Welding Aluminum With A MIG Welder
Steve Martin had a bit that was like a bogus infomercial wherever he claims, “You can be a millionaire and never ever shell out taxes!” The instructions had been, “First, get a million dollars. Then,…” [Brandon’s] recommendations for how to transform your MIG welder to do aluminum for underneath $25 is not quite like that, but you do need the right variety of MIG welder to make it operate. In individual, you need an actual MIG welder that has a provision to link exterior fuel. The guidance clearly show a Hobart Handler 140 that meets the conditions and has ample electrical power to deal with aluminum.
The most important job is to substitute the liner for the torch. The inventory liner is metal which is fine for its intended intent, but it is much too tough for aluminum wire. A PTFE liner is low-cost and will perform great with the aluminum wire. If you want to do usual welding later, you’ll will need to put the unique liner again in.
The other thing you are going to want is argon fuel and the welder demands to be configured for reliable wire and fuel. The chart in the welder shows that you can use it for aluminum, but it does mention that it is tough to feed with the stock liner.
Aluminum wire expands as it heats, so you need a a little bigger suggestion than the wire dimensions. For example, in the movie, [Brandon] employs .030″ wire and a .035″ tip. The somewhat reduced amperage and duty cycle of the welder signify you will need a tiny wire dimensions.
Did it perform? It did. He did preheat the function to help the modest welder get the workpiece to temperature. It took a small experimenting to get the ideal angles and system. In the conclude, he points out some of the added benefits of getting a machine intended to weld aluminum. Having said that, for occasional use, this would seem like a simple modification.
Occasionally welding can take a significant bang. We do not know how to generate our very own argon, but we did see an individual make their have carbon dioxide defend gas, not extensive in the past.