Anyone have acceptable success mig welding aluminum with 120VAC welder?

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I'm just wondering if it's possible to weld aluminum with a little 120v mig machine.  I have a Lincoln 140c (continuous voltage setting, NOT the "stepped" voltage setting).    I would plan on using a spool gun to feed the aluminum  wire better, but on your experience, what is the end result of the weld with the set up I've described?   Am I wasting time with the 120v mig welder and tackling aluminum?  I've never mig welded aluminum before and I wouldn't use it for structural integrity type welds that could cause someone to get hurt.   I'm just looking at more lawn-art, home garage fabrication or bicycle rack projects etc...Thanks in advance.Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:You will have a very narrow thickenss range you can weld.  Too thin and you'll go beyond what can be welded without pulse and a power supply that can dial down low.  Too thick and you'll run out of juice from the 120v machine.  I suspect 1/16-1/8 thickness would be the max lower/upper range and that might be stretching it a bit.  If you go with a 220v mig, at least you have more headroom on the thicker end of the scale.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:1/16 to 1/8 is the easiest to weld with a 120v machine.....   I haven't tried thinner...  but thicker can be done in multiple passes.  As with all aluminum  Clean Clean and Clean it before welding.
Reply:I patched up an aluminum boat with my (old and gone) Century 120v Mig machine. It was only capable of a little over 75 amps, and the wire speed was almost wide open. It worked, but it was very difficult. There was some grinding and touchup work to do.  The boat was structurally OK, it just had a ton of holes that the long line of previous owners drilled for one thing or another, and a small crack at the transom top. The crack I took special care with. The thickness was around 3/32, and I had to run the heat setting on high.Not something I'd want to try to do again.-az-