Welding Aluminum

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Ok Id like to have some technical discussion on what it takes to weld aluminum in the .120 range... Somthing like a fuel tank or dash, console etc.. Nothing structural.

I had asked about possibly having it done... But my desire to do it myself has kicked in.. I was planning to make a steel tank but then the notion of alum sounded appealing..

So will MIG do an adequate job on aluminum for these tasks ?

Would TIG be better...

Skill and training aside what would be better..

MIG -
Can I simply slap a liner in my welder and get an argon tank?
Would a spool gun setup be better?

Lets hear it...
 
Spool gun much better than squirtgun, you'll still have snags even with a new liner that you use for alu only. Mig much faster than TIG, but doesn't look as good. You'll definately want a foot pedal if you TIG aluminum. It starts cold and gets hot fast.

Some things require TIG for higher strength (i.e. NHRA cages for some classes). MIG can hide some sins, but TIG isn't right if it doesn't look right, either.

Tanks are hard to do right. I had one built by a local fab shop and it included sealed pressure test.

Most TIG i've seen in process is bench stuff, away from the bench it's MIG'd.

Check out weldingweb.com and search on Alumimum there. Lots of good discussion...one thread you'll probably find is about a guy building a boat (maybe try search term aluminum boat). Good discussion on where to use MIG vs. TIG on various portions of that project. Use the forum search tool, not the search box at the upper right of the page in the header.

I just bought a new MM210, started to get the spool gun, but need for alum is few and far between, so I am just going to wait and drop some money later on a Miller TIG machine.

edit, check these links:

http://www.weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=7407&highlight=aluminum+boat

http://www.submarineboat.com/sub/welding.html
 
also, if you just need to stick something together like a dash, i've had real good luck with those aluminum alloy brazing sticks. You have to be hotter than propane will get you, I like MAPP, or I guess oxyac would do it.

Wouldn't do a gas tank or anything structural with it.
 
Like said before Aluminum can be tricky to weld. It heats up really fast, bows and stretches really easy too. MIG welding Al is not as easy as it sounds. I doesn't behave like steel. You have to spray arc. I prefer to Heliarc on most of my Al projects. It can be tedious on long welds, but if you take you time and don't overheat the metal you get a much better looking weld.
 

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what kind of equipment is everyone using ?

what do you mean by 'spray arc' Do you mean just blow the weld on there and keep moving sort of deal?
 
Spray arc is when the filler never actually touches the base metal. Most steel is welded using stick/arc method. The filler touches the base melts, touches then melts. That is why you get the "bacon frying" sound. Spray arc actually melts the filler between the tip and base. This makes a hissing sound. This is used to keep from contaminating the Al. Al is real susceptible to trash and contamination. So everything must be clean! Filler and base.

I use both a L-tech and Esab 250amp machines. TIG welding opens up a whole new avenue. You have much more control over all your inputs, so posture and correct technique is more critical. Not that it is hard to preform just a discipline.
 
MIG should work fine on your dash or console. tig would be better for the tank. Spoolgun would be ideal for mig of aluminum. Depending on length of the torch on your feeder it may be pretty tough to push aluminum that distance. If you were to try i would recommend a nylon or teflon liner. you would need to keep the torck lead as straight as possible min tension on the drive rolls
and an oversized tip. not knowing the amperage range of your welder. i would say run .035 4043 alloy wire. and probaly short circuit transfer. That would require 17-20 volts and wire feed speed 250-400ipm.
To TIG aluminum you would have to have an ac welder with hf.
 
With MIG you should need a different roller to keep the wire from getting misshaped.
 
Mike,
Just to add, last time I checked ( a while ago) it was like $300 for a mig gun that would run Al....has a different liner caus its soft. Would be a nice side business for boat accessories with the right skills.
 
I had a spool gun for my old welder. I sold it with the welder. We use them on the production lines at work, one is used to tack two halves together and the others are fitted on automated machines.
 
Never done it yet with the readywelderII but it said it will work if I run gas on it and change the wire...\
I have always done the stick and torch thing.
Jon
 
ANother option for non-structural (I.E. Id do the dash with it but wouldnt touch the tank) is a AL stick in a buzz box.

WIth a lil practice you can get good looking results...
 
Kevin Cox (KC4X4) bought a Ready WelderII from me and has used it to weld aluminum. He has a small argon bottle. I am a dealer, but I can not vouch for how it works. Contact Kevin and I am sure he will tell you how it does.
 
When TIG welding aluminum, you will need a machine equipped with an AC setting, and high frequency. I've also found that a spool gun attached to my MIG works great on thicker aluminum, but I can't seem to get good results when scaling down much thinner than 1/16th inch. As mentioned above, good TIG results will always look better, but takes much longer to produce.

MIG is a Lincoln Power MIG 255C
TIG is a Lincoln Precision TIG 175
Spool gun is a Lincoln Magnum 250LX

Didn't do it intentionally, but the garage just turned out red....
 
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