Aluminum welding on Xtreme4X4

admin

Today on Xtreme 4X4 on spike it was all about aluminum welding,pretty interesting,it will be back on Sunday morning on spike.It showed how to setup a regular Lincoln mig welder for welding aluminum plus a few other things you would need to know about prepping aluminum for welding.I thought it was pretty interesting but a so-called professional welder would probably say it was all wrong.Maxus Pro-125 MigChicago Electric 90 amp DC flux-coreLincoln Electric AC 225 tombstoneO/A torchM/O mini-torch10 acres of flatland15 acres of holler
Reply:Originally Posted by dugndeep...I thought it was pretty interesting but a so-called professional welder would probably say it was all wrong.
Reply:I saw the episode in question.  The host talked about prep, cleaning with a SS brush or some kind of spray on etchant that strips the oxide layer.  No details on the chemical cleaning method, but a decent image of what good prep looks like.  He mentioned problems with warpage, and made some vague suggestions for how to control it.  He also mentioned that aluminum is different from steel and mentioned 3 common aluminum alloys.  To their credit they also mentioned that aluminum doesn't change color when it's hot, and represents a real safety hazard when it's hot because you can't see that it might be too hot to handle.Then he demo'd three methods for welding aluminum:A spoolgun coupled with a 220V MIG power supply.  Some discussion of burnback, but no specifics on technique.  The only thing I recall him saying is, go twice as fast as you would with MIG on steel.  Noothing about voltage or wire feed speed settings.  Nothing about matching wire diameter to the base metal thickness.  Kind of a, "Here's the gear and this is what it looks like, now have at it" explanation.  Then they modifyed a Lincoln 110V MIG machine to run aluminum wire with a standard MIG gun.  New Teflon liner in the gun, U groove drive rolls, Argon cylinder, and 5356 wire(because it's stiffer and will help avoid feeding problems).  No actual demo that I saw, and no machine setting recommendations.  I'm skeptical about this jury-rig, but I suppose it might work in a pinch.The last option was a very superficial demo of TIG with a Miller Dynasty 200.  A few words on why TIG provides better heat control.  But nothing about AC cleaning action, balance, or pulsing.  Again, nothing in depth, although the host mentioned that there wasn't time in the show to do more than scratch the surface.  Nothing about cleaning with solvents or cleaning filler TIG filler rods too.  Nothing about air-cooled vs water cooled TIG torches.  Only a very brief mention of Tungsten grinding, with important details left out.The show closed with a demo of a FEIN metal polishing system.  The host turned a 1 Ft2 piece of aluminum into a crude mirror, with about 15 minutes of work.  He then said it would be cool and easy to polish all the aluminum panels on a truck....I say different strokes for different folks.Like all the DIY TV shows they give you just enough knowledge to be dangerous.  Yet another instance of, "Here's our sponsors stuff, now go buy some!"  It's the kind of thing that makes me imagine garage built vehicles that have pieces falling off of them at random as they roll down the road...Last edited by A_DAB_will_do; 11-06-2010 at 02:42 PM.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:My we have a definite attitude issue about some here now don't we...Not me....I was going to rephrase that but am at a loss for words at the momentLast edited by dugndeep; 11-06-2010 at 03:15 PM.Maxus Pro-125 MigChicago Electric 90 amp DC flux-coreLincoln Electric AC 225 tombstoneO/A torchM/O mini-torch10 acres of flatland15 acres of holler
Reply:Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_doThe show closed with a demo of a FEIN metal polishing system.  The host turned a 1 Ft2 piece of aluminum into a crude mirror, with about 15 minutes of work.  He then said it would be cool and easy to polish all the aluminum panels on a truck....I say different strokes for different folks.
Reply:I watched this episode as well.  I was curious if it would come up here.  I can't stand that host but my husband finds the show interesting.  I watched it long ago when they had the other two guys on it.Lincoln AC225 and CartLincoln WeldPak HD and CartOne hand
Reply:Originally Posted by MonicaI watched this episode as well.  I was curious if it would come up here.  I can't stand that host but my husband finds the show interesting.  I watched it long ago when they had the other two guys on it.
Reply:for the twenty minutes they had to work with i thought they did good. except for stating that miller had new technology that didnt use pure tungsten, i think they said they used 2% lanth or whatever..none of which is false except they made it seem like only miller could do this...
Reply:Just enough information to be dangerous?Just enough information to encourage?
Reply:Originally Posted by noriteI am watching the sunday replay of Xtreme 4x4 right now.  Its still hosted by Ian who I think was the original host.  When it comes to welding the original co-host was Jesse Combs, a woman who seemed to specialize in welding.  I wish she was still on there, I think she could weld better than most of the guys I've seen on TV.As far as skipping a lot of stuff, you can only cover so much in 1/2 hour and I think he gave a pretty good overview.  After all this is a show about off-roading 4x4's not just about welding or metalwork.  I think this episode will get more guys to try welding or move from just steel to aluminum and even tig, which means the welding companies will be motivated to develop more and better products for the rest of us.Look at the competition between Lincoln and Miller to sponsor any show that features welding.  I think they realise there is a big market out there besides the traditional fabrication and industrial markets.  It's all good.
Reply:I was wondering the same thing, I was glad to see all the discussion about. I also remember when Jesse Combs was on the show, she did a great job, didn't know she was on Myth busters?Bruce The Welding ChefLincoln Weld-Pack 3200 NORWELD StickStanford Hill Farm
Reply:Originally Posted by MonicaYou know, I think I'm confusing Extreme 4x4 with Trucks!  I enjoyed watching Trucks! when Stacey David and Mel Fair hosted.  The two guys on there now not so much
Reply:You'll have to sit through some off-road action...Which is my preferred method of vehicle abuseBut Jessi is on pretty regularly lately and is certainly respectable when it comes to her welding skills and knowledge.....the site is www.pirate4x4.com and is essentially the best Offroad site on the net, and I've recognized a few of the screen names from here over there.   http://www.pirate4x4.com/tv/live12b.phphttp://www.pirate4x4.com/welcome1.phpSTARTS 38 MINUTES IN -- GOOD COVERAGE -- Regarding Extreme4x4 -- I liked the show better w/ Jessi as well. Still, it's one of the few shows I love to watch.Last edited by jsm11; 11-08-2010 at 12:53 AM.1981 Lincoln SA 200Miller Trailblazer 302gMiller 211 Mig Welder w/ AutosetI'm learning to stick metal together
Reply:I was on pirate4x4 long ago but I got tired of the the uhm, environment and attitudes.  There are some great projects over there though.  Very capable folks.  I search through now and again just for the good stuff I watch GEARZ now and again.  Stacey David does a pretty good job running a variety of projects.  I like that it's a one-man operation.  The focus is on how to get the project  done rather than running a show.Lincoln AC225 and CartLincoln WeldPak HD and CartOne hand
Reply:http://web.mac.com/jessicombs/jessi_combs/hello.htmlEd 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 A_DAB_will_do Then they modifyed a Lincoln 110V MIG machine to run aluminum wire with a standard MIG gun.  New Teflon liner in the gun, U groove drive rolls, Argon cylinder, and 5356 wire(because it's stiffer and will help avoid feeding problems).  No actual demo that I saw, and no machine setting recommendations.  I'm skeptical about this jury-rig, but I suppose it might work in a pinch..
Reply:It was defintely a gloss-over / sales pitch episode.  One good thing they did show was testing different settings on scrap before welding the actual part.  The bad part was it looked like they were just laying beads down on a flat plate versus doing actual sample joints of the intended joint configuration.+1 on the Lincoln 140 / 180 with the spool gun - the 140 can be had for a little over $500 and the spool gun is a little under $200.  The Lincoln conversion kit they mentioned on the show (where you have to put in a new liner, drive roll, etc) is $120.  Guess what machine you have (if you already have one) is a big factor, but the spool gun sounds a lot easier, especially if you'll be switching back and forth (which would probably be the case with a hobbyist with one machine).Jessi was at WyoTech when I was there in 2003.  Never had any classes with her, but did see her in the library some when I was tutoring.  She was just on Mythbusters as a guest host when Kari was out on maternity leave.  I read somewhere that she hurt her back (shop accident) a while ago and I guess now she's persuing some of her own ventures.