Setting a Miller HF Dialarc to weld aluminum

by Millard
(Garden City.LA.)

First of all when I got out of high school I welded aluminum for 10 years.Tig and mig.Got pretty good at it.
They made me a welding foreman and I would test welder in aluminum.That was 40 yrs.ago.

Just bought the dialarc last week.It welds steel with a stick ok.The machine looks like it was never used to tig weld,At first I couldn't get the high frequency to work.
I cleaned the machine out.The high frequency points look like they were never used.It has a off middle hf up and hf continuous.IT WORKED OPPOSITE so I turned switch upside down now the points arc like they r suppose to.Set then at .008 in. per Miller manual I down loaded.

Only paid $340 for rig.It had ground and stick welder, no tig equip.
My 250 amp, air cooled torch came in today with 1/8 100% tungsten.Had a piece of 1/4in. alum. angle.
It weld like crap.Had it on AC HF on continuous.

Finally got an arc to start.Argon set at 30.Even with the machine set at almost max,it would not form a puddle.

Should I get a gas barrel for torch or maybe smaller tungsen or maybe 2% thr.Maybe just the machine.

It's a 1976 model.Some times these old machines last for ever.
It welds stick very hot.Sorry so long. Any help appreciated.

Old welder but out of practice.At least I can still mig. LOL.

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Before doing anything else, try reducing your argon flow to 10 cfh. if it puddles a lot better but is dirty, then adjust it upward just enough to where you get a clean puddle.

I recommend using 2% lanthanated but 2% thor works fine for aluminum also.

also, make sure your tig torch is hooked up to the negative connection.