i need some advice :/

admin

Hey im starting out with a project and its all aluminum. i have a lincoln 125 mig. has gas hook up on it. my question is how "good" would it weld aluminum??a guy told me aluminum takes twice the power so it wouldnt work very well.i would have to buy the spool gun and 100% argon but other than that. im also on a budget build.also how good would it be to weld with a torch kit?Any advice or guideance would be greatThank you!
Reply:Good luck..  That machine is low on power so anything over 1/8" thick is going to end up with alot of spitting and spattering and not much welding.  It probly doesn't dial down all that low either, so anything 1/16" or less will be very difficult to weld as well.  Thin aluminum is difficult to mig even with a machine that can dial down low.  I suppose you could weld something within that very narrow range around 3/32" thick with it if you get the spool gun, the argon, the flow meter and a roll of .030 4043 wire, but don't expect much, either from the machine or from yourself, as the machine is not ideal and learning to mig aluminum isn't a walk in the park either.  Personally, I wouldn't waste the money investing in the spool gun and all for a machine like that.  My advice is to just take your aluminum welding projects to a welder who can tig it for you.  You'll have much better (and safer) results.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:+1 on what Desertrider says.  Just because it's technically possible to use a 110v machine to weld aluminum, there's going to be a very big initial expense, and a very narrow range of thickness (not too thick, not too thin) that you can actually work on.Depending on what you're building, you might want to consider 3M's structural 2-part epoxy adhesives.  They're used a lot in bodywork nowadays, and if you prep the metal right, the bond will be stronger than your material.  I made a 72" wing on my race car out of aluminum flashing and other aluminum stock and it has no welds and no fasteners.  It weighs about 6 pounds, and withstands downforce of 400+ pounds -- buffeting -- at speed.  (I static tested it with 350# of sandbags.)Some pictures (because this has got me remembering it):I used 3M Scotch-Weld DP-460.  But they make a bunch of different adhesives with different characteristics.It's not pretty, but my local track is very fast and this thing (combined with a front splitter piece) gets me almost two full seconds a lap.Jack OlsenMy garage website