portable aluminum wedling set ups?

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does anyone have any good suggestions on bein gable to weld aluminum (up to 1/4") and be able to go to the jobs?  it seems like there is a lot of guys with machines in there trucks aorund here but they are mostly rig welders/pipeliners.  there are quite a few lakes and rivers local (within 60-75 miles, meaning the boating crowd) and 4 machine shops within 20 that don't do aluminum.    right now i have a hobart champion elite and a HH 187.  i know that  the 187 can be adapted to take a spoolgun, but is pretty limited on amperage.  the champion elite has an a/c setting but no provisions fro a high frequency box.  selling them to buy something else is not an option.  #1)  buy a tig to run off of the machine i have already.  from looking around it seems that i couldd get into the 225 amp range and run the tig machine off of the 50 amp plug.  #2)  adapt a HF box to the champion some how.  i have not checked into this yet.  may not be even remotely possible.  don't know.  any advice welcome.   thanks
Reply:Hey HOBART,It all depends on how much you want to invest in. I do mobile welding/repairs in a small scale & set up my rig for ease of use & being able to park it & use my trucks for other needs. I use an 8KW gen to power all my equipment & have a 250A spoolgun unit that I can use solid, f/c, SS, & alum. in the field for any kind of repair/fab. It has served me well. Here's a few pics that may give you some mental fodder.Denny Attached ImagesComplete 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:I have all of my stuff on a trailer and run a 250 amp Tig inverter off my Miller bobcat 250. I'll be getting a spool gun setup either to run directly off the bobcat or something like yorkie has in the near future for bigger jobs. I prefer to TIG aluminum, and I'm fairly fast at it, but I'd like the option to have a spool gun for jobs that require more reach than a 25ft tig torch. If you look around, you can find the setup to run off of a bobcat for a spoolgun. It's a seperate unit that has the solenoid in it and controls the gun speed all for under $700 or so new
Reply:The HH187 will top out at roughly 1/8" alum. The Champion to my knowledge doesn't have a remote hook up. That will make AC tig much harder on alum. It can be done, but there are much easier ways than buying the HF unit and then still not having a pedal to control the heat.To get a tig capable of 1/4" you will really need a 250 amp class AC/DC tig. Most 250 amp class tigs are not "portable". Inexpensive tig units close to this range will either be huge and need more juice than your Champion will put out, or won't really have enough output (  a 200 amp machine really isn't enough machine with most units to do 1/4"). I'd bet a decent "portable" AC/DC tig would set you back way more than $3K and still top out under real world conditions at 3/16".Keep in mind there's a decent learning curve to do alum tig, especially if you will learn it without the use of a pedal for heat control. Even taking a dedicated tig class, I'd expect you to need well over 200 hrs of hood time based on the average of what I see most guys trying to learn. Alum with a spoolgun isn't the easiest either, especially with thinner alum and pieces that require you to change the gun angle fast like small tube.There's a reason why you don't see all that many guys doing portable alum. It takes a lot of skill to do alum in general and get good results. The equipment set up is also very expensive. If I wanted a machine just to do portable alum, it would most likely be a Dynasty 200dx and set me back close to $4k from scratch. Add in a 8KW minimum gen set to run it if I can't use site power. Also add in a water cooled torch and cooler if you plan to run a lot of alum over 1/8" to the costs as well. If I wanted to do alum mig, I'd want a CV capable engine drive and then the spoolgun controller and probably something like a spoolmatic 30A. A Bobcat, WC-115a with contactor and a Spoolmatic 15A/30A would be my minimum setup. Given a choice, I'd want the Trailblazer instead so I could have the option of tig with a pedal using a HF unit or an RC type feeder or spoolgun..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by BCTimberwolfIf you look around, you can find the setup to run off of a bobcat for a spoolgun. It's a seperate unit that has the solenoid in it and controls the gun speed all for under $700 or so new
Reply:I've got a Lincoln ranger300DLX with the tig module and a LN 25 with a10 ft gun been using this set up mobile for over 10 years post pics in the morningAnother day in paradise You only have to be smarter than the metal".   WeldiniMaking an honest living is nothing more than stealing from someone who can afford it and everyone feels good when it's over .      Weldini
Reply:I use a profax AEC-200 spool gun  (page 71) with the AEC-200-1 Control box (page-76) and run it off my Powcon welder, it works well.  the control box is zip tied to the handles of the Powcon welder ans it fit perfect on top of the handles.   http://profaxlenco.com/index.php?q=catalog_profaxthis is the same gun as the AIRCO AH20  ESAB 23 A and spoolmatic 1 or 2,   pulling those part numbers of the top of my head but they are close.   if you only have a CC power supply then just get the 200-2 control box. great setup and heavy duty gun.   I think I saw one for sale here recently a bit with the longer tip setup.Oh, I see u mentioned the HF box in your original post,   you do not need HF for MIG welding aluminum only if you plan to TIG weld.   If you go mobile then a good inverter tig with dual voltage will be nice for you.  IE like the Dynasty, the Invertec (my sig) or even on a budget Everlast has a couple of 220 and dual voltage TIG machines out.. the 2ooDX ir EX I think is dual voltage.    Personally I am looking at getting the same generator as Yorkiepap has.   seems like it will be enough to run my stuff off of.Last edited by yorkiepap; 12-21-2011 at 08:08 PM.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:i had forgotten about the champion not being cv.  thats out.  i guess i should define portable for my needs.  what i would like to have is the engine drive mounted to the truck all the time for stick/powersource.  mig in the toolbox for the thin stuff.  a/c tig for aluminum.  i thought about something like a lincoln precision tig 225 ( or similar in size, i know thats  not whatt comes to mind when i mentioned portable) in a tool box built for it.  or  maybe on a wheel kit with a long power cord to run to the champion if i couldn't get the truck close.  maybe downsize yorkie's setup just enough to get on a truck.  hope that helps.  dsw i understand on the hood time.  i cna't get enough of that right now.  i just finished my basic welding course and have high hopes.  i'm going to take an advance class in the spring.  i should get to do some aluminum then.  also looking a an eight month course starting fall of next year.  my mine wanders all over the place some time.  tonight its on aluminum.    pictures are always good.  would love to see your setups/  thanks fellas.
Reply:Nice set up yorkiepap, how do you have your hangers mounted in your trailer? Everytime we put them in ours they come off the wall (my guess is because my guys drve like A$$holes). Let me know, that looks nice and clean.You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. Albert Einstein
Reply:i was looking at  the thermal arc arcmaster 200.  solely as a tig machine.  i could run it  off the champions 50 amp plug.  thoughts?