Subject: Re: Aluminum with Mig

From: [email-masked] (ErnieLeim)
Date: 19 May 1996 01:51:03 -0400

"Jeffrey R. Trites" <[email-masked]> asked:

>I have a Millermatic 130 mig welder and I am interested in >welding
aluminum (1/8 inch sheet).
>Argon is required for this? Would Ar 75  CO2 25 work?
>Has anyone ever used a mig of this size for aluminum?

Miller makes an aluminum package for the 130 that includes a different
drive roller and a teflon liner . You will need these to run aluminum in
such a small machine.
You need to understand that it is pushing a small machine to it's limit to
weld aluminum. 
So here's a few things to do to make life easier.
1. Use a teflon liner in the gun.
2. Use a smooth drive roller.
3. Use only 5356 alloy wire . 
4. Use a helium / argon mix (at least 75% argon / 25% helium).
5. Each time you let go of the trigger, pull the wire out and snip it off
flush with the tip.
6. Clean the metal thoroughly.
7. V-grind all welds on materiel thicker than 1/16"
8. Let the machine cool down between welds.
9. Preheat the area to above 400 deg.F.

The teflon liner reduces friction, 
the smooth drive roller prevents birdnesting of the wire,
5356 wire is stiffer and won't be as prone to birdnest, helium/ argon
burns hotter and cleaner than straight argon, pullng it flush with the tip
creates a small delay before the wire touches the base metal thereby
allowing the gas to sheild the weld,
dirty aluminum is very hard to weld with a powerful machine let alone a
small one,
V-grinding the weld , and preheating the weld area aids penetration.

If you follow these guidelines you can get satisfactory welds on up to
1/8" aluminum with small MIG machines.

Best of luck

@}---------------------------------------------------{@
                    Ernie Leimkuhler                                      

                  Stagesmith Productions                                  
                                          
                 Custom Metal Fabrication                                 
               
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