whats it take to mig weld aluminum?

[big83chevy4x4]

i know you need aluminum wire /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif
i have straight argon. ive heard you need a new liner and a new roller (thing that pushes the wire) because it can't have any contaniments in it. is this true? what else would i need? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[camiswelding]

you need a push pull gun or a spool gun... most if not all mig guns will not push wire thru a long distance without balling and jamming...even ith special teflon liners..the roller is usually 1/8 or 3/64.... because the wire is soft it crushes easily and jams .. spool guns or push pull guns eliminate this....shorten the length/or pull and push the wire simultaneously
Lincolns powermig is probably the best mig aluminum welder out there right now.. with the push pull python gun you can almost have welds that look as good as tig... actually mine look better... because my hand eye coordination isnt as good as it used to be...
spool guns are expensive... 750 and up... a dedicated powermig is about 5k....
mig and aluminum mean high wire speeds , fast deposit rate and careful temperature or burn through will result...
aluminum must be clean to weld well... this means a chemical cleaner to remove oxidization, clean stainless wire brushes (dedicated to aluminum only) to avoid contamination.... the cleaner it is the better it welds and it cant be too clean.... its not like mild steel which is way more forgiving
hope this helps
cam

 

[84gmcjimmy]

[ QUOTE ]
you need a push pull gun or a spool gun... most if not all mig guns will not push wire thru a long distance without balling and jamming...even ith special teflon liners..the roller is usually 1/8 or 3/64.... because the wire is soft it crushes easily and jams .. spool guns or push pull guns eliminate this....shorten the length/or pull and push the wire simultaneously
Lincolns powermig is probably the best mig aluminum welder out there right now.. with the push pull python gun you can almost have welds that look as good as tig... actually mine look better... because my hand eye coordination isnt as good as it used to be...
spool guns are expensive... 750 and up... a dedicated powermig is about 5k....
mig and aluminum mean high wire speeds , fast deposit rate and careful temperature or burn through will result...
aluminum must be clean to weld well... this means a chemical cleaner to remove oxidization, clean stainless wire brushes (dedicated to aluminum only) to avoid contamination.... the cleaner it is the better it welds and it cant be too clean.... its not like mild steel which is way more forgiving
hope this helps
cam

[/ QUOTE ]

This guy knows his stuff. I was going to say some of that but you took the job off my hands /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[lukebaby1]

I use my Hobart 175 mig all the time to weld aluminum, with rarely a problem. The type and grade of aluminum wire you use may have a bearing on how it feeds through the conduit. I always keep mine as straight as possible, but have never had it kink at the roller. You will need to crank the wire speed up quite a bit as you really have to move pretty quick with the bead, and it consumes the aluminum much faster than with metal. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/weld.gif

 

[Grim-Reaper]

[ QUOTE ]
I use my Hobart 175 mig all the time to weld aluminum, with rarely a problem. The type and grade of aluminum wire you use may have a bearing on how it feeds through the conduit. I always keep mine as straight as possible, but have never had it kink at the roller. You will need to crank the wire speed up quite a bit as you really have to move pretty quick with the bead, and it consumes the aluminum much faster than with metal. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/weld.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

What all did it take to set it up and how much did it cost? I have some stuff I would like to weld in Aluminum with my 175.