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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
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    South Australia
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    58
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    Default AIG TIG 200P AC/DC Pulse welder - Setup & discussion...

    When I was looking online early this year for user feedback on this budget machine there was very little information around, even though it has been available for a few years already.
    Usually that's a more a positive sign than a negative sign in my experience, as poor product performance usually gets buyers complaining online very quickly. The vendor seemed to back their products with Aussie support, and was contactable by phone, so I bought one anyway.

    Thought I'd put up a thread here to discuss this machine with other owners to help get the most out of it.
    This machine comes with a WP-26 size torch with integrated start switch (and it's accessories), a regulator with flow meter, but no amp control foot pedal (unless optionally ordered which I did not, initially).

    I'm a newbie TIG welder (experience on gas and MIG) so I've been trying out all sorts of things when practicing welds. Mostly been welding aluminium as it's less forgiving than steel and so I get lots of instant feedback from the results (and got a ton of practice at resharpening the tungsten after each accidental dip into the weld pool).

    I'm mostly keen to get a good setup for sheet aluminium, as I suspect that's what I'd fabricate most projects in, so I've focused on that material.

    After a couple of weeks or so of steady improvement in the learning process, but still finding it real hard to control heat soak when getting near the edge of a weld line, I ordered the optional foot pedal for the machine from AIG.

    Other than that fine control difficulty (with heat soak on the edges of thin stuff), I'm quite happy with progress of welding of 2mm ally. Welding steel plate with it is real easy by comparison on the couple of bits I've done so far...

    Currently waiting for the foot pedal to arrive.

    Kit and front panel.

    P6180148.jpg P7200009.jpg

    Some practice welds on 2mm aluminium (making a small box) and 3mm steel plate, and a crack at welding cast aluminium in the form of adding a thick walled tube to a small alloy piston to see how hard it was.
    P7170005.jpg P7170010.jpg P7180002.jpg P7130013-001.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    South Australia
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    58
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    33

    Default Pedal arrived...

    The AIG pedal arrived since I first posted. It's bigger than I thought it would be...
    When I get time I'll try it out. I suspect it will take a bit of time to get used to now using my foot instead of finger to start and stop.

    P7220002.jpg

    For anyone who doesn't have the pedal and is not keen to have one (there are some benefits to getting used to not having one) I did this mod to the supplied WP-26 torch so I could 'pen hold' the neck of it for much steadier arc length control. The black tactile button is from Jaycar, and it's soldered to a narrow strip of Vero-board and parallel wired to the original WP-26 switch soldered terminals.

    P7170003.jpg

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    South Australia
    Age
    58
    Posts
    33

    Default Differences in using the pedal with the TIG 200P...

    I've had an hour or so to try out the pedal. Right away I could control the heat soak at the ends of a test run much better than with the button system.

    One of my better test runs without a pedal on the top, the FIRST run I did with the pedal on the bottom, both on 2mm ally plate on a 90 degree outside joint (like if I was making a fuel header tank or a oil catch can etc).
    P7240016.jpg

    Even though I'm a bit uneven and dipped the tungsten at least once, it's noticeable that the weld is narrower because I wasn't rushing so much now because I could throttle back or stop, felt more in control.
    The difference was measurable. With pedal was the 3.3mm width.
    P7240017.jpg P7240019.jpg


    Even though there are plenty of things like Upslope, Downslope, crater current etc to make button control more like using a pedal, honestly it doesn't make up for a pedal now that I've tried both. Glad I started without a pedal though as I can see it could be great to know how to set it up if a pedal can't be used (like working under car chassis). It's got me thinking about a finger pressure torch amps control now, using a force sensitive resistor and an Arduino...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Posts
    1,836

    Default

    Welding up under a car is usually steel tig welding steel is way more forgiving you can set ampsand sit in one spot on a pool if u do that with aluminium it just runs away and blows a hole due to the oxide layer once thats burnt through the aluminium is very soft

    When i have tig aluminium previously with no peddlejust preset amps your sitting on the spot sitting some more than bam your into it like lightning and than u have a hole

    I tested the wire brush method ugly appearing but straight away the pool melts and the pool seems so soft and gentle like your in full control and it doesnt run away

    Last bit i done was 45 degree cut on 2 pieces of 32mm 3mm round tubing only took a few seconds to tig i wire brushed it at the beginning and the filler just flowed so softly and it was easy

    Trying to tig over the oxide layer with no peddle with preset amps is a nightmare

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    NSW
    Posts
    586

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gazza2009au View Post
    Trying to tig over the oxide layer with no peddle with preset amps is a nightmare
    That's why you need a stainless wire brush used exclusively for aluminium work. Scrub oxide layer off in one direction- wipe schmutz away with a clean rag (or paper towel) and acetone, then weld. Night and day difference for alloy work. Next level is argon helium gas- now that's some primo baller welding right there.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    South Australia
    Age
    58
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    33

    Default Thin edges on ally experience, minimum amps questions...

    A question or two for the guys who have had a few different AC TIG machines and have some thin ally experience.

    We're still in home lockdown over here in SA so I've been practicing my ally TIG welding in the shed.
    Previously I was making small ally boxes mostly as welding practice. However now I'm trying the drill I found described on Youtube "The Fabrication Series" using two plates welded at 90 degrees as seen here. This creates more joint variations to weld along than a box...

    https://youtu.be/YoWSOC_Gx0w?t=821

    The outside and inside 90 deg joints I can do OK with my TIG 200P using the foot pedal, but I can not do a continuous run on the thin edge like shown in the drill. At minimum pedal (which should be 10 Amps) I have to stop every 5mm or so for a couple of seconds or I just get too much heat into the ally and get a slump in that spot. (I'm using a 1.6mm tungsten, No5 gas lens cup, 1.6mm 4043 filler, 2mm ally plate).

    Edit: I tried Pulse Mode too, but have found that it does not actually pulse at the lowest machine amps setting, runs just like no pulse, regardless of duty or frequency. Pulsing is only evident when current gets over about 30-40A as I see it.

    As I've turned down the machine to it's minimum 10 Amps setting (at which point the pedal is like an on/off with no extra amps at full anyway), does it mean 10 Amps is just still too much current for this exercise ?
    I noted when I bought this TIG, that some machines (not many) can run down as low as 5 Amps.

    Questions:
    Does that last 5 Amps make a big difference on those machines for thin work ?
    I'm also wondering if it's possible my machines Amps dial is not calibrated properly, LED display says it's at 10A, but is it really down to 10A to the torch ?
    Perhaps I'm just expecting too much to be running a continuous bead along the edge of a small 2mm plate anyway ?

    Cheers,
    Martin

  7. #7
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    Jul 2021
    Location
    South Australia
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    Default Curiousity about the lowest amps setting...

    I work in an industry that has a great range of test equipment. We happen to have two different brand high end clamp meter current probes I could borrow for a weekend. One has a 100A limit, the other 200A.
    I measured the output of the AIG 200P in DC and AC with both and graphed it. Mine is indeed a bit high on the bottom end Amps, but it also shows the machine does deliver the 200 Amps claimed.

    While I was at it, I also captured oscilloscope traces of the output current waveform in various welding modes (one of the probes has over 100K bandwidth).
    I'd post up a batch of screen plots, but I doubt if anyone cares for that sort of thing here. If I'm wrong let me know...

    AIG TIG 200P curent output verses setting meter.jpg

    This graph is quite accurate below 100A, verified the curve well on both probes. At around 200A the highest rated probe hits it's limit, so accuracy reduces, it's likely the actual amps at 200A selected is slightly higher than measured as the probe saturates (a Fluke Y8100).

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2021
    Location
    Adelaide
    Posts
    205

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mr.sneezy View Post
    While I was at it, I also captured oscilloscope traces of the output current waveform in various welding modes (one of the probes has over 100K bandwidth).
    I'd post up a batch of screen plots, but I doubt if anyone cares for that sort of thing here. If I'm wrong let me know...
    I'd like to see those - thanks.

    Jack

  9. #9
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    Dec 2018
    Location
    NSW
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    Default

    Get a plot of the standard old 60Hz AC Sine wave output, if you can?

    Normally the blip you get from the HF module as it pushes the waveform past the 0 volt line indicates machine quality. Zero crossing control I think is what the technical name for it is.

    How well this works is a factor in how clean the AC waveform is for alloy work. It would be interesting to see how it comes together.

  10. #10
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    Apr 2021
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    Adelaide
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Commander_Keen View Post
    Get a plot of the standard old 60Hz AC Sine wave output, if you can?
    Isn't it an inverter? Would it generate a sinusoidal output? I suppose if it were a transformer supply it would be generating 50Hz.

    Normally the blip you get from the HF module as it pushes the waveform past the 0 volt line indicates machine quality. Zero crossing control I think is what the technical name for it is.

    How well this works is a factor in how clean the AC waveform is for alloy work. It would be interesting to see how it comes together.
    Square wave and modified (rounded) square wave don't really need an HF boost at the zero crossing - that is more for sine wave machines as they take so long to cross zero the arc dies.

    I'd be interested to see the waveform to learn what is actually implemented.


    Martin, what is the current probe that has a 100k bandwidth? Just a cheapy I suppose ;-)


    Jack

  11. #11
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    Dec 2018
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    NSW
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    Default

    Yeah, and inverter can do a sine wave.
    Maybe not all, but the technology can.

    The bleeding edge machines will do a sine wave in the positive side of the waveform, with a square, triangle or trapezoid on the bottom... or a combination of your choosing.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
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    Quote Originally Posted by mr.sneezy View Post
    ... but I can not do a continuous run on the thin edge like shown in the drill. At minimum pedal (which should be 10 Amps) I have to stop every 5mm or so for a couple of seconds or I just get too much heat into the ally and get a slump in that spot. (I'm using a 1.6mm tungsten, No5 gas lens cup, 1.6mm 4043 filler, 2mm ally plate).

    As I've turned down the machine to it's minimum 10 Amps setting (at which point the pedal is like an on/off with no extra amps at full anyway), does it mean 10 Amps is just still too much current for this exercise ?
    10 amps should not be too much for 2mm plate however, I wonder whether you really have 10A or it's greater than that. On my welder the foot pedal controls current from minimum (off) to whatever the amps are set to on the machine - to get better low amp performance you might have to set your control panel amps lower. I can imagine that if max is set say at 150A, the proportional control for the pedal would not take much movement for the 'minimum' to be 30 or 40A. Check your manual - see whether it says anything about how the pedal controls the current.

    The primary way of controlling the weld puddle with Al (as was described by a welder who gave me a few tips) was to 'jam the filler rod in'. You might find it easier to use 2.4mm filler for Al, just for the cooling effect on the puddle. I use 1.6mm for a lot of thin stuff but for 2mm I would be thinking of the 2.4...

    Michael

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jack Ryan View Post
    Isn't it an inverter? Would it generate a sinusoidal output? I suppose if it were a transformer supply it would be generating 50Hz.
    Inverters work by chopping DC, so if you looked really closely, the sine wave would be made of steps as it chops the current in and out. It's why welders can be really disruptive to TVs and radios - the switching generates some nasty transients that disturb other electronics.

    Michael

  14. #14
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    Apr 2021
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    Adelaide
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    Quote Originally Posted by Commander_Keen View Post
    Yeah, and inverter can do a sine wave.
    Maybe not all, but the technology can.

    The bleeding edge machines will do a sine wave in the positive side of the waveform, with a square, triangle or trapezoid on the bottom... or a combination of your choosing.

    I know it can, the question is, does it and should it?

    Jack

  15. #15
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    Adelaide
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael G View Post
    Inverters work by chopping DC, so if you looked really closely, the sine wave would be made of steps as it chops the current in and out. It's why welders can be really disruptive to TVs and radios - the switching generates some nasty transients that disturb other electronics.

    Michael
    Thanks Michael but I know how inverters work. A sine wave is a nice thing to have if generating mains power but not necessarily needed for a welder. There are a few reasons not to use a sine wave in a welder.

    Jack

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