sliding dirt bike ramp

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Hey all, I am in the process of building a ramp for my dirt bike trailer, that can be slid on some stainless tubing and also rotated for use and storage on the trailer. I got about $80 in the stainless pipe, aluminum tube, and scrap for my brackets. All was going well until I kept blowing my breaker trying to tack the aluminum. The aluminum ramp will feature 4 other crossmembers. While on the subject, does ac welding draw more amps than dc? - I am in a townhome and welding thru my dryer outlet, so I can only turn my welder up to 125 amps max (welder max is 185amps). I can weld mild steel fine, but 125 amps on AC blows my breaker. Because it takes some good heat to form an aluminum pool, I pretty much am just doomed. Will be moving my metal fab stuff to my dads shop with a real setup. Welding out of a 1 car garage is for the birds!Anyway, will add more pics upon completion of the alum. welding. In Advance, Metal Sculpter, don't want or need your advice. You are a loser, and can't get none - so you live vicariously thru your almighty image on the net, because you got no friends, no girl, and no couth.To all else, any advice is welcome on the aluminum. I can make an okay aluminum weld, but those were stringers. Once I started doing 1/8 inch tubing and corner joints, seems like I just can't get enough heat without blowing the breaker. Attached Images
Reply:On my miller 330 ab/p I run midrange with a foot pedal and that goes up to about 250 amps.  Power is everything when welding aluminum.  Many years ago a friend of mine in Irving, Texas bought a miller dial arc about the same time I bought my 330.  I had agonized about getting the dial arc myself, but sprung for the 330 instead.  I ended up doing some aluminum welding for him (heaver alum) because he didn't have quite enough power.
Reply:To try to use the location you have with your limitations on power, preheating may help. Instead of using the tig to bring your aluminum up to temp., try preheating the area with a torch, even a small propane plumbers try torch might give you the extra help you need to get this project done.  If using an acetylene-oxygen set up for heating be carefully as the aluminum does not give you much "warning" that you are near it's melting point.  A handy hint is to use acetylene only, soot up the area you want to heat, then bring on the oxygen, with a neutral flame heat the part, when you notice you are burning off the soot, it's time to move along before you end up with a puddle of ugly. It might be helpfully to practice this on a piece of scrap and see just how close you are to melting the metal.P.S.   Once you have started welding and everything is up to temp, keep going... so you don' have to reheat.Just my  opinion, not from a book, just from the road.Howes Welding Inc.www.howesweldinginc.com
Reply:There is also another way to tell when you are getting close to the melting point of the aluminum.  With the acytelene torch, use a carbarizing flame as you heat the aluminum.  When the flame bouncing off the surface of the aluminum turns orange, you can stop heating before it is too late.  One thing this does though is put the aluminum in the O condition.  Dead soft.