This page goes with our "How to TIG Weld Aluminum" beginners guide.
If you landed here on accident, here are some good links for other tig welding posts
Aluminum TIG welding is almost always done using filler rod but for the sake of learning, it helps to run beads without filler to get used to the different look and sound of the AC arc.
You will notice in this video that every bead cracks while welding.
This serves as a good example of why filler rod is normally used on aluminum.
Aluminum has a property called "hot shortness" that makes it weak and brittle at certain elevated temperatures. learn simple aluminum metallurgy here
