MIG or TIG, that is the question!

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I have a few projects coming up that I could use some input on. I am looking at making a new dash and a radar arch for my boat and I am not sure what to do. I need to make the arch out of aluminum due to the weight and the dash isnt large enough to matter. I could make it out of anything and paint it if need be. The problem is all I have is a Hobart 187 mig welder. I have never welded aluminum with it and I am looking at almost $1000 for spool gun, controller and gas. At that price I am tempted to just buy a TIG with AC/DC. What do yall think? Many have said miging aluminum is way harder than tiging it. Any truth to that????RGRG_______________________Hobart 187Northern Tool Plasma 375Harris 85 O/A Rig (Ireland)
Reply:I don't like MIG aluminum....probably because I like things to look nice   Spool gun aluminum doesn't have the control I want for small stuff.  It may be better when someone else does itDave J.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:You will get alot of opinions on this one.Mig Aluminum is spray transfer hot and fast and will not give you good results on thin aluminum.  With special machines, people can approach that stack of dimes look, but I don't believe that's too easy to do with a standard spool gun and a standard Mig machine.Aluminum Tig is far from easy to learn and be good at, especially on pipe/tubing.  It takes many hours to learn.  Round tubing is super difficult because you have to continually change your angle.You're also not gonna find a quality brand Tig for $1000 that's ACDC either.  Not a new one at least.You have a tough situation there.  I don't think either are entirely easy to do well.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Originally Posted by Rottguinness Many have said miging aluminum is way harder than tiging it. Any truth to that????
Reply:I appriciate the replies. I am taking a TIG class next month and we shall see how that goes. I guess I assumed that miging was miging and the spool gun was the only difference. I am glad you guys set me straight. If I bought a TIG I think it would be a lower end unit. Probably a Hobart 165 or Miller 180 unless I found a good used one cheap. What if did it out of stainless?? I need it to look good since it is on my boat. Worse case scenario, I can make the dash out of steel since I know I can mig that and figure out what to do for the radar arch.RG_______________________Hobart 187Northern Tool Plasma 375Harris 85 O/A Rig (Ireland)
Reply:I've been making some aluminum stuff for fishing for a couple of years now.  My buddy used to do the welding for me on his TIG, but it is difficult to find time to go over to his shop.  I ended up purchasing a multiprocess machine that does DC tig and spool guns aluminum.  One thing I like about the spool gun is it's fast.  My beads always look cold on start-up, no matter how much it seems I pre-heat.  My welds really look like crap when I have to stop then restart, they just don't seem to flow together.Here is a pic of a davit I built over the weekend.  Some of the welds look great and some are absolute uglieness.  Going around a tube is definitely difficult with the bulky spoolgun.  Thin materail sucks, but I can weld 1/8" to 1/4" all day.  If you don't mind grinding all your welds then polishing the aluminum, you could probably make a nice arch.  I don't like to grind, so just live with the thick ugly welds. Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by RottguinnessIf I bought a TIG I think it would be a lower end unit. Probably a Hobart 165 or Miller 180 unless I found a good used one cheap. What if did it out of stainless?? I
Reply:I don't mind spending more I was just suprised that it was $1000 to outfit a mig that I already have to weld this one project. I found the Hobart tig for $1300 and the Miller for $1800. My plan was to frame the arch in rectangle tubular. I wasn't sure if I was going to cover the frame in sheet metal or leave it with just the frame. I have seen them both ways. Any thoughts on welders? Arches or anything else I may encounter?RGRG_______________________Hobart 187Northern Tool Plasma 375Harris 85 O/A Rig (Ireland)
Reply:Regardless of welding process, rectangular is easier to weld than small tubingDave J.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:At class, you need to find someone and buddy up with them to "help you out" on a "small" project.
Reply:Originally Posted by Country MetalsAt class, you need to find someone and buddy up with them to "help you out" on a "small" project.
Reply:Originally Posted by RottguinnessI don't mind spending more I was just suprised that it was $1000 to outfit a mig that I already have to weld this one project. I found the Hobart tig for $1300 and the Miller for $1800. My plan was to frame the arch in rectangle tubular. I wasn't sure if I was going to cover the frame in sheet metal or leave it with just the frame. I have seen them both ways. Any thoughts on welders? Arches or anything else I may encounter?RG
Reply:If it is not a push pull gun, I wouldn't even attempt to weld aluminum without a plastic liner. Come to think of it, I wouldn't recommend it at all. Lincoln says you can do it but I tried it in my wire feeder and it sucked. There is a reason they make spool guns.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Originally Posted by Joker11If it is not a push pull gun, I wouldn't even attempt to weld aluminum without a plastic liner. Come to think of it, I wouldn't recommend it at all. Lincoln says you can do it but I tried it in my wire feeder and it sucked. There is a reason they make spool guns.
Reply:Plastic liner in your 187 keep the whip straight and tack the stuff together and bring it to someone to finish it off for you?
Reply:I have spoken with lots of NZ jetboat builders and it sounds like no one over there uses spoolguns for AL
Reply:If I was serious about mig welding aluminum, would not even consider a spool gun.  Spoolguns are just handy tools that give more versatility.  Push/pull would be the way to go for a pro.
Reply:I keep a spoolgun on my truck for doing aluminum dump trailers and other heavy stuff, I can make an aluminum MIG weld look pretty damn good. For thin stuff or other "nice" jobs I break out the TIG setup. They both have there place, figure out what you will be doing the most of and go from there. If I was building boats I would be using a push-pull system not a spool gun.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:If you're planing to weld aluminium, then buy tig. If you're on budget then buy older bullet-proof transformer machine. About mig alu - It welds great when you have pulse sinergetic machine, but with low cost machines... ...not very good. We weld aluminium all day with 350amp pulse machine. And we dont use spool gun or push pull, just normal water cooled torch with teflon liner. We never had any problems with feeding wire.
Reply:Originally Posted by ravseljIf you're planing to weld aluminium, then buy tig. If you're on budget then buy older bullet-proof transformer machine. About mig alu - It welds great when you have pulse sinergetic machine, but with low cost machines... ...not very good. We weld aluminium all day with 350amp pulse machine. And we dont use spool gun or push pull, just normal water cooled torch with teflon liner. We never had any problems with feeding wire.
Reply:Originally Posted by shovelonWhat size wire, and what alloy? Are you using a short or long torch? Sheet or plate?
Reply:I'd TIG my Aluminum looks much better and you can see that it bonds much better. To MIG weld aluminum you start off cold and end hot, not with TIG. JMOMelt-n-Metal
Reply:Originally Posted by ravselj1mm ALMg5 wire, short water cooled torch, 10mm plate.