputation with the US." unknown

In tubes, the beam current doesn't make noise, it is the electrons beating the plate.

Martin

Really? I didn't know that...

But this isn't a vacuum environment. And the 'speaking arc' effect is well documented :)