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The sound of TIG welding aluminum?

Hi,
I used my Thermal Arc 185TSW to practice weld some .095-ish aluminum sheet
today. This is the first time I've used this (or any TIG) machine to weld
aluminum and I'm wondering if it should be making the noise it is.
It's considerable noisier than when I'm welding steel, with a "stuttering"
type of noise that changes when I change the wave frequency. I'm assuming
this is normal, but I figured I'd better ask... Is it normal?
Peter
Reply to
Peter Grey
Loading thread data ...
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 stuttering may be the way you have the pulser set... what is the pulse rep rate?
Peter Grey wrote:
"stuttering"
Reply to
trp8xtl02
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.
Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler
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"
Reply to
richard.smith.met
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
Reply to
Peter Grey
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
Reply to
Peter Grey
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
Reply to
Peter Grey
yes, AC TIG is louder than DC TIG
Reply to
Ernie Leimkuhler
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
Reply to
lionslair at consolidated dot
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.
Reply to
trp8xtl02
"Ernie Leimkuhler" wrote in message >
Thanks.
Peter
Reply to
Peter Grey
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.
Reply to
richard.smith.met
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
Reply to
Gunner
In tubes, the beam current doesn't make noise, it is the electrons beating the plate.
Martin
Reply to
lionslair at consolidated dot
Really? I didn't know that...
But this isn't a vacuum environment. And the 'speaking arc' effect is well documented :)
Reply to
trp8xtl02

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