Welding

[rhett]

AlanB, Thank You for the input, you explained allot...

Yes the Bird nesting issue, your advice is outstanding. The one tip I did add in helping prevent it was.

For aluminum use a larger size tip than wire to improve wire feed (ex: .030 wire, use .035 tip). If allot of aluminum is to be welded for future projects consider getting a "Spool Gun".

A larger tip to wire size proves to be a great help. The Bird Nesting is caused by the Aluminum wire heating, expanding then jamming at the Tip. A larger diameter Tip compensates for the expansion.

In other words, a Poor Mans alternative for welding aluminum = next larger size tip. The best option is a Spool Gun, but costly.

EDIT: The Bird Nesting occurs in the machine between the "Wire Drive Wheels and the Liner Input". Added this to help describe where it occurs.

Rhett

 

[Butters]

Have any of you tried the aluminum filler rods for use with an O/A torch? I saw some at the welding shop and thought they may be handy for a repair or something. It would probably not be a fast process.

 

[AlanB]

I have seen them, and done (played) it a bit at demo's etc. but I do not use it for repair work, but I have other means of doing it.

The real trick IMO of gas welding aluminum is being able to see it shift states (what was described in an earlier post) Aluminum is difficult at best to see this. All too often for most folks it goes from Gray to gone, not gray to shiny...

When the Dillon torch was still called a dillon before it became a Henrob, they used to reccomend cobalt blue welding lenses to help see the change.

I fiddled and played and decided a TIG was the best way for me too see the change.

I have done a fair amount of impromptu aluminum repair with the baby lincolns and millers, but usually while I am doing it, I am wishing I had a better less frustrating setup.

 

[canoetrpr]

I've spent some time playing with both.

I think I spent about 10-15 hrs on a Hobart Stickmate Lx235 AC/DC. I don't mean 10-15 hrs running beads - 10-15 hrs in the shop. Stick is by no means impossible to learn for a newbie and get reasonably good at for repairs and small fabrication at the farm. It does take some more time to get decent beads at than mig for the newbie - much more time being frustrated etc. etc... but by no means undoable. I liked having the DC option on the stick.

I went all out and to figure out what mig was all about picked up a MM210. It cost about 4 to 5 x more than my AC/DC stick.

The thing I like about mig more than anything else is the lack of cleanup.

the thing I dislike with mig is that it is much harder to get a clear view of the puddle since the nozzle is big and often in the way. With 6011 on stick I used to get a really really clear view of the puddle and could literally see the penetration.

I ended up selling my stick machine and keeping the mig. It came with a spoolgun which I have not used yet - I don't have the right gas for Aluminum and have not encoutered a need for it yet. Thought about selling the spoolgun but figured I wouldn't get enough for it to make it worthwhile.

With my MM210 which is rated for 3/8", I can certainly do 1/2" and get very good penetration with a little bit of joint preparation. I know because I just welded a thingy I made out of 1/2" to my box blade and found out after I put my third pass on that I had welded it on the wrong way.... about 2 hrs of grinding and cutting into it, its still on pretty solid. I think I have another hr or two to go.

Stick is an excellent way to start on a limited budget. Look for machines used. If you go mig, go with as biggest a one as you can. If I were to do it again - I'd get a MM 251/252. Can never have too much tool ;-)