Aluminium

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Ok I am going to be welding aluminum(with a  mig welder) and do not attend welding school, am not doing an apprenticeship, or any other form of training I have done some mig welding on steel but that is about it.  I need some tips for working with aluminum I have been hunting around reading articles and watching videos on it and feel like I have a decent grasp of what I am doing but I want some advice from welders any help is appreciated.
Reply:practice, post pics, repeat.wish i could help however ive never mig'd aluminum. are you using a spool gun or just running aluminum wire through your wire feeder?
Reply:Run 22+ volts and move FAST!CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN as you can get it with a stainless steel brush. "Push" the gun into the weld- about 45 degrees or so. Once you start the bead, try to finish without letting off. I like using a smaller wire than normal as it seems to be more controllable. I use .030" on up to 3/16" thick.Run your tip size at .005 LARGER than the wire to keep binding to a minimum.Use a new liner for aluminum only- don't use this liner for steel...never.Set your roller pressure as low as it will allow and still push the wire. Try to keep the work lead straight as possible, as any bending increases friction and can cause the wire to bind in the liner. To start, try using 4043 wire. Don't weave- lay the bead straight. When you get to the end, I do a little loop and release the trigger just as you are about ready to get to the end...just a little earlier or you'll burn through the edge or make a hole.Get yourself a spoolgun or a push-pull gun if you plan on slinging alot of aluminum. Once you get then hang of it, you'll lay a bead faster then you've ever seen. Some soot and smoke is normal. If using 5xxx wire, you'll get tons of thick white smoke, but this is normal.Practice all day. Play with wire speed, voltage and gun angle. Once you find the perfect combo, you'll know! Try various thicknesses and wire too.
Reply:Hey parser,As LuzRD & turboblown have indicated, you gotta do some serious practice to get proficient with AL welding. It is another world. And turboblown's statement of CLEAN is religious!!!!! If it's not clean, you're wasting time & material. Acetone, some SS wire toothbrushes & larger SS brushes are a must. The smart thing to do is have a separate box or drawer just for your AL welding equipment.....even your AL wipe rags. And a liner or another MIG gun for AL only....no mixing steel & AL at all. If your unit and pocketbook are capable, a spoolgun makes it sweet. If not, just do one step at a time to get to be able to weld AL easily & proficiently. Try to scrounge up as much scrap as you can to practice on......CLEAN!! CLEAN!! CLEAN!!. Myself, I use 5356 .035 for 95% of the AL welding I do. It is a bit stiffer, feeds much easier, and is a bit stronger. Try both....you will find what suits your needs. Since I do a lot of AL crafts, I use MIG because of the cost effectiveness. Man, you should see what it's like to spray weld AL.......whoooosh.....gotta go FAST!!! I run 600+ IPM in spray mode.....and it is really a beautiful MIG weld. Not as pretty as TIG, but really nice. I do TIG on all the AL diamondplate car accessories I fab.....classic & show cars....TIG only. Listen, if your steel MIG welding is only "some welding", you need to really practice with steel more to get the feel & look of a nice weld and the techniques to produce them. AL is not hard, just takes patience, practice, and a good mindset & temperment to accomplish. Once you get frustrated...time to quit for the day....start another day. There are many folks here to help....don't hesitate to ask questions. Good Luck....DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Originally Posted by parserOk I am going to be welding aluminum(with a  mig welder) and do not attend welding school, am not doing an apprenticeship, or any other form of training I have done some mig welding on steel but that is about it.  I need some tips for working with aluminum I have been hunting around reading articles and watching videos on it and feel like I have a decent grasp of what I am doing but I want some advice from welders any help is appreciated.
Reply:Teflon liner. The wire liner will dirty it up. 18 to 22v depending on what you are doing. You really need to give more information. Again keep your lead straight if you are not using a push-pull or spool system. Some guys will say hell no, but I have pushed Aluminum 25 feet in a straight line. Tip/cup straight to material. You can push or pull. Push will be cleaner and pull will leave a big sulfur build up to clean off. Good luck, and practice.
Reply:I have a $200 Harbor Freight 220VAC MIG unit that I use specifically for 1/8 flatbar material for making equipment mounts in our custom consoles. This $200 POS works great! Funny thing is that I use the original steel liner. I guess since it's never had anything but aluminum in it, I don't have the contamination problems. It pushes 4043 just fine. I try to not use 5xxx alloys since it makes the shop a fog zone in a hurry. The only problem I have is the occasional tip meltdown. Speaking of tip, keep several (many!) on hand while you learn. You'll have burnback and melt some down. Even after you learn, it will still happen here and there. You want the tip to be set back in the nozzle more than with steel. I played around with different depths on my Esab spoolgun and run it 1/4" recessed.
Reply:Lot of good advice.One additional comment.  Use straight argon for your shielding gas.  C25 is not recommended for aluminum.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:As stated, straight Argon. C25 or CO2 will not work.You may use a slight Helium mix.