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I have this welder that I bought new in the mid-90's. I would like to try to do some aluminum welding with it. The aluminum kit that is listed in the manual is no longer available. Can anyone give me some advise on what I need to do? This will be my first attempt at aluminum welding. I would rather not spend big $$ on a spool gun. From what I see on this site, other people are doing without a spool gun.
Reply:On my Hobart Handler 175 I use the standard gun (10ft) but installed a nylon liner that is used for aluminum only. I put a weaker spring in the drive tension adjustment so I could back off enough that the wire slips instead of birdsnesting when stopped. I use .030 wire but a .035 contact tip. My nozzle is the slip-on variety so I just pull it out a tad to recess the tip in the nozzle. Some guns will require using a shorter tip or a longer nozzle to accomplish this. My tension roll grooves are V-grooves but they're smooth so backing off on the tension works. If they are knurled you may need to get smooth grooved wheels and preferrably U-groove if possible.BTW, I have a friend that just used his as-is with good success because his standard drive roll tension adjustment will permit him to back off completely without changing out anything. If you cannot find a nylon or teflon liner for your whip atleast use a new clean one and dedicate it to strictly aluminum use.100% Argon for gas,Clay
Reply:Keep the line as straight as possible, otherwise you'll kink the wire often. |
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