what all does it take to weld aluminum...dimiond plate to be exact...i'm trying to custom some box for my garage and maybe if i get good, my truck interior...any tips and do's and don't would be great...i'm pretty new to welding so let me know all i need so i don't kill myself with anything...~~BraD~~

 

With aluminum it's not welding,it's helli arched(spelled it wrong).Totaly diferant then weldinng metal or steel.

 

oh ok...so how is it done?...what do i need to do such a thing

 

you need a tig welder and alot of pratice. pick up the book "new lessons in arc welding".

 

do you have a mig? if you do, heres what ya do.... get alluminum wire... ALWAYS take it out when your done and put it in a sealed bag, make sure you have a bigger tip then you should (one or two sizes up) its also really really soft so you have to watch for it sticking. when you weld, crank up the wire speed. and you have to move really fast, it should be smooth ontop with a melted kinda look to it and "bubbley" on the bottom. its really hard to see if its gonna burn threw cuz it wont change colour like steel. and wear a carbon filter mask!! the fumes are really harsh on your body. have fun

 

oh crap, i forgot, when your welding, weld straight up and down (instead of the normal 45*) and "push" the weld away from you and when you stop, pull up as you let off the trigger, itll bring the contamination up to the top so its not in the weld itself.

 

wow...thanx man...i'll of course practice alot befor my first real box...i can't wait to get out there and try it out...thanx

 

Actually, the term heliarc came from long ago when helium was the gas used to TIG weld. Now that there are other gasses used, this term is really obsolete..although ESAB seems to like to use it anyway. The proper term is now TIG (tungsten inert gas) or GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding).


If you are going to MIG (Metal Inert Gas) weld it, I'd reccomend Argon gas. For TIG aluminum on AC, you have other options. You can use pure helium, pure argon, or a mix of the two. For DC aluminum, I'd reccomend pure helium.

 

I was under the impression you had to weld aluminum with a/c at a fairly low frequency, between 40 and 80hz. A little off the shelf mig welder running a helium/argon blend or Alumamix would do a nice job. One big thing with aluminum is that you want to avoid any kind of a breeze while you are welding. If the sheilding gas is blown away, the metal just dissapears. It is possible to stick weld aluminum, but the process is difficult and you have to do a lot of extra steps vs. welding it with mig. Also, mag sure the metal is VERY clean before you start, and if you are making multiple passes, clean it with a wire wheel between each pass.

 

Welding DC- with helium has been around for many years, but isn't done as often, so you don't hear of it much. It is best for metals 1/8" and up, as it gets excellent penetration. Trying it on thinner metals will likely just burn holes in it.
Welding AC is much more common, partially since argon is most often used for it...and is quite a bit cheaper. Sometimes, people will use an argon/helium mix though. This helps out on thicker metals since the helium will make your weld hotter with the same amperage.


Aluminum can also be welded with much higher frequencies. Many of the new inverter type machines like the miller Dynasty 300 will let you adjust the frequency when welding AC. Most old machines ran about 60hz, and made that loud crackling sound. By turning the frequency up, it will start to make a humming noise like an airplane or something.

 

And you will need a spool gun if you go with a mig. That way you are are only pushing the wire about 4 to 5 inchs from spool to gun tip.

 

Iowa- I welded aluminum with my old mig welder today. Spool guns are heavy and awkward, not to mention huge. It's not perfect, but an a/c mig will do the job just fine. I just can't wait to get my tig welder up and running. Much slower process, but incredible results.

 

I use my spool gun with argon and get great results. It just doesn't push through the long hose well.

 

A few other tips, Use a stainless steel wire brush or the plastic bristle type wheels to clean up before welding. A steel brush leaves behind fragments that can effect the weld. If you are going to mig it, use Argon, not Argon/co2 mix. and like 93 PGT said MOVE FAST. Greg

 

From my research i've found that the aluminium has to be super clean for good results. I also have read that the aluminum should be preheated with a propane torch. but only use propane because it wont contaminate the aluminum.