looking for the best set up for mobile aluminum welding

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can anyone tell me the best minimum set up for mobile aluminum welding on dump truck beds and such?
Reply:Originally Posted by fdude64can anyone tell me the best minimum set up for mobile aluminum welding on dump truck beds and such?
Reply:wanna buy my bobcat 225 “I'm going to do the thing that God put Galen Beasley on this Earth to do:Have Salon quality hair and weld.Nothing like a good cup of coffee and the smell of 6010 burning in the morning. 971-204-3444 cell API ASME Structural NDT and Repair
Reply:Originally Posted by galencwiwanna buy my bobcat 225
Reply:I have the bobcat 225 with a WC115A and the newer trailblazer with the WC24A/30A spoolgun. I don't do a lot of aluminum.  I am told the WC24/30A works better, and it might, but I also had decent luck with the bobcat using the contactor box. Time will tell, it took some setup time to dial both in.  Everyone tells me the traiblazer is a better setup, but honestly it's hard to tell at the arc. The trailblazer has enough aux power to run my econotig, while the Bobcat did not.  Although the newer Bobcat is advertised to put out 10,000 watts.
Reply:I have several buddies that have aluminum dump truck beds that want me to do welding for them and I need to get something set up to learn to do them. I have some decent stick experience and would like to expand my skills. right now I don't have the available funds to spend a bunch on a new engine drive machine so if I could find something to run off my miller aead that would be great.Lincoln 225 ac (my first machine)farmhand 115vac 70amp mig/fc toymiller aead 200le (my main machine)
Reply:Pretty sure your not going to get a good weld with the AEAD. The AEAD is a constant current machine (C/C) and mig is usually  done with  constant voltage.Why not let a few of your buddies Fiance the machine? There the ones that will benefit. A fair deal might be three guys pool together half the cost of the machine. They get a discounted rate until the machine is paid. You paid half so that you have an interest in learning and making a few bucks. Of course they will never let you forget that they helped you out to get started. They will remind you on Sunday afternoon as you taking your wife out for a birthday with her parents. The crack they want you to fix will have been cracked for months,but he needs it right away. Best of luck.WelderbobLast edited by boatbuilder; 12-07-2013 at 05:30 AM.Reason: spelling
Reply:guess I could sell the aead for what I can get a cv machine for and buy one. there are a few on cl but they have a lot of hrs on them.Lincoln 225 ac (my first machine)farmhand 115vac 70amp mig/fc toymiller aead 200le (my main machine)
Reply:If you plan to do work on alum bodies, plan to do most of your practice out of position. Vertical, horizontal and overhead will be the biggest key. If they did material out of the bed with the bucket, then maybe they'll F up the floor. ( most drivers get cranky if you dig out of the bed with a bucket on an alum body for some reason...) Most times though the loader operator hits the sides of the truck . Do your practice on a ladder or off scaffold just like in the "real" world. Coupons on the bench are one thing. Trying to weld stuffed up under a tarp on a ladder on a windy day is something else. Keep in mind alum does not weld like steel. Even if you can weld steel nice, doesn't mean you can just grab a spoolgun and start knocking out A+ mig welds on alum.Remember you will most likely NOT get the nice stack of dimes look I see on a lot of alum bodies with basic mig and a spoolgun. Lost of times the factory welds are done with push pull guns and high end pulse capable migs. Those "dimes" often come from the pulse feature of these machines. Your welds will not look the same. Understand that up front, because some guys are a bit picky about how things look. While what you do may be solid and correct, it may not look like what they expect. A simple misunderstanding about how the job should turn out can cause a real mess, especially between "friends"..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWIf you plan to do work on alum bodies, plan to do most of your practice out of position. Vertical, horizontal and overhead will be the biggest key. If they did material out of the bed with the bucket, then maybe they'll F up the floor. ( most drivers get cranky if you dig out of the bed with a bucket on an alum body for some reason...) Most times though the loader operator hits the sides of the truck . Do your practice on a ladder or off scaffold just like in the "real" world. Coupons on the bench are one thing. Trying to weld stuffed up under a tarp on a ladder on a windy day is something else. Keep in mind alum does not weld like steel. Even if you can weld steel nice, doesn't mean you can just grab a spoolgun and start knocking out A+ mig welds on alum.Remember you will most likely NOT get the nice stack of dimes look I see on a lot of alum bodies with basic mig and a spoolgun. Lost of times the factory welds are done with push pull guns and high end pulse capable migs. Those "dimes" often come from the pulse feature of these machines. Your welds will not look the same. Understand that up front, because some guys are a bit picky about how things look. While what you do may be solid and correct, it may not look like what they expect. A simple misunderstanding about how the job should turn out can cause a real mess, especially between "friends".
Reply:Originally Posted by fdude64thanks for the real world reply dsw. the out of position practice is a good idea and I will remember this. most of my practice will probably be on the trucks for cheap and they will know that I am very green and may not be pretty
Reply:Im not saying this is the best method for "mobile welding", but i have thrown my dynasty 350 in the back of an SUV enough that its paid for itself a bunch of times.www.performancealuminumfabrication.com
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonIStill I believe your work can be done with a quality welder that has run-in control for hot, smooth starts. The ThermalArc 252i has that feature, as does my MillerMatic350P.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI agree both those machines would be a good choice to do alum mig with. I'm not quite sure they fit what I'd be thinking of as "portable" to do field work with though, except with a good sized genny. I have a feeling the Op is more looking at a basic spoolgun and engine drive, or if he goes with a stand alone mig and genny, his budget won't cover the TA or MM350P. Problem is that a good alum set up is almost never cheap no matter how you go about it.
Reply:yea I understand you gotta spend money to make money but I hope I can find something fairly reasonable to make it happen. and yes im thinkin a spool gun on a suitcase.Lincoln 225 ac (my first machine)farmhand 115vac 70amp mig/fc toymiller aead 200le (my main machine)
Reply:Originally Posted by fdude64yea I understand you gotta spend money to make money but I hope I can find something fairly reasonable to make it happen. and yes im thinkin a spool gun on a suitcase.
Reply:There is no need for out of position practice! Just rent one of these and roll the dump trucks to the flat welding position. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Ah.. That old beast brings back memories. Old 988B?.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Might have a little trouble rolling some of the dump trucks you see in rock quarries tho.  Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:you guys are too funny. the gf says we have too much time on our hands lmaoLincoln 225 ac (my first machine)farmhand 115vac 70amp mig/fc toymiller aead 200le (my main machine)
Reply:Originally Posted by fdude64the gf says we have too much time on our hands lmao
Reply:does anyone know what my aead 200le might be worth? it is an 88 model with a little over 1400 hrs. I found a miller trailblazer 251 nt for $1700.00 but it has almost double the hrs mine has and two of the 110 outlets don't work, no leads but I could sell mine without leads. any input?Lincoln 225 ac (my first machine)farmhand 115vac 70amp mig/fc toymiller aead 200le (my main machine)