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The plasma cutter seemed like a no brainer since I need the plasma cutter to do pattern cuts in aluminum and stainless steel. But, my biggest concernwas not the rough edges it might create on the coupons, but rather the sparks and molten metal it throws, which of course are a safety issue (fire...

I am a newbie, just learning how to TIG weld (Yes, I know that most people try to learn an easier form of welding first, but I want to do mainly aluminum and stainless steel, so went straight to TIG. In my guided training, I am currently welding 3/16" thick 3" x 6" aluminum 5000 series coupons...

1. I think my instructor (Dusty at Pacific Arc TIG) is teaching us students to clean ALWAYS not necessarily because it is always essential, but because it usually is, especially with steel that has either mill slag or anti-rust protection or paint residue or other unknowns on it. It's a great...

Yes, I guess that could become a problem. I will see. If that does occur, I'll go back to setting the coupon onto 2 other coupons instead, with just enough gap between those 2 supporting coupons to enable inserting the bottom scissor of the grounding clamp. Jim G

1. Yes, my online welding instructor specified all the key parameters for each welding exercise, but also said to adjust from the ones he provides as you learn what works for you. He specified approximately 30% balance for the current exercises, but he likes to have a small ball on the end of...

The aluminum table top was not an extra expense for me. I bought the diamond plate aluminum from a fab shop that had a huge surplus of it, so I actually spent less than I would have for steel! I think it's hard to know which is potentially the bigger potential issue for grounding: the aluminum...

You might have misunderstood my plan. I will be clamping the ground clamp directly to the weld coupon. The u-channel will be there merely to elevate the coupon above the table by 3/4" so that I can get the bottom scissor under the coupon's underside surface, without tilting the coupon. Jim G

1. Yes, I have a Canaweld AC-DC TIG 201 Pulse D and am currently running AC mode using 25% balance. No pulsing yet. :) 2. I figure the aluminum 3/4" x 3/4" u-channel pieces will enable clamping as described above. 3. Ah, so grounding clamps can also require inspection and maintenance. I'll...

Yes, I might be a bit more picky than needed, but there is no harm in doing so, right? Jim G

So you do not clamp the ground clamp directly to the coupon workpiece? Jim G