Newb welds aluminim for first time

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Okay, so I've got a 175 mig and I ordered the liner & drive roll I need to do .035 aluminum but I've never welded any aluminum before.A) Any tips for a beginner? Hot and fast is what I've read searching but anything other than that?B) Anyone with a similar machine got any tips about welding aluminum without a spoolgun?  Will I be really putting extra strain on my machine?C) Thanks in advance.
Reply:Originally Posted by ArchdukeferdinandWill I be really putting extra strain on my machine?
Reply:You use 100% argon for welding alum, not 75/25. As said you will probably be straining your patience running alum wire thru the std gun. Sort of like tring to push a rope. The wire is really to soft and flexible to be pushed very far, hence the use of spool guns, or push pull guns on bigger machines.Have fun and post some picts of your adventure.
Reply:Here is a good articlehttp://www.thefabricator.com/Aluminu...cle.cfm?ID=726
Reply:Duke,Is that a Lincoln your using? I have a Lincoln Model SP-130T and have welded 1/8" 6061 aluminum with .030 4043 wire. Patience is needed as stated. The model 130 is a 220v power source a little older than the Lincoln 175. Tips as Frank Armao said in his artical not much drive roll tention or you will have a rats nest of wire to clean up, keep the liner as straight as posible, modify a contact tip to help prevert tip drag and melting wire in the tip, I'll include a pic of this. The end of the tip has a V notch. The tip idea is from my LWS. 100% Argon @ 20 FPM travel in the push direction. Nozzel dip may help too. Clean alu with a SS brush before welding. My machine was set at 4 to 5 for wire speed and D on volts. Just looked at your post again are you welding .035 thickness material (thought that was the wire dia)?  with a mig? Wow show us how it turns out.Waldo Attached Images
Reply:What Waldo said:"Just looked at your post again are you welding .035 thickness material (thought that was the wire dia)?  with a mig? Wow show us how it turns out."Since you've never welded aluminum before and you plan on starting with .035; I predict failure. .035 aluminum is a TIG process not MIG. And even with TIG, .035 is REALLY HARD. I'm not trying to be a butt-head. I'm just letting you know that it's probably not going to work. It would take an extremely skilled weldor to MIG .035 aluminum.On a more positive note, if you try this, be sure to use a backing to keep the puddle from falling out.As always, see my sig for qualifications; none. 9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:On the gas flow CFH NOT FPM. not enough
Reply:Waldarosa  I'm curious about yor tip modification. Is that a cuttaway of the tip you posted or the tip as you use it? I see a dark area at the tip, is this the V notch you were refering to or the whole cut away section? Its a bit hard to see in the pict. I was thinking of playing with my spoolgun on alum a bit and thought I'd give your mod a try on an old tip.
Reply:Wow, thanks for all the responses...I'm not sure why this was moved as it is a lincoln specific question, I guess I didn't make that clear enough.   Seems to be a theme for me.The reason I say .035 (electrode) is that the only aluminum-specific liner & drive roll for the mig I have (box store 175 w/tapped) is for that size electrode. This will be an extremely short project just fixing a couple of spots on a golf cart frame. I got a bottle of 100% argon ready and waiting, good to know on the 20 CFH.What I was really wondering about was if I could just run .030 alu wire and use the drive roll and tips I have now that I'd use for .035 steel?  I'd read that using the next size up contact tip was good for alu but hadn't come on any tip mods. Please post pics of that, WaldaThanks again everybody, I saw a post about the part # for the aluminum welding kit I've got coming so I figured someone in here has used the same setup I've got. I almost never need to work on aluminum so right now dropping the money into a spoolgun wouldn't really be a sensible option for me.I've got some reading to do and the liner/roll don't get here for another week+ but I'll be sure to let you guys laugh at my meager first attempts.
Reply:That makes sense now but how you first stated it, it seemed as though you were wanting to Weld on AL Stock that is .035Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1That makes sense now but how you first stated it, it seemed as though you were wanting to Weld on AL Stock that is .035
Reply:.....Last edited by WHughes; 05-17-2008 at 12:24 AM.
Reply:whoops
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWWaldarosa  I'm curious about yor tip modification. Is that a cuttaway of the tip you posted or the tip as you use it? I see a dark area at the tip, is this the V notch you were refering to or the whole cut away section? Its a bit hard to see in the pict. I was thinking of playing with my spoolgun on alum a bit and thought I'd give your mod a try on an old tip.
Reply:Duke,A cuppie a pics of the tip mod. I used a .035 tip with .030 wire. You can use the drive rolls and tips you have. Waldo
Reply:[QUOTE=Waldarosa;187949]Duke,A cuppie a pics of the tip mod. I used a .035 tip with .030 wire. You can use the drive rolls and tips you have. WaldoThat's a really cool mod, thanks for the photos.  Great to hear that I can use the stuff I've got, I got work to pay for the liner and roll for .035 electrode so no hurt feelings there but still nice to know.
Reply:Waldarosa, thanks for the additional picts. It makes a lot more sense now that I can see it from the diferent views. I'll give it a try and see how it works.
Reply:Glad to Post pics of how it turns out. With 3/16 base material you will need to turn up the heat (wire speed)