Welding aluminum

[Mark @ Everlast]

I find that the biggest issue with MIG welding aluminum is that most people do not know how to recognize true spray arc. This is the best and only recommended way of welding Aluminum with MIG. But sadly so many people try to weld short circuit with aluminum wire and don't know the difference.

 

[hayden]

I find that the biggest issue with MIG welding aluminum is that most people do not know how to recognize true spray arc. This is the best and only recommended way of welding Aluminum with MIG. But sadly so many people try to weld short circuit with aluminum wire and don't know the difference.

When welding, how can I tell which I am getting/producing?

 

[Motorboatin]

When welding, how can I tell which I am getting/producing?

Type this into the YouTube search box......mig short circuit vs spray

Plenty of informative vids

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

When welding, how can I tell which I am getting/producing?

The wire never touches the puddle. Instead, it pinches off somewhere between the tip and the weld puddle, and forms droplets which then "shoot" into the weld puddle. This action is rapid and fast and consistent. It's a quite, steady hiss, instead of a "frying bacon" sound. Some people confuse this with having the voltage turned to high and the wire is burning back to the tip irregularly.
Depending on how your eyes are focused, you may be able to catch sight of the droplets as they form and enter the weld puddle.

Of course, the quiet hiss thing goes away if you are using a pulsed spray...then it sounds like you kicked over a hornet's nest.

 

[dragoneggs]

The wire never touches the puddle. Instead, it pinches off somewhere between the tip and the weld puddle, and forms droplets which then "shoot" into the weld puddle. This action is rapid and fast and consistent. It's a quite, steady hiss, instead of a "frying bacon" sound. Some people confuse this with having the voltage turned to high and the wire is burning back to the tip irregularly.
Depending on how your eyes are focused, you may be able to catch sight of the droplets as they form and enter the weld puddle.

Of course, the quiet hiss thing goes away if you are using a pulsed spray...then it sounds like you kicked over a hornet's nest.

Thanks for the explanation. Gonna have to see if I can force a spray arc and take notice.

 

[yomax4]

Thanks for the explanation. Gonna have to see if I can force a spray arc and take notice.

You will really need a higher argon content than 75/25 for true spray on steel. I use 90/10 or dial in a little higher on my mixer.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

You will really need a higher argon content than 75/25 for true spray on steel. I use 90/10 or dial in a little higher on my mixer.

Technically, you are supposed to be able to do it with 80/20, but I personally use a C18 and it works great for spray, pulsed-spray, and short circuit. With short circuit though the higher argon causes less spatter, and gives a brighter weld (less cleanup), but can cold lap if you aren't up to snuff on your welding skills.

But yes, 90/10 is a great gas to use for spray or pulsed spray on steel.

On stainless, you can use 98/2 (98 Ar/2 CO2, or 98 Ar/2 O2 ) for spray, but trimix is best for short circuit, but it costs an arm and a leg. I've got a nearly fully 330 CF bottle of it. It hurt, and its been sitting mostly. Bet I haven't used 300 lbs out of it. Going to save on cylinder rent and turn it in. It hurts, but the cylinder rental is stupid.

But for Aluminum, the best and most common choice (and really the only one besides adding some He to it) is 100% Argon. No CO2...at all. And that is for short circuit and spray. Just the nature of it.

 

[dragoneggs]

You will really need a higher argon content than 75/25 for true spray on steel. I use 90/10 or dial in a little higher on my mixer.

oooh... good catch before I get frustrated. I keep forgetting the need to keep my eye out for a small bottle of Argon.

 

[BukitCase]

DragonMark and EverlastMark, here's a question I know just enough about to ASK; I've done exactly 3 MINUTES of spray arc - on steel, while demo-ing my VERY slightly used MM252 just before I bought it - seller had a nearly empty bottle of 90/10.

I do know that it takes higher voltage for spray transfer, but for what I do I can't see keeping yet another bottle around, since quite a bit of what I do is OOP and thinner stuff. I HAVE welded 3/4" stock with the MM252 using C25/.035 wire and multi-pass, and couldn't break it with a 20 ton press...

Anyway, I thought I remembered that the older transformer version of the MM211 (Marks, and my previous 211) only claim max open circuit voltage of 30 volts - whereas the newer Inverter MM211 (what were you thinking, Miller??!?) shows max open circuit of 54 volts. My total "spray" time with my newer inverter version MM211 is still at ZERO minutes (still no 90/10 bottle), but I'm wondering if the transformer 211 can even put out enough voltage to enter spray, or maybe only with a higher argon % ?

Enquiring minds wanna know... Steve

Edit - just checked the Miller mig calculator, for 3/16" aluminum spray they recommend .035/argon @ 425-450 IPM, 23-24 volts. D-Mark, looks like yer out of excuses :laughing:

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks, Steve. You got me to get out of my office chair and into the shop to take a pic of the inside cover of my 211. See the bottom for the Al spool gun settings. Says for .030 wire and 100% Argon, the settings for 1/4in thick should be 10/90. That is max volts and 90% of max wire feed. So, theoretically it can be done. I am assuming this is spray arc.

My only complaint really with this machine is I don't ever know what the actual voltage is 'volts' and wire speed in 'in/min'??? :confused3::smiley_aafz:
If I read somewhere, or someone tells me a good starting point for a particular weld it means nothing to me. I would be lost without this chart and it also makes it difficult to use someone's else's welder because I am not learning typical settings.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Thanks, Steve. You got me to get out of my office chair and into the shop to take a pic of the inside cover of my 211. See the bottom for the Al spool gun settings. Says for .030 wire and 100% Argon, the settings for 1/4in thick should be 10/90. That is max volts and 90% of max wire feed. So, theoretically it can be done. I am assuming this is spray arc.

My only complaint really with this machine is I don't ever know what the actual voltage is 'volts' and wire speed in 'in/min'??? :confused3::smiley_aafz:
If I read somewhere, or someone tells me a good starting point for a particular weld it means nothing to me. I would be lost without this chart and it also makes it difficult to use someone's else's welder because I am not learning typical settings.

Yeah,
Smaller migs take up all the wire speed on smaller wire. Use .035" instead.

You could use a clamp on volt meter, and also time your wire spool out (if yours doesn't have slow run in) to figure IPM.

That's the worst things I have against our E model Migs. No indicator of volts or Amps. Our others all have them.

 

[dragoneggs]

Yeah,
Smaller migs take up all the wire speed on smaller wire. Use .035" instead.

You could use a clamp on volt meter, and also time your wire spool out (if yours doesn't have slow run in) to figure IPM.

That's the worst things I have against our E model Migs. No indicator of volts or Amps. Our others all have them.

I have thought about measuring and making a conversion chart. That sort of appeals to the engineering nerd in me but that sure isn't as much fun as doing some something productive (or destructive as the case may be)

 

[BukitCase]

I had similar (and more) gripes about the transformer 211, and was looking at getting a mm212 when I found the MM252 with dual running gear and NEVER used 30A spool gun + 3 tanks for the price of a BARE MM212 - the 252 had run about 5 lbs of wire thru it TOTAL, the spool gun had never even had a tip installed. I've since run close to 200 pounds thru the 252, including around 20# of .035 steel thru the spool gun. (the 30 foot reach comes in handy quite a bit)

My only gripe about the 252 is its (NON) portability - for some reason, Miller thought it didn't need a lifting eye (the older 250 class migs had 'em)

So, in true "I want more" fashion, I bought the newer MM211 (inverter) and built my own "lifting eye", disguised as an all-terrain welding cart It can roll around on a shop floor, tilt it back and it becomes it's own hand truck, flip the hitch bar down and tow it with golf cart or lawn mower, and the cart also doubles as a roll cage (protects gauges/valve) and a lifting eye (which is adjustable in 2 axes for balance) - link here

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/387658-container-weld-shop-build-20.html

On a SLIGHTLY less insane note, the newer MM211 DID address every complaint I had about the older one EXCEPT the ability to keep mig gun AND spool gun connected and a REAL wire speed and volts readout - and at 42 lbs with gun it's less than HALF the weight of the transformer version.

In my world (10 acres, 4 different "shop" areas) there's NO WAY I'm gonna give up EITHER machine - fortunately I don't NEED to :thumbsup: ... Steve

 

[dragoneggs]

I do think I will end up eventually getting a dedicated TIG machine set up for aluminum. I am impatient when it comes to set up and having to fuss with the same tool having to completely reconfigure for a quick job. And my luck it will always be in the wrong configuration for what I want to do. The good news is I haven't 'needed' to weld aluminum. I just want to. I do have a couple of projects but obviously they are WAY down on the priority list.

 

[BukitCase]

Yeah, at times I wish I'd spent the extra $800 for the AC/DC version of my little Everlast TIG/Stick machine; I'm kinda in the same boat as you, but so far limited time (at least compared to the # of projects) says why bother. My 30A spool gun and MM252 can spray weld 1/4" aluminum at 100% duty cycle, so unless I wanna get "surgical" I'll probably stay with what I have. DC TIG will do anything BUT aluminum or magnesium, and with all the OTHER things I'd like to $pend on, so far it hasn't been a very high priority. I have a couple tanks of straight argon, so all I'd need to spray aluminum is a roll of wire... Steve

 

[Motorboatin]

I do think I will end up eventually getting a dedicated TIG machine set up for aluminum. I am impatient when it comes to set up and having to fuss with the same tool having to completely reconfigure for a quick job. And my luck it will always be in the wrong configuration for what I want to do. The good news is I haven't 'needed' to weld aluminum. I just want to. I do have a couple of projects but obviously they are WAY down on the priority list.

Switching a TIG from steel to aluminum takes about 30 seconds

 

[dragoneggs]

Switching a TIG from steel to aluminum takes about 30 seconds

Exactly... but I have a MIG with a spool gun still new in the box partly because I don't want to fuss with the change over... I know, I know... I'm lazy. Will sell that when/if I get a TIG... preferrably AC/DC. Eyeing the Everlast PowerTig 185DV. Maybe EverlastMark can tell me what the 200DV will buy me in capability (thickness) beyond the obvious much better duty cycle. I am guessing that I could easily get by with the 185 being a hobby welder.

 

[yomax4]

Miller 211 Transformer will easily run 035 aluminum. I'd run 035 only if I had it. Turn wire all the way up and adjust volts to get what you want.

 

[aczlan]

That's the worst things I have against our E model Migs. No indicator of volts or Amps. Our others all have them.

That is one thing that's really nice with our PowerArc 200 STi.

Aaron Z