Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: forestman3]
#7215677
03/14/21 05:48 PM
03/14/21 05:48 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150 Tennessee
Scuba1
"color blind Kraut"
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"color blind Kraut"
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
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If you are going the MIG route. Get yourself a spool gun capable machine as welding ALU with a normal setup gets frustrating pretty quick and a 8 roller machine that will work with a cable and sleeve is pretty pricey. And you will need argon as a shielding gas or things will get sparkly fast.
Let's go Brandon
"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
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Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: H2ORat]
#7215722
03/14/21 06:38 PM
03/14/21 06:38 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,624 Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB
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Posts: 17,624
Rodney,Ohio
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thin stuff tig is definitely better -- mig is better on thicker stuff --- never had a great deal of luck with the stick rod, but one guy in our shop got decent at it with some practice. Basically what JT said and yes cleanliness is very important. By the way you can actually weld two beer cans together after quite a bit of practice. How many beers to drink to come up with that idea?
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Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: forestman3]
#7215727
03/14/21 06:43 PM
03/14/21 06:43 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,917 Oakland, MS
Drifter
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Oakland, MS
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NOT all aluminum alloys can be welded to each other. One that I remember well is rivets and boat hulls. It is NOT like welding steel. The longer the run the more heat that builds up and the wider the bead gets and the faster one needs to travel. It can be welded with Oxy/Act too.
Some individuals use statistics as a drunk man uses lamp-posts — for support rather than for illumination.
Andrew Lang (1844-1912) Scottish poet, novelist and literary critic
Life member NTA , and GA Trappers assoc .
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Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: forestman3]
#7215730
03/14/21 06:45 PM
03/14/21 06:45 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150 Tennessee
Scuba1
"color blind Kraut"
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"color blind Kraut"
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
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Thats what the foot pedal is for. Let off a little once you got the heat in there
Let's go Brandon
"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
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Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: Scuba1]
#7215793
03/14/21 07:38 PM
03/14/21 07:38 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,917 Oakland, MS
Drifter
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Someone musta stole the peddle on the MIG and Stick welders.
Some individuals use statistics as a drunk man uses lamp-posts — for support rather than for illumination.
Andrew Lang (1844-1912) Scottish poet, novelist and literary critic
Life member NTA , and GA Trappers assoc .
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Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: forestman3]
#7215859
03/14/21 08:25 PM
03/14/21 08:25 PM
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Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 1,497 Southern NJ
maintenanceguy
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Southern NJ
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Tig does beautiful welds and can weld really thin material if you are good at it. Tig is also really slow. For aluminum you'll need an AC tig machine which adds quite a bit to the cost of the welder.
Stick welding is possible on thick stuff - maybe 1/8" thick and more. Stick welding aluminum is ugly. Weld will be porous, will have black burns, and a rough finish. If it's non structural and not for display it can do the job but I wouldn't buy a stick welder if welding aluminum was the plan. If you've got a stick welder and weld aluminum once or twice a year, it will work.
Mig can do a really nice weld, runs faster than tig, is easier than tig, and welds much nicer than stick. You'll need a shielding gas and your adjustments will need to be pretty close to perfect but once you have everything set up, the welds will be nice. Mig can only weld down to maybe 14 gauge metal. Might be able to stretch that to 16 gauge but I'd probably burn through. Maybe somebody better than me can weld something thinner. I can't. If you need to weld thin stuff, Tig is the way to go.
Last edited by maintenanceguy; 03/14/21 08:27 PM.
-Ryan
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Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: forestman3]
#7215869
03/14/21 08:35 PM
03/14/21 08:35 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,853 Magna, Utah
GritGuy
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Magna, Utah
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Give us what your welding up for a better concise answer. There are many ways to weld Aluminum, they have been mentioned above.
Were me and you have no background, Mig is the way to go, you can turn it down and almost do as thin as a Tig can once you are practiced enough !
If your good enough with a Mig most cannot tell the difference between a Mig and a Tig weld unless they have good back ground in welding.
Mig is much better for structure work as well, but Tig really shines on pipe work and thin materials for getting it done nicely and appearance wise if needed.
Mig you will need a Wheel gun as Alum is a bugger to push thru most any other type of feeder, it's to soft to go very far with out being fussy and snagging.
Sorry if my opinions or replies offend you, they are not meant to !
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Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: GritGuy]
#7215933
03/14/21 09:17 PM
03/14/21 09:17 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 3,111 7mtns of CENTRAL PA
GROUSEWIT
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7mtns of CENTRAL PA
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Give us what your welding up for a better concise answer. There are many ways to weld Aluminum, they have been mentioned above.
Were me and you have no background, Mig is the way to go, you can turn it down and almost do as thin as a Tig can once you are practiced enough !
If your good enough with a Mig most cannot tell the difference between a Mig and a Tig weld unless they have good back ground in welding.
Mig is much better for structure work as well, but Tig really shines on pipe work and thin materials for getting it done nicely and appearance wise if needed.
Mig you will need a Wheel gun as Alum is a bugger to push thru most any other type of feeder, it's to soft to go very far with out being fussy and snagging. Knowing him it's to keep his boat afloat!!! He probably hits a lot of rocks!!! Just guessing!!!
NRALIFER,PRPA LIFER,HUNTER,FURTAKER
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Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: DWC]
#7215936
03/14/21 09:18 PM
03/14/21 09:18 PM
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Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 1,497 Southern NJ
maintenanceguy
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Southern NJ
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What would do the best job attaching float pods to the back of a john boat?? Tig would do the best job and is probably the right choice. Jon boats are thin metal and tig is best on thin metal. You don't want water getting into any tiny holes in the weld and sitting between the pods and transom - another reason to choose tig. Mig would work too if that's what you have but the thin metal and the need for no holes in the weld makes it not as good a choice.
-Ryan
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Re: Welding aluminum ?
[Re: forestman3]
#7216009
03/14/21 10:14 PM
03/14/21 10:14 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8,329 NWWA/AZ
Vinke
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Posts: 8,329
NWWA/AZ
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clean surface and no wind are the best for the job. Tig is a pretty weld.....
Slightly used Shoes 4 sale……………
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