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aluminum welding question

672 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Spaceclam 
#1 · (Edited)
So I'm knee deep in my third round of dash design. After receiving an english dash with my kit, then designing with a Chrysler 200 dash top I'm now back to using aluminum in an original design. Coming out pretty nice but now need to weld the dash hump as I do not have an english wheel to my disposal. So after a trip to HD for aluminum welding wire and a quick read up on line I was ready to do some test welds on a scrap piece.
I have a Hobart handler 135, According to the instruction to weld aluminum the pressure lever on the feed wheel needs to be set at 2 and the wire feed speed at 90. However everytime I'm getting the wire through the gun and put the tip on it jams up at the feed wheel in the cabinet. Adjusted the pressure lever up, then down with the same results.
Any recommendations?

Thank you,

John
 
#2 ·
Most aluminum wire isn't designed to feed through the stinger. They are usually made for a spool gun so the wire doesn't have to travel so far through the liner.

If you are going to use the stinger and feed tube for aluminum wire, it has to be rated for use in this manner. Also, you will need to be sure your liner is completely clean and as straight as you can get it when welding so the wire has as little friction as possible.

I have some aluminum wire I've used with my stinger and it is rated for using it in a liner, but the above steps had to be taken very carefully to get it to feed properly. Also, some of the feed rollers have a different feed edge for aluminum wire so it doesn't get bent, pinched, or stressed before it enters the liner tube. Check your instruction manual for this setting.

Just a couple things to watch for- I'm sure others will come up with more....

Bob
 
#3 ·
x2 on the spool gun.

However, I don't think you will ever be happy with it unless you use a TIG welder. MIG guns are fine for larger aluminum welds, but I have never been able to get good results out of a small MIG on small welds with aluminum. The margin for burn-through is almost 0.

Unlike steel where you can tell the temperature of the surrounding material by the glow, aluminum goes instantly from solid to liquid with no warning. Larger aluminum assemblies are more forgiving because of their heat-sink nature, but You don't have enough control over the heat to walk that line in a small application IMO.

If you absolutely MUST mig weld thin aluminum, get a nice thick piece of aluminum tooling plate, and clamp everything securely to the plate. IT will act as a heat sink to reduce this tendency.
 
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