Aluminum push/drag ??

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So since losing my job a few days ago I went into the city (ny) for a test on aluminum. The shop works on tour buses trucks etc. nothing serious its mainly body type work with some framing here and there. Now I'm good with a MIG and used to do quite a lot of aluminum with it years ago. I go in the guy gives me some scrap pieces of diamond plate. tells me take as long as Id like get the feel for the machine and then weld him a good joint. nothing more specific than that. I take 15 minutes or so bc it's a spool gun and Im not use to the weight of a spool gun and I have a plastic wrist so it takes me minute to get the feel for it. After I make a simple joint weld all the way around and so on. It comes out looking nice. And Im pleased with it. I walk over hand It to the guy he looks says its very nice then asked did I push or drag? I told him I normally only drag on aluminum bc that's  what works for me. He takes another look at it and tells me it wont work??? That he likes everything to be pushed and that's that.  My question for everyone is What would be the necessity to push these welds? I always thought if dragging is what worked for you then it was fine. Am I just uneducated in this area or is it just a boss wanting things his way?
Reply:I push whenever possible. Dragging aluminum creates a thick black smoke and also a rougher bead profile. Sometimes there is no choice and thats that. Cant see why he would say that though. Probably not a guy i would want to work for.
Reply:Originally Posted by TMW llcI push whenever possible. Dragging aluminum creates a thick black smoke and also a rougher bead profile. Sometimes there is no choice and thats that. Cant see why he would say that though. Probably not a guy i would want to work for.
Reply:Pushing the puddle on alum lifts the smut off the leading edge and promotes complete fusion to the root. The torch angle of pushing tends to arc on the puddle and not to the root where it can lift the smut. Especially with 5356 where the mag fumes out. Steel I am a puller.Weld like a "WELDOR", not a wel-"DERR" MillerDynasty700DX,Dynasty350DX4ea,Dynasty200DX,Li  ncolnSW200-2ea.,MillerMatic350P,MillerMatic200w/spoolgun,MKCobraMig260,Lincoln SP-170T,PlasmaCam/Hypertherm1250,HFProTig2ea,MigMax1ea.