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A Beginners Guide to Welding Aluminum

You are probably familiar with the appearance of a great aluminum weld. A skilled welder can
create an aluminum weld bead which looks like a stack of dimes and is consistent throughout.
Perhaps you have heard about the challenges involved with welding aluminum. This point brings to
light the questions:
 Why are these really nice aluminum welds so hard to achieve?
Why is welding aluminum so challenging?

In this article, we will review the aluminum welding process. We will speci cally focus on TIG
welding, and provide welding tips along the way.

Aluminum Welding Equipment

Choosing the Right Welder for Your Application

This article focuses on TIG welding aluminum since it is widely used for the aluminum welding
process. Just know that TIG welding is not the sole technology for the process. TIG welding and
MIG welding can both achieve good welds in the aluminum material category.

The difference between TIG welding and MIG welding equipment is drastic. TIG welders use a
tungsten electrode which keeps the weld puddle formed. Simultaneously, the welding operator
manually dips a ller rod material into the puddle. In contrast, aluminum MIG welding equipment is
specialized speci cally for the process.

In order to use a MIG welder to weld aluminum material together, you need what is called a spool
gun. The spool gun houses a coil of aluminum ller material spooled into a cartridge. This cartridge
is located on the handle of the MIG welder. The reason that the aluminum ller wire must be fed
through the spool gun is quite simple.

Unlike ferrous ller wire materials, the aluminum ller wire material does not have the rigidity to
withstand being pushed or fed through the bends of a MIG cable up to the handle. Since the use of
MIG spool gun is not as common in this beginner welding category, this article focuses on the TIG
welding process of welding aluminum.

There is a wide array of options and features to select from while in the market for a TIG welder.
You can see below some of the features which separate more economical TIG welders from higher
performance TIG welders.

Economical TIG Welders

The main factors which cause a welding machine to be more economical in price are its:

Cooling system
Peak amperage range
Duty cycle
 Accessories

More economical TIG welders for welding aluminum still have the minimum requirements
necessary such as:

AC current capability
Cooling system
Ruggedness

But these features will be limited. There is nothing wrong with using a quality TIG welder which has
fewer features. It is simply a matter of application.

How often will you weld aluminum?

You might not be making welds every day, multiple times a day, for extended periods of time; you
might just need to weld a few parts together every so often. Nonetheless, economical-grade
welders have their place in the market. A critical aspect of a welder used for TIG welding is its
cooling capabilities.

Since aluminum naturally has a higher melting point than other ferrous materials, the welder has to
achieve higher amperages. Higher amperage creates the heat necessary. More economical welders
use an air cooling system. They do not have any special ways of cooling the TIG torch. For this
reason, a weld cannot be extra long or large. This would require the arc to exist for longer periods of
time creating too much heat.

Economical TIG welders also cannot reach the

higher amperages needed to weld extra thick
pieces of material. This can be mitigated somewhat
by pre-heating the workpiece but to a limited
extent. Smaller welders simply don’t have the
penetration power needed for those larger welds in thick aluminum materials.

Due to the heat involved when welding aluminum, you have to take breaks. Especially during a
longer aluminum weld. Not doing so risks damaging your equipment. See your owner’s manual for
exact duty cycle ratings. Short duty cycles can be inconvenient when you need to perform longer
welds.

In addition, the accessories which come with one of these welders are typically limited to a:

standard welding torch

standard foot pedal
regulator
Tip: When considering overall costs of welding equipment, don’t forget to factor in the cost of your bottle of
argon shielding gas. Pricing depends on availability in your region, but larger bottles can be expensive.

High-Performance TIG Welders

As discussed in the previous section, high-performance TIG welders for aluminum materials have
everything that the economical grade welders have, but much more. High-performance TIG
welders have integrated water cooling systems which dramatically decrease the build-up of heat in
the torch and in the machine.

These cooling systems function largely in the same way as the cooling system in your car. This is
done by reducing heat buildup in the water by passing cool air over a radiator inside the machine.
These machines have a higher amperage range and a longer duty cycle. Mainly, due to the heavier
duty components in the welding machine.

Accessories included with high-performance machines are generally higher-end themselves. Such
as:

Ergonomic TIG torches

Precision gas regulators
Precision foot pedals (with better resolution)
Heavier duty clamps and torch accessories

Beginner welders probably don’t need this level of welding machine. Especially considering the
signi cant increase in cost. But if budget is not a concern these welders will increase your
enjoyment of the welding experience.

Aluminum Welding Procedures and Technique

Material Preparation
Preparing your material prior to welding is always very important to do correctly. There are two
reasons why you have to clean your raw aluminum material.

1. Aluminum naturally forms an oxide layer on its exterior surface while it is cooling off at the
factory
2. Cleaning oils and contaminants on the surface left by handling the material
There are two steps to cleaning the surface of your aluminum prior to
starting your weld
Step 1: Remove the oils and contaminants from the
surface of the material. It is important to perform
this step before any brushing. Brushing can push
contaminants further into the material. You can
use acetone to clean the surface of the material.
Or,  other surface cleaners speci cally for
aluminum preparation.

Step 2: Brush the surface of the aluminum material

to remove aluminum oxides. This oxide layer is usually not dif cult to remove from the surface of
the material using a brush. Always use a stainless-steel brush for this step. Because using a carbon
steel brush will only introduce ferrous contaminants into your aluminum. Thus causing weld quality
problems due to the impurities introduced. As you can see, keeping your aluminum clean is very
important. You will notice a major difference in your weld quality when welding a well-cleaned
aluminum joint.

Tip: Mark your different brushes with “Steel, “Stainless,” and “Aluminum,” so you don’t get the different
brushes mixed up. You don’t want to accidentally use a brush which you always use on carbon steel on your
aluminum material. This will result in an impure and low-quality weld.

Tip: Always use domestic (USA) melt source aluminum if your weld is critical. Aluminum sourced from
countries overseas, especially China, frequently has impurities in the material which will result in poor weld
quality and joint strength. You will see a signi cant difference in price between domestic and non-domestic
aluminum. What you save in money with cheap materials you will sacri ce in weld quality. Most reputable
online and local material suppliers will have domestic aluminum available for sale.

Machine Preparation
Make sure your welding machine is set to your desired settings. The selector switch on your
machine should be set to Alternating Current (A/C). The amperage range should be set toward the
upper range of your machine. This is more precisely controlled by your foot pedal, of course.

Your TIG electrode should be pure tungsten due to the better durability and purity. The electrode
should not be sharpened to a sharp point since the rough alternating current could cause the very
tip of your electrode to break off and could fall into your weld. Your shielding gas should be pure
argon gas for optimal weld purity and performance while welding aluminum.
Tip: An optimal weld setting which works for someone else might not work the same for you. Keep a “cheat
sheet” of your best welding settings so that you can repeat your best welds. You can tell when you have laid
down an excellent bead.
You will feel good about it. Now go one step further and write down that setting so you can repeat it next
time. This is especially helpful when you share a machine with a coworker. You will then be able to repeat
the magic!

The Process

Pre-Weld Checklist
Consider this your “pre- ight” checklist, similar to how pilots make sure their aircraft is in order
before taking off. Do you have all of your equipment set up for your welding operation? You should
run through a checklist to make sure everything is set up and ready for your welding operation.

Your checklist should include at least the following items:

Make sure there is nothing around your workpiece that can catch re
Set your amperage
Ensure your current is set to Alternating Current (A.C.)
Check your machine for the proper amount of coolant (if it is water-cooled)
Tighten all connections on your TIG torch cable and hose
Examine the electrode so that it is both in good condition and has the proper amount of “stick-
out”
Open the valve on your bottle of shielding gas
Set your shielding gas regulator to the proper amount of ow
Turn on and adjust your auto-darkening welding helmet
Wear all of your PPE

Tip: Since there are so many items to remember before beginning your weld, it may be helpful to create
your own list on a piece of paper and attach it to the top of your welder so you can reference it easily.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Ready

Ensure that all of your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is in place and properly functioning.
Since safety is always of the utmost importance in the eld, always make sure your PPE is on your
person and functioning before starting your weld. As discussed in other articles, your PPE
essentials for welding are:
 Safety glasses Hearing protection
Steel toe boots
Auto-darkening welding helmet
Welding gloves,
Leathers/ ame retardant coat
Flame-retardant headwear.

Even though the above are all important to use

while welding, for TIG welding aluminum you could
choose to focus primarily on the following PPE
items:

Safety glasses
Auto-darkening welding helmet
Welding gloves.

Always make sure you are wearing your safety glasses while in a welding shop. Especially while
grinding TIG welding electrodes. TIG welding electrodes, typically tungsten material, need to be
cleaned up using a bench grinder following any sort of contamination issues while welding.
Needless to say, bits of tungsten ying through the air while grinding your electrode are very
hazardous.

Helmet Shading and Gloves

Your auto-darkening helmet needs to be adjusted to the correct settings for TIG welding aluminum.
Since the amperage used is typically higher than when welding other materials, you should increase
the shade level to match the intensity of the arc light. Please read your welding helmet manual for
instruction regarding properly adjusting your welding helmet. Additional information surrounding
the potential dangers to a welder’s eyes can be read here. (https://beginnerweldingguide.com/will-
welding-damage-eyes/)

Selecting and using the correct type of welding gloves for TIG welding aluminum is important.
Primarily to help you avoid painful burns on your hands. While the traditional welding gloves for
TIG welding are thinner calfskin leather gloves, you might want to consider a thicker glove for
welding aluminum.

Some welders prefer a thicker glove similar to the popular “Mechanics” gloves. Mostly since they
are made from a thicker leather material, yet still allow full range of motion. Your preference might
vary. So try a pair of gloves and at the worst case, you can hold onto them for a different use if you
don’t like them for TIG welding aluminum.
Visualize the Weld Path and Angles
Right before starting your weld it is always helpful to visualize the welding process. Speci cally the
actions you will need to take in order for your weld to be successful. It may help to close your eyes
for a moment and visualize the angles which your electrode, your ller rod, your electrode handle,
and your foot pedal need to be throughout your the process.

If you start your weld without this type of visualization, there is a good chance that at a corner
transition of your weld you might not use the correct angles and your weld might fail. Additionally, if
you don’t use this type of visualization method, there is a good chance that a few inches into your
weld bead when you have to adjust the position of your hands you might start using an incorrect
electrode angle or ller rod angle. Visualization techniques are used by elite athletes prior to the
start of an event. Athletes use these techniques for the same reasons as welding technicians – to
maintain optimal focus throughout the event.

Create Your Weld and Don’t Dwell

Using the high-frequency arc-starter function, push your foot on the foot pedal to start your arc.
Your mind should be focused on the size of the puddle and where the extents of the puddle are
located on either side of your joint. This is controlled with your torch angle. Get into a rhythm of
creating the properly sized puddle, dipping your ler rod into the puddle, removing your ller rod,
advancing your torch forward, and repeating. Even though you have to wait for your puddle to form
under the welding torch, once it does, you have to move rapidly.

If you don’t have a sense of urgency while TIG welding aluminum you will end up with a:

Weld puddle that is too big

Heat affected zone that is out of control
Bend in your workpiece or a blow through the workpiece altogether

This is where experience plays a big part under the welding helmet. That is knowing how to adjust
your welding parameters “on the y.” Whether this means applying less amperage via your foot
pedal, adjusting your torch angle, speeding up, slowing down, or a combination of variables.

Inspection (Pass/Fail)
Beginner welders don’t typically have to be concerned with passing a weld inspection. But, they
should be aware of the real-world implications. In the real-world aluminum joints exist in ultra-high
requirement applications. There are aluminum welds holding together race cars, airplanes, and any
other life-critical purpose. Aluminum welds in these applications are closely scrutinized for quality
before they are approved.
Some of the high-end inspection methods include uorescent penetrant inspection and x-ray
inspection, at a basic level, looking for cracks in the weld. A more simplistic approach which
beginner welders can use is to see if the weld has any visible cracks, see if the weld is consistent
from start to nish, and see if the root of the weld is the proper size. Do not be concerned if your
welds don’t pass this mock inspection – simply start over again and practice until your welds look
great.

Tip: If your weld is cracking down the length of the bead, your workpiece could be getting too hot or your
ller rod might be an incorrect match for your base material. Either adjusting your amperage settings or
performing a bit of research online to see which ller is best for your alloy of aluminum should solve this
issue.

More Tips for Aluminum Welding

Optimal Conditions
Sometimes your technique could be spot-on, but your surrounding environment is causing your
welds to suffer in quality. One environmental issue which could cause your weld quality to diminish
is the wind. If there is a wind or even a breeze, your shielding gas could be disappearing and not
shielding your weld properly. Without shielding gas surrounding your weld puddle, the natural
atmosphere we breathe causes porosity and unclean welds. This is the case with all welding
technologies, but especially in TIG welding when welding non-ferrous materials such as aluminum,
titanium, and high nickel content superalloys.

This shielding gas issue can be resolved pretty simply usually by putting up screens to block the
wind and/or turning up the shielding gas output. Please be cautious about blocking off ventilation
from the room which you are welding in since the shielding gasses and the fumes from welding can
be extremely hazardous.

Relax
Learn to relax while you are performing your weld bead. You have learned that TIG welding is a very
manual process which takes ultimate concentration and skill, all of which can result in getting
stressed and tense while creating your weld bead. If you intend on welding more after your rst
weld bead for the day, you simply won’t last if your body is tense – you will be fatigued and your
subsequent weld beads will suffer.

It comes with practice, but if you put yourself in a relaxed state prior to starting your arc and
continuing that relaxation through your weld, you will only see positive results. This relaxation
allows you to better focus on your weld puddle, your ller dipping technique, and on your heat
affected zone. In contrast, if you tense up due to panicking about your weld, you will forget to focus
on your weld puddle, your ller dipping technique will go down the drain, and your heat affected
zone will probably grow out of control.

Get Comfortable
One of the keys to being able to concentrate on making a great weld is getting comfortable. The TIG
welding process typically allows the welding operator to sit at a bench and weld the workpiece in
position. You should take advantage of being able to sit down and weld. Many times, a weld will
come out looking poorly due to the welding operator not being comfortable. For example, a crooked
wrist, a strained back, or a hurt ankle due to an out of position foot pedal can all cause the operator
to be distracted and result in a poor weld.

You should turn and clamp the workpiece to a more comfortable position, get a better pad for your
chair, and make sure your foot pedal is in a good spot.

These small adjustments can result in big improvements in your weld quality. Sometimes you are
not able to get completely comfortable while performing your weld; for example, if you are welding
out of position on a xed workpiece. In this case, try to get as comfortable as possible stacking as
many variables in your favor. Additionally, take a short break (if possible) if you are welding out of
position to rest your arms or back since a fatigued welding operator typically results in poor weld
quality.

Ask for Help

As the workforce in the welding industry ages and more of the workforce moves to retirement (this
is a topic for another article) there are innumerable experienced welders who would be happy to
pass on the trade to someone who is willing to listen and learn. You are bound to eventually get
frustrated with learning the welding process.

There are so many small techniques and tidbits of experience which you need to learn in order to
master the trade.

Do not be discouraged if you cannot achieve a good-looking aluminum weld bead after three or four
weeks of trying. Instead, reach out to an expert and ask for help. This help can be found in many
different places, whether at an instructional welding course at a vocational school or community
college, from senior coworkers at your job, or even from YouTube videos found online. The
resources are out there, it is just a matter of realizing that you are not alone in being frustrated with
learning TIG welding and asking for help.
Practice makes perfect
This tip might be as obvious as it sounds, but in the case of welding aluminum, it is extremely true.
Welding aluminum is no less than an art form. There are numerous parameters which must be set in
the machinery, and as previously discussed those parameters are dependent on different variables.

There are numerous conditions which you must be aware of while you are under your helmet and
welding – experience and skill will tell you how to x issues on the y. TIG welding aluminum
requires nesse: controlling multiple variables all at once in order to create a great weld.

Master welders will tell you that only once you think you know everything is when you actually
know nothing. There is no substitute for experience in the eld of welding, but education and
practice will help accelerate your gain of that valuable experience.

Conclusion
Since welding aluminum is so challenging to master, it is immensely rewarding as a result. There are
always opportunities in the job market for skilled welders who can successfully weld aluminum.
Many of these career opportunities are either in the aerospace or the shipbuilding industries. You
should weld as frequently as you can in order to continuously improve your skillset and always be
optimistic about laying down a great weld.

For Related Articles click here! (https://beginnerweldingguide.com/category/featured-articles/)

To view Recommended Equipment, please click here!

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Author ~ Andrew Alton

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