MIG welding aluminium - advice

[Adam_PSi]

First of all, Hello and thanks you all for creating a great resource!

I have recently up-graded my MIG welder with the hope of doing a bit of aluminium work.

The welder in question is a Lincoln 180c with the spoolgun attachment. I have a bottle of 100% Argon and am running it at about 12-15 LPM. The recommended welder settings for 14g stock (power setting = G and wire speed = 7 for those who know the machine) for .08mm wire.

With the recommended settings I cannot get a decent finish and am just blowing holes but if I dull the settings down (power = F wire speed = 3.5) I can get a good result but its inconsistent from time to time, Also on this setting I cannot weld internal angles?

Any help or pointers would be appreciated, feel like I’m chasing my tail with the settings.

 

[shenion]

You need to move the torch fast for aluminum, about 2x what you are used to on MIG.

Start with the torch close (1/4") to put more heat in at the start, then move out to at least 1/2".

You will blow out when reaching the end of the metal. Do it from the edge inward if possible. Use a push torch movement to preheat metal ahead.

It does take practice and fiddling, each weld is different. Not point-and-shoot as steel is

 

[aametalmaster]

And by the time you get everything set right your little project will be done. Then you can start from scratch on the next one. Seems like no 2 parts are the same...Bob

 

[Adam_PSi]

And by the time you get everything set right your little project will be done. Then you can start from scratch on the next one. Seems like no 2 parts are the same...Bob

Thats what Im finding at the moment.

 

[runnach]

First of all, Hello and thanks you all for creating a great resource!

I have recently up-graded my MIG welder with the hope of doing a bit of aluminium work.

The welder in question is a Lincoln 180c with the spoolgun attachment. I have a bottle of 100% Argon and am running it at about 12-15 LPM. The recommended welder settings for 14g stock (power setting = G and wire speed = 7 for those who know the machine) for .08mm wire.

With the recommended settings I cannot get a decent finish and am just blowing holes but if I dull the settings down (power = F wire speed = 3.5) I can get a good result but its inconsistent from time to time, Also on this setting I cannot weld internal angles?

Any help or pointers would be appreciated, feel like I’m chasing my tail with the settings.

Hi Adam, 14swg is a tall order for mig alloy welding, obviously a pulse or dbl pulse unit will cope no problem. Your Lincoln should do you proud though.

What kind of joints you welding? Where possible get some kind of chill bar behind the length of weld. Although a bit of a phaff around, run on, run off plates will help immensely when reaching the end of run, from inside to outside. Helps if you use a 1mm tip, less drad on wire, saves on birds nesting!

Cheers........

 

[walshy1257]

i've got a no gas mig welder and i want to weld aluminium which wire do i use plus best place to buy

 

[fingers99]

With gasless, I think you can forget it: even for very experienced ops with top of the line kit, gas MIG is very difficult.

Alternative processes are oxy/acetylene and TIG.

 

[malcolm]

Welcome, walshy to the forum. Aluminium does require pure argon shielding gas like fingers said. I'm not aware of any no-gas option.

Aluminium is funny stuff - it's really reactive and corrodes like mad, but it's own oxide layer stops further oxidisation. But during welding the oxide is a problem hence the shielding gas.