MIG Welding Aluminum no Spool Gun

MIG welding aluminum without a spool gun....tips with a Hobart 140 welder

[@stephboeker7835]

Thanks for the video !! I'm looking to purchase a way to weld aluminum and have never welded before. (just some tack welds on metal fixture installs on a cruiseline ship decades ago). I found some video's on mig welding alum. w/out a spoolgun. I understand there is a very very expensive mig welder w/graphite lined torch cable, which I can not afford, so forget it. But, you mentioned your cable is not lined in Teflon ? a.) Do you know of any torch & cable that is lined w/Teflon or even graphite that can be purchased and work on any or a particular mig welder ?? Next, I understand that some ppl use 5356 aluminum wire instead of 4043 to avoid kinking or breaking the wire at the roller push area. b.) Do you think this would be a viable solution ?? c.) Do you know if welding w/ 5356 is harder to do than w/ 4043 ? (pros & cons) Lastly, I understand that aluminum heats up and expands easier than steel so the tip pushing a .030 alum. wire should be the next size up (.035) to allow for expansion or eliminate binding. d.) Is that what you've found ? All said , would you say that even a cheaper mig welder like an Eastwood 180 or even a Harbor Freight Titanium 170 might do the trick ?? Thank you for your generous consideration, Sincerely .....................

[@trailsandsails2722]

Thanks much for commenting! My Hobart 140 does not have a Teflon liner. You can get those liners on many welders. It would probably make the feed go a bit smoother. I also heard that 5300 series is a bit more rigid but figured I'd start out with 4043 which was a lot easier to find such as at Harbor Freight. I'm sorry but I don't know any more about Al wire than that. You are right about wire size and tip. Less friction with the .035 tip but not a great deal. On one of my projects I had to clean up tips and the gun a few times and somewhere along the way I put a 0.030 tip on and didn't notice the difference. That said, I'd still go with the 0.035 tip. I would love to have a spool gun so if you have a bit more money go that way and a multi-process welder might be worth considering if you have an interest in TIG too. When I got started with welding I didn't think I'd be doing much AL but have enjoyed the challenge of working with it. Not sure what to suggest on cheap mig welders. Make sure they handle thicknesses you'll be working with and read the reviews. Watch too for user experiences with shield gas diffusion since some guns are prone to problems. Welding Tips and Tricks had a good video on that topic and other AL welding tips. I learned most of what I know from his channel. Good luck with your search, have fun with welding and thanks again for commenting!

[@stephboeker7835]

@@trailsandsails2722 .... you bet sir. And I'll look into your suggestions. The more perspectives I get the higher the level of wisdom. I am a huge believer in WISDOM !! Thanks for your time and consideration, Sincerely ......................

[@ww321]

Mig gun! Tig torch. It has a trigger. Thanks for the video

[@jamiebuckley1769]

wy would you use 030 wire with a 035 contact tip sounds like a fk up to me.

[@trailsandsails2722]

Thanks for noticing that. Ideally you want to match wire and tip dia. In this case, the AL wire tended to get stuck more often with the 0.030 tip bird nesting the wire at the feed end.

[@randomschittz9461]

You’re wrong beech.. you have to use a bigger tip with aluminum because it expands. Know your shit before you open your mouth little fella.