Mig welding aluminium

[weldermike]

Heres some tig, and some mig like tig I recently done.

 

[LD1]

Steel is a bit easier to do that with IMO. But even then, up close, anybody that is proficient at both MIG and TIG can tell tehm appart.

 

[weldermike]

When I was younger I used to struggle with aluminum, but through time I worked through it and actually find aluminum easier than steel. Hard to say, but just an easier feel for me, almost like the puddle isnt so watery so too speak. Heres a few that were done recently, one was a job, the other just goofing off cause someone told me it would be impossible to weld 1/4 with my 180 amp syncrowave.

 

[LD1]

I have had similar experience. Allthough I wouldnt call it easier, but I do find it easier to fill a larger void or gap with aluminum and with steel. Seems the puddle just stays "put" better IMO.

Maybe I'll do some playing this afternoon and post some pics of what the dynasty 200 can do with a hack behind it:laughing:

 

[weldermike]

Your a lucky man, I would love to get my hands on a dynasty, I live in a world of transformer machines, at work and at home. Soon enough maybe post some pics with that baby!

 

[Shield Arc]

someone told me it would be impossible to weld 1/4 with my 180 amp syncrowave.

Hook up a bottle of helium, and you'll be turning that Syncrowave down, way down!

 

[weldermike]

Hook up a bottle of helium, and you'll be turning that Syncrowave down, way down!

I recently went to my lws for a helium argon mix, and no dice. They wouldnt do one bottle. I gotta shop around, or talk to the owner. The kids that work there dont wanna do anything. I used to love that place, but there getting on my nerves lately.

 

[Shield Arc]

With the attitude of these kids now a days, I hate to see where this country is going to be in 25 to 30-years!

You seen my thread over there, where I had to run that kid off for not showing up, and when he did he was late. I guess free one on one welding lesson wasn't worth getting out of bed for. :confused3:

 

[woodsmith]

Woodsmith, after reading all the suggestions from the other members and I agree with most of them, here is something different and save you a few bucks. The cleaning is the most important overall, but instead of buying degreasers, solvents and such, just use vinegar. You say you used a s/s pad to clean with, thats good as long as you only use it on aluminum and always use a clean side or you're just rubbing contaminats back into the metal. After the pad, spray or brush it with vinegar, that will nutrilize the metal. Without a spool gun its hard to use the smaller size wire, really need .030 but to help absorb the heat from the bigger wire and give you more metal to work with get some aluminum rod, 1/8,5/32 and lay it between the tubes where you are going to weld, be sure to clean the rod too. I differ with a couple quotes here, you can make mig look as good as tig. I have been welding for over 40yrs and although tig is good, mig is faster, I hope this helps in some manner.

Cheers, I was keeping to the clean side of the SS pad but the vinegar is a good tip, I'll try that.

I got my Durafix rods today.
First go with one.

Looks nice like that, though the horrible bits around it are some of the failed MIG attempts from last time.

On some of the videos I saw the surfaces being 'tinned' first and the SS brush used to brush the braze into the surface. I tried that too and now have a brush that is caked in braze! So much for it not sticking to the SS!
Gotta get another brush!:thumbsup:

 

[LD1]

Your a lucky man, I would love to get my hands on a dynasty, I live in a world of transformer machines, at work and at home. Soon enough maybe post some pics with that baby!

Heres what a dynasty 200 can do with a hack like me.

This is 1/4" 6061 plate, outside corner fillet. Machine settings: 190A, 70% balance, 129Hz with 1/16" tungsten. (I know, but I was too lazy to put a bigger one in).


And these is with 1/8" 3003 plate. One flat weld with no gap and the other Tee joint. Machine set at 100A, 70% bal, and 129 Hz, same tungsten.

I wasnt real steady with the flat, but I had my thinner gloves on and it was getting a tad hot and I didnt feel like stopping once I started:banghead:

Again, I dont do this everyday. All total I have maybe 10-15 hours of Tig aluminum time. I gotta give all the credit to the machine I think. And my apologizes for the crummy pics. A camera phone is all I got.

With the attitude of these kids now a days, I hate to see where this country is going to be in 25 to 30-years!

Hey now. I am probabally what you guys would call "one of these kids now a days":laughing:

I think I could probabally say something like " Its a wonder anything ever got done in this country with you old farts":laughing:

 

[LD1]

Cheers, I was keeping to the clean side of the SS pad but the vinegar is a good tip, I'll try that.

I got my Durafix rods today.
First go with one.

Looks nice like that, though the horrible bits around it are some of the failed MIG attempts from last time.

On some of the videos I saw the surfaces being 'tinned' first and the SS brush used to brush the braze into the surface. I tried that too and now have a brush that is caked in braze! So much for it not sticking to the SS!
Gotta get another brush!:thumbsup:

Looks good woodsmith. Certainly better than the mig attempts.:thumbsup:

 

[weldermike]

LD1, thats not bad considering your hours of practice, just have to tighten it up a bit. You wanna talk about hot, I was tigging copper today for a personal project, and the copper filler rod gets as hot as the work piece! 28 guage copper sheet, double yowza! :0

 

[weldermike]

With the attitude of these kids now a days, I hate to see where this country is going to be in 25 to 30-years!

You seen my thread over there, where I had to run that kid off for not showing up, and when he did he was late. I guess free one on one welding lesson wasn't worth getting out of bed for. :confused3:

Yeah that was bad bud. Almost makes you wanna not help these kids, but I still fall for it anyway, I cant help it. I took my lazy azz nephew catfishing one night and the first fish was a good one for a pond, about a four, five pounder. After I hooked him I handed the rod to my nephew. He stared at me for a few



seconds, and said, Uh can you do this for me! WTF I told him, how lazy can you be, you cant even reel in a fish! AND THATS FUN!!! Well anyway my brother told me my nephew thinks im mean, so I told him to f off as well. He always needs me so he just shrugs it off and always comes back. But jeez, this country is doomed. Anyway shield, just got in from work and wanted to share a pic of the positioner I got. $500 used, but im very pleased with, it saved alot of dough!

 

[Shield Arc]

Now if that doesn't take the cake, a kid too lazy to reel in a fish!


$500.00!!!!!!!! Man that is a screaming deal!:thumbsup:

 

[LD1]

Well, just a little update on my end. I put a few more hours on the dynasty today since my last post. Played with ALL the settings. Different pulse settings, hertz anywhere from 60 up to 250 and anywhere inbetween, different wave forms (triangle, soft-square, sine, advance square), etc.

Welding 1/8" plates with a lap joint, and I did throw in the 3/32 tungsten.

I can get about the same results no matter what. All seem to weld about the same, they just sound different. I found that my movement and angle of the gun made more difference than any of the settings I changed. But all were acceptable welds IMO. All look similar to the pics I posted earlier. I can back down a bit and go slower and really focus on timing and moving the exact same every time and get welds that look like weldermikes pics, but in general, about the same.

About the only thing I noticed is it seemed I had a tad more puddle control (almost mroe pin-point) with the higher hertz. Also seemed to puddle up sooner. I typically leave it around 130, and anything from their to 250 I didnt notice much difference other than sound.

 

[Shield Arc]

Take the AC frequency down to 20, the sound will drive you crazy:confused2:! I only go there on really thin material.

 

[LD1]

I dont know if it is just me or what, but I did try that a few times and it didnt seem to have a very stable arc. It was wandering and bouncing all over the place. It seems the higher the HZ, the better you can pinpoint the heat....almost like DC

 

[Shield Arc]

If you get a chance try some ceriated (orange) tungsten. I've got to the point now that is all I use, no matter stainless steel, aluminum, or mild steel.

 

[Rob-D]

Heres what a dynasty 200 can do with a hack like me.

This is 1/4" 6061 plate, outside corner fillet. Machine settings: 190A, 70% balance, 129Hz with 1/16" tungsten. (I know, but I was too lazy to put a bigger one in).
View attachment 285982

And these is with 1/8" 3003 plate. One flat weld with no gap and the other Tee joint. Machine set at 100A, 70% bal, and 129 Hz, same tungsten. View attachment 285983View attachment 285984

I wasnt real steady with the flat, but I had my thinner gloves on and it was getting a tad hot and I didnt feel like stopping once I started:banghead:

Again, I dont do this everyday. All total I have maybe 10-15 hours of Tig aluminum time. I gotta give all the credit to the machine I think. And my apologizes for the crummy pics. A camera phone is all I got.



Hey now. I am probabally what you guys would call "one of these kids now a days":laughing:

I think I could probabally say something like " Its a wonder anything ever got done in this country with you old farts":laughing:

Nice job.
Get one of Jody's "Tig Fingers" for the heat problem.


6G Pipe Welding Certification Test - Part 2 | welding-tv.com

Rob

 

[LD1]

If you get a chance try some ceriated (orange) tungsten. I've got to the point now that is all I use, no matter stainless steel, aluminum, or mild steel.

Thats what we use. But the color has changed, they are grey now (at least in the brand we buy).

Rob-D, I'll have to loo into that.