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Hi guys,I finally got my first welder during the summer, a 180T Lincoln. I love the machine and I've been able to progress up the learning curve on my own to my satisfaction.This week I got a 100SG spool gun for my birthday. So I got some Argon and today got cracking. I don't know what exactly I'm doing wrong but it's not going well.For one, I'm experimenting with one of my primary aluminum applications - .065 wall pipes for the intake on my racecar. One friend suggested that maybe the made-in-China aluminum isn't pure (billed as 6061). But it seems like I'm able to draw good beads from time to time but I'm not sure why. I just read the welding tips and tricks page on MIGing aluminum and I realized maybe my stickout is WAY too short. The Lincoln manual says 1/4" stickout and 3/8-1/2" tip distance. The site says 3/4"I also watched his video and it looks like such a pretty, slow and steady flow. Mine was just a mess. For instance, the manual says don't let the tip contact the surface. But if I did that, it wouldn't arc until the metal rammed into the work surface anyway... so I actually got better results by starting like with steel then pulling back. Any suggestions here?I also couldn't get used to the speed. In the video, it looks like he's not moving all that much faster than if he was doing steel. But I found I had to move at a serious clip, like an inch per second, or it would blow through.I think I was still able to get some somewhat decent beads going but once I tried to make a practical joint - butt the pipe, it would work here and there but most of the time it would just blow right through.The wire is a .035 4043.Get your barf bags ready (tons of experimenting with speed/heat combinations, stopped when I killed a tip)... the pictures start here, scroll right for more:https://picasaweb.google.com/dmitrys...50903446775938Any hints and tips would be greatly appreciated - please PM if you don't want to reply here.
Reply:spool gun is tough for thin metals esp on a power source which is tapped instead of infinite voltage adjustment. I usually start with the wire speed way up and then dial it back down as i tune in the correct arc. that way the wire does not melt back into the tip and bugger it all up. I would try and get a spool of .030 alu wire too.Tiger Sales: AHP Distributor www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P, Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma. For Sale: Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun. Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Aluminum MIG is not recommended for tubing that thin. IIRC, it's .850 and up thickness. It's also hot and fast spray transfer, not short circuit like steel. You also should be using the thinest wire you can so it melts at less amps. I tried it with .060 tubing and got results like yours (prolly even uglier). Get a .25" thick piece of aluminum stock and try it out. I may be wrong, but that's looking like TIG only territory.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Thanks guys! I'll try a .030 wire. For what it's worth, both the machine and the gun spec settings starting at 22 gauge, 14 gauge is closer to midrange heat...! So at least based on that, this 14-16gauge tubing should be well within spec.When I start the arc, should I contact the tip to the work piece? I know I should stay off of it during but how about at the start? Should I start it with the air gap or should I start in contact and pull back?Thanks again!
Reply:For MIG welding the contact tip shouldn't ever touch the base metal.
Reply:Sorry when I say contact the tip I mean the tip of the wire
Reply:As long as you have a good stick out then it is really up to you.
Reply:Originally Posted by TheJuggernautThanks guys! I'll try a .030 wire. For what it's worth, both the machine and the gun spec settings starting at 22 gauge, 14 gauge is closer to midrange heat...! So at least based on that, this 14-16gauge tubing should be well within spec.When I start the arc, should I contact the tip to the work piece? I know I should stay off of it during but how about at the start? Should I start it with the air gap or should I start in contact and pull back?Thanks again!
Reply:My HH210 had voltage and wire speed info for aluminum on the chart inside the door that was based on the spool gun that fit my machine (and .030 and .035 wire). I played with the spool gun for a day or two and had terrible results (likely more me than the equipment), sold it and went back to learning to tig aluminum. Your results may vary...KevinHobart Handler 210Tweco Fabricator 181iLincoln Squarewave Tig 175
Reply:HIWhen I bought my miller with a spool gun it was so I could do aluminum. I have not yet but the guy stated you need to push when doing aluminum. I guess that to get better coverage with the argon.Have funTom
Reply:Originally Posted by acourtjesterHIWhen I bought my miller with a spool gun it was so I could do aluminum. I have not yet but the guy stated you need to push when doing aluminum. I guess that to get better coverage with the argon.Have funTom
Reply:Sorry for the late reply guys, I didn't get any emails about new posts since my last visit.. weird.Anyway, could some of you post a spool gun weld without any cleanup? I get a lot of smoke and black soot buildup. The smoke leaves a white powder on the gun cup and my mask... makes me wonder if this stuff is dangerous. Is this normal or could it be that my argon isn't pure argon?I got some .030 5356 and I'm able to do this 16 gauge tubing pretty easily. In fact, there's definitely a too-little heat setting. I also tried 3/16 and I managed to get good results by being more patient. Also at this heat I'm really seeing the spray transfer. At the low heat settings, I'm still seeing globs on the wire. But the end result seems alright and looking inside, there's good penetration... I even managed to do a decent job with a butt-joint of the pipe. But still very inconsistent.
Reply:No expert here, but I also got a whitish-blue powder while pushing 5356. It was everywhere. I didn't get it with 4340 wire. The black soot is from lack of argon coverage. I got that on some welds, but when I got it right, there was none.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Gotta turn that heat up drf255.Not perfect by any means, first test weld with the WC-1 and Spoolmatic 1 off the Bobcat. Don't remember the settings.Outside corner (note cold start to the right) . . .. . . flip side, 3-pass inside corner . . .. . . and checked out.Not a very good close up. SM-1 off the MM200. HIgh / 5, WFS 4.5 and 4043 I think. 3/16" smooth and 1/4" TP.Last edited by duaneb55; 11-11-2011 at 09:10 AM.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:Wow, that's without any cleanup? How much argon pressure do you guys run? I seem to get lots of black soot no matter what I do - tried between 20 and 50 cfh, holding the gun perpendicular, leaning it into a push, leaning it more, keeping 3/4", 1/2", 3/8" stickout... maybe they sold me c25? I clearly told him argon, he even confirmed that I want pure argon.
Reply:No clean up (only a little at starts/stops). 25-30cfh depending on conditions. Definately need to confirm you have clean 100% argon.Last edited by duaneb55; 11-11-2011 at 09:12 AM.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:For the OP, what method are you using to clean your Alu. before welding it, the cleaner you have it via Stainless wire brushing and acetone will yield better results to your weldsTiger Sales: AHP Distributor www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P, Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma. For Sale: Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun. Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Originally Posted by duaneb55No clean up (only a little starts/stops). 25-30cfh depending on conditions. Definately need to confirm you have clean 100% argon.
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawFor the OP, what method are you using to clean your Alu. before welding it, the cleaner you have it via Stainless wire brushing and acetone will yield better results to your welds
Reply:To clarify - that was no post weld clean up.Preweld Bobcat/WC-1/SM1 test was just hit it with a soft pad. The concern there was checkingout the Bobcat/WC-1 function off the new 14-pin and contactor.Prep on the smooth/TP paid project was a brush down with the SS brush and wipe down with acetone.Last edited by duaneb55; 11-11-2011 at 09:13 AM.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base! |
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发表于 2021-8-31 23:21:40