Welding Aluminum TIG vs MIG Spool Gun

[@CCPANHEAD]

This is a good example of someone who speaks clearly, videotography is also clean and includes only the subject at hand without any fumbling. The comparison and presentation leaves you with an understanding of the pros and cons so that you can make your own decision of how you want to prepare and do the job. I subscribed!!

[@nathanjumperskeane3851]

Well said, there's very few that can manage this, the likes of chucke2009 and Bob mofat and Jodie are the reason for so many having the knowledge they do/ the money they make, absolute privilege having these fellas

[@domminion599]

This is one of the better aluminium welding demonstration on KZbin. Clear and simple explanation with no unnecessary narrative!

[@myherosupreme3963]

As a man that is getting back into welding once out the military, I really love watching your videos. So informative and precise

[@wolmntn]

I have been welding for 35 years and enjoy watching someone that understands welding and the materials. I do a lot of welding for the military so had to go through their certification. Nothing gives you a better feeling then a good looking weld that you know will withstand anything thrown at it.

[@CCPANHEAD]

Amen my friend! Taking pride in your work!!

[@rhtufts]

I had to mig weld aluminum occasionally at my last job. The 2 biggest things I found was preheat the metal and move fast. With a little practice you can get really good welds. Wish I'd had videos like this back then.

[@jhardy2659]

Thank you for this video. I'm a retired Boilermaker. I'm doing volunteer work for the Florida state parks department. They asked me if I could build a new 12x8 aluminium pump bed for their truck. I told them sure. They bought a harbor Freight welder and spool gun. I used to weld pipe most of the time, Some aluminum this and that. I started going through contact tips like crazy. I've welded some spool gun, not much. I finally got the settings close it was much better. But every thing you talked about happened to me weld's great then not so much. Watching this made me feel better.

[@MrNielsen13]

i just want to say ty so much for all your tips ive been watching you for two years and just graduated with my associates in welding last week! Your tips helped me alot better then some instructors tbh. I tested at a job site yesterday and passed and got the job a week out of school im so happy! test was 2.5in monster 6010/7018! once again thanks jody, i truly appreciate it!

[@musicman59753398]

I really enjoy your videos. I have learned much from my dad who is a master welder, tig, mig, and stick. He has forgotten more than I’ll ever know about welding. I am just a back yard hobbyist but I do love laying a bead. I learn a lot from your videos as well.

[@winstonsmith1284]

I have been lucky to have been trained and taught by the best - in many fields. You are among them. Subscribed!

[@mattcero1]

12 IPS vs 16 IPS is a huge difference. Either way, this guy's the best on the internet for instruction for welding and the general life of welding.

[@MasterHustler]

Best WELDOR here on KZbin. The American Welding Society should honor you.

[@dustinwolfe9591]

99% of the people who read this won't understand it but it's nice to see somebody knows the difference.

[@Guds777]

Honor him with the Nobel in Welding...

[@tim3399-t5w]

I bought a mig welder from Northern tool several years ago. It's a Schumacher 145 Turbo. I have had problems along with feeding aluminum wire since new. I recently purchased a

[@DigitalAgeInstitute]

What a wonderful video. NO irrelevant music. NO high speeding it. Just great, sound, credible, quality way of doing things. Thanks a lot. Do you have any idea about how to make a Steel Tri Truss???? I have looked for it, and have not found it...

[@craigmackenzie3983]

I am Impressed with with this professionally produced video

[@perfectpowerwelder3195]

You have perfect Camera and photographer, welding process and effect is clear and can find sense of beauty. one of the best.

[@markwillride]

Thanks for the comparison. That small time difference was surprising. I also expected the results to be worse using MIG. Relative to many of us, you are really good at TIG and were able to push it pretty fast so there may be a little more difference in time for a lot of us. I thought I wanted a spool gun for aluminum. But now I see that if you have the TIG equipment already like me, it's probably not worth the money to buy a good spool gun for the occasional jobs a hobbyist / amateur does. But for very much production work, 16 ips vs 12 ips would be a big deal. And I bet you could get someone doing good work sooner using MIG. By the way, I've watched you feeding wire and it appears to be with your thumb. I watched one of your older videos that discussed wire feeding and I can't figure out how you're doing that with your thumb. Thanks for all of the work and money you've spent on making your videos. You're helping thousands of people do better work.

[@kobudoka1165]

To je jednoduché, aj keď som ešte TIG nezváral: palcom pridrží materiál, dva prsty zohne a materiál medzi nimi zovrie, potom palec uvoľní a dva prsty trochu vystrie a tak stále dokola.

[@BrysonKester]

From my experience with Aluminum MIG is fast travel speeds are key to a clean quiet weld. Its very hard to do consistently, weld after weld but it makes a sweet weld. i tend to go for multi pass welds instead of large single pass. Polish and Etch comparison of both would make for a great video, very curious at what they'd look like side by side

[@johnefe1575]

My good friend all your demos are great and encouraging. You are very truthful, especially when you observe a slight difference you say it say it out the way it is for people to learn. All of your works are very informative and educational. Thanks and more grease to your elbow

[@joshlego4775]

College student here. These are epic videos Jody, Thank you! They're incredibly informative.

[@tubalcaine]

I appreciate the straight, well-delivered information.

[@JesseNG1989]

I work in an aluminum ship yard I mig weld everyday I have gone a week on a single tip admittedly I couldn't do that 4 years ago when I got started

[@weldingtipsandtricks]

a week on a single tip is pretty impressive. Especially in a shipyard

[@ypop417]

I wished I could have gotten the guys running steel to do that in the shop I worked at about a tip a day is what we got except for the robot that lasted a tip for half a week 3 shifts

[@orlandowiltshire1228]

weldingtipsandtricks Hey jd I am big dan of your welding I having a problem with my mig welder it happens when the welder is cold .the welder welds like the wire speed is to fast and the voltage is to low when I first start but as long as I start welding it welds good any ideas what could be the problem it's a Eastwood 175 mig

[@sunrise7ranch85]

You work at Austal don't you

[@mcpheonixx]

I use a spool gun myself all day and I can get a week out of a tip sometimes its not unheard of especially if you have your settings just right. Only difference is with me Im welding this wall tubing. Normally 1/16 thickness but we do have some tubing a little thinner and its a real pain.

[@googiwaumer]

As a noob to TIG and MIG (good with oxy-acetylene) I'm glad to have caught this very clear breakdown of pros and cons of the two methods. Great straightforward narration and excellent camera work! Will be back!

[@peanutgallery0078]

I’ve been a gorilla welder for a long time - never really had any legit schooling whatsoever - just had equipment, machines, some heat control basics ( lots of burnt material) etc, to figure out finesse on the fly! These videos are HUGELY helpful in refining what i think you know. 🙄 Absolutely love it!! I’ll be back to help support this channel where it counts $$ when I incorporate my new skills!!😃.... so someone will be very happy to have had hired me for the next job!👍👍🔥💥♥️💪👁 💥 My skills would have been languishing for a long time if not for awesome channels like this !! 💥💥💥💥💪👍

[@mikef-gi2dg]

Everything about the way he demonstrates and teaches is very good, I'm actually learning.

[@rockmanagementoffroad9462]

These are the best welding videos on the internet, I've learned a lot from watching them. Thank you!

[@jacktumbleweed]

I miss welding aluminum. Used to run a lot of spool gun welding headache racks and fenders for semi trucks. Fair bit of TIG as well. It's a shame the market got slow and I got laid off where I was at, I'd love to get back into that.

[@cyclopsgarage9417]

Thanks Jody. It looks to me that unless a person was doing straight production welding on thin aluminum, the TIG would be much more versatile. Always learn something from you!

[@ericstrain9498]

Enjoy your videos, you get right to the point and are an excellent teacher. I’ve taken a few classes at the local tech school and I’ll have to say I’m getting more valuable info from your videos.

[@GosselinFarmsEdGosselin]

It is amazing how the sound is the key!!! Doesn't matter what the materials are. Had a friend about 30 years ago, he was having a hard time with his MIG, following all the machines instructions.,....lol I happened to stop by while he was in welding up a broken piece of equipment, the sound wasn't right!!!! I never saw his weld, didn't even talk to him.... I just started playing with his welder😎 Took a minute. Then it sounded right!!! He stopped and asked what I did. I told him to ignore the distructions, just follow his gut and listen to the sound 😎 Didn't take long and he became very proficient with a MIG. Aluminum... Ya, I've done it. I've done some great beads!! And some serious chicken crap too. I've got a bunch of irrigation pipe to fix up, not the easiest with MIG, (been there, done that) Going to see how good I am with TIG😎 Thanks for the video!!!!! As a lot of people have commented, you are a great instructor!!!

[@danielmartinez-cj5di]

I'm looking forward to using my new everlast spool gun to weld aluminum

[@leifnilsen6107]

Best camera work I've seen so for of capturing the welding process. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏. Excellent information. In this short video with the camera work and you hitting on push and pull. Really helps. I was using a new spool gun last night trying it out. I was pulling the whole time. One I got the gas, speed, and temp dialed in. I was able to produce some pretty nice welds. But, they were not as good or as what I have seen on videos. I do need to buy a new tip and was wondering why it was melting into the tip some tips. You answered those questions for me. I have attempted to tig weld and looking at the camera view tells me exactly the distance I need to be at.. Thank you.

[@jimzivny1554]

Good video. Since I started watching your videos I've been doing more cut and etch on test pieces or in random places that have no structural strength. It pays to experiment, I believe the quality of my welding has gotten much better. LOL even after over 40yrs of welding I'm still learning, thanks.

[@eliasrudnitsky3884]

Jody, you are a badass and humble enough so that everyone wants to listen, thank you for doing what you do.

[@DustinApple]

i realize its 3.5 yrs old but thanks. the short section i saw of the spoolgun i understand your want to back off of wire speed but it also minimizes penetration. i learned the easyOFF trick, didnt kno i could use that. But im a good spool gunner and a entry level tigger. I am constantly checking my power levels as id rather have "strong Ugly" instead of "shallow Pretty". Spatter is nothing more than misguided gun angle, it happens. with aluminum the worst thing you can do is linger. Time = Heat = Distortion. Run hot, get it done quickly, & move around often. side note- Jody id love to see a "how to tig off the table" video. running a pedal is various situations, standing on your head etcetera. lol

[@sschwartz2509]

I’m not sure if it’s possible to test this, but the time difference would have to be drastically different between someone with no TIG experience vs someone with wire experience. I haven’t done much aluminum but that learning curve for TIG I’d imagine would make some people chose the spool gun

[@grabbabitewelfed1641]

Nice video, I've been welding with Millers Spoolmatic 30a for some time now and have learned that when welding a lot of aluminum these guns can make you or brake you, I've found in running er5356 .035 that @ 23 +\- volts wire speed 9+ that it welds awesome , with being you cut the tip of wire every time before you run it again, and on the trigger purge the argon a few seconds before pushing all the way to start again, I've saved many tips, I manage going through two 18 1lb. spools using 1 tip, I know this sounds off the wall but it's true, many of the large tools I have fabricated over the years I have learned well, mostly welding 3/8 flat bars at many different withs and to round bars up to 5" od max and always have to preheat aluminum round bars that are thick helps prevent cracking. Just give it a try, I'm not exactly sure what your setup is, but I'm with you, I support you, personally I think you are the best✌🏻Love Tig aluminum...Your videos have really helped me , thanks, Greg

[@weldingtipsandtricks]

good info....thanks purging with the trigger is a great feature on those

[@scottywoods3054]

love 5356. it's extremely smutty tho . I have found that if your speed and angle is right your welds will be shiny and have smut all around it... I usually run 24v on eighth inch and around 25.5 on quarter inch material

[@paulkurilecz4209]

On the 210 MP, I found that the "inductance" setting makes a difference. I set the inductance to its maximum level and I seemed to get better results.

[@christopherkelly6523]

Dusting off my Millermatic 135... Gonna Play with Aluminum gun addition. Thank you for a good Video with good tips.

[@rballenger7]

Good welders who are also good teachers are hard to come by. Subscribed

[@erickirklin2962]

Amen!

[@seanhernandez1466]

I just did a job on a aluminum boat as a stick welder, I did it on a spool gun and definitely didn’t come out as I wanted it too, definitely not used to thin aluminum welding, any tips for me to keep moving forward I’m only 18 years of age and definitely got another smack of reality after burning and a little discouraged, trying to keep filling hole after hole it was definitely not as easy as being in school as a desk (which I already know I work on job sites daily) but like I said I weld only stick daily. Isn’t a cry for sympathy more of a reach out for some help. Thanks again love the videos

[@superpianogirl]

Great video JD as usual. I have a old school millermatic 200 (transformer stack non inverter) machine and I bought and successfully am using a Miller Pro xp spool gun. The results I have outstanding achieved to date welding aluminum from 1/8 to 1/2" double pass have been terrific . My message to others trying to mig weld aluminum with constant repeatability... is several. a good mig spool gun can cost up to or more than $1700 so dont expect to buy $300 spool gun and get the same results. always try to use use 5/64 wire size whenever possible.....you need filler material when doing spray transfer....smaller wire leads to more burnbacks and way more tip consumable usage....keep cutting the tip of your wire back every time you start a new strike like a 1/2 inch and always keep a good amount of wire stick out from the gun like 1/2" min....lastly mig welding with a quality spool gun and dc power supply is fast process.....so if your not in the 300 inch per minute range or above you may want to stop and make some more coupons to figure out whats not right. Thanks for your videos Jodi...great stuff man....I learn a lot from watching them especially the ones where you are welding larger pieces on your elaborate jigs and turntables. hope this helps. Thx John

[@gertvanjoe]

Not a welder by trade at all but I did manage to start a little sideline welding up some shelving after having had a normal MMA inverter for a few years. Your videos makes me want to go out and buy both a MIG and TIG just in order to experience it as your explanations and tips are so "on point"

[@doubledown9333]

We used to use just a MIG with teflon liner but we modified the end of the liner where the wire exits the gun with precision brass tube and your rolls had to be set up smooth and no probs with tips.

[@robertmalagrino8984]

Thank you Jody. Your passion and kind way to teach has inspired me and I did buy a TIG just to learn this great art. I bouoght a DECA MastroTig (italian brand) and I love it. If you come to Florence please let me know so that I can offer you a coffe and show you our great city. Have a great day :-)

[@chrism6575]

You make by far the best welding videos! Keep it up.

[@dAg-1-2-3]

YOu got to use a miller 30a, its a different world. Also running .045 wire makes a huge difference in arc quality. When I switched to a 30a I would go through a tip every few jobs as opposed to a few a job before.

[@boofoo26]

Very intelligent video. Your really good at what you do. You don't have to stop an think about what to say, all your stored knowledge comes out fluently...Well done

[@Flightstar]

I was debating, spool or tig on a checker plate tank project, based on this video Tig for me, is the way to go. Thanks for the videos.

[@joshpit2003]

Awesome video. But I don't think that time comparison holds up in the real world because of how much more effort it is to move that quickly with TIG. I wouldn't be surprised if the MIG does the 16 IPM speed all day long, and the TIG ends up at closer to 8 IPM (or worse) at the end of the day.

[@gerboblevin7709]

With just a little adjustment i found a nice setting for 3/8 aluminum. Thanks again.

[@maverickohyeah3756]

Great video mate, it answers my question wether to just get a spool gun or a new machine. wow and you know metric as well 👍👍👍 it does my head in when I watch a lot of videos from US I spend more time on the converter chart trying to work out what size wire/rods or material ya working with. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺

[@OzScout66]

Hear Hear!! cheers from a Queenslander !

[@bc4458]

@SaltyBrains Haha bro same, I am literally here trying to learn tips for aluminum welding for a mini jet boat i'm working on. Cheers from the US!

[@bc4458]

@SaltyBrains Thats one hell of a project, in fact quite badass! I have been wanting to work on some sea boats more specifically a Trawler to travel up and down the west coast of the US and depending on the range maybe to Hawaii but it will be awhile before I have the time or funds lol. So true, its funny how we rope ourselves into a project and can afford the upfront but its all the rest of the costs that set us back haha. Good luck brother and stay safe!

[@bc4458]

@SaltyBrains Yeah for real! I had planned to fix up an old trawler a few years back but my career kept me on land lol. I ended up buying a Tiny House trailer instead which has been great but it still doesn't beat the freedom of the sea. Someday my friend...someday (:

[@Roensmusic]

good tip about that gas... last year i was helping my little brother with his science project, he was allowed to make use of a companies workshop-place (sry im dutch, cheers) but he wanted to make the frame of his car out of aluminium... but i think the gas of the welding machine was not set for aluminium yet.. but anyway we still fixed it , that was pretty strange now i think of it... but i remember that i did the welding machine setup, i was just considering the setting were already programmed because it didnt had steel wire but aluminium wire going into it..

[@supersportimpalass]

A great option if you want to invest the money on a mig is the Miller 350P with their Alumapro push pull gun.

[@nautiques1000]

Just wondering if you cleaned the joints before your pass with the small stainless brush. Great advice and video!! Thanks

[@SpeedBeagle]

You had a shot where you showed one of the corners of the awning which had a very acute angle on the inside and I'm wondering how you weld a joint like that. Somewhere you can't get the tip close enough because of the angle of the two parts..

[@surgicalservices8864]

Thank you Sir.. i am also working as a TIG WELDER but i like Mig welding its easy to do without Hand Wire its amazing.. i am watching it first time..

[@simclardy5281]

I just purchased the miller 215 with the 150 spool gun. My biggest problem, especially thin metal, is starts and stops. the starts are the bigger problem.. it wants to deposit a big booger because it's not up to speed....and at the end it's tough not to leave a crater. when I tig this is never a problem. I would love input on this. I don't think I would use my spool gun for welding a gas tank for a boat. but I am a learning.....cheers

[@cfauvel]

was blown away at how fast you went...

[@fm3arthur]

Hi Jody Have you tried the Miller Aluma weld 350 machine - I have the 350P which I have seen you use with the pro push pull gun - its ok but the new machine which will arrive in 3 hours is supposed to do a stack of dimes all by its self. Tomorrow the Miller area rep will be here for setup and testing - If I can film the event will send it to you. Thx Awful Arthur

[@oceanic8424]

You didn't mention whether or not you preheated the aluminium prior to the spool welding. I understand that one can sometimes experience cold bead starts with aluminum spool welding.

[@moon47mars]

Very insightful video, Jody! For a future video idea, maybe you give a video tour of your shop and talk about some of your tools/equipment you use and what tools you recommend getting for someone starting out in his/her shop?

[@carlpenney901]

Could you give a cost difference between the two procedures that could be the game changer thanks.

[@twm4259]

Great video! Not sure how anyone can give it a thumbs down. I would like to see a video on welding materials of dissimilar thicknesses like sheet metal to a frame. I have tried (as a newbie to welding) without a whole lot of success.

[@isellcatlitter]

i am thinking about adding a spool gun to my tool set, just wondering did you pre-heat the aluminum prior to welding it, wish you explained the how to prep the aluminum prior to welding... i.e. a wipe down with acetone only, or scotch brite then acetone

[@benjaminmoore4592]

I learned a lot from this video. I've never tried to weld aluminum with my everlast mig welder before.

[@c3paalphaz]

thanks for helping us to understand , the comparison between tig. and. mig. , always enjoy your informative videos with all aspects of welding , look forward to many more, keep up the good work , well done

[@willybumbum6682]

Thanks for the great video. Any idea which one is stronger?

[@armandogonzales1365]

It all depends on the material and the application of the joint typically the spool gun is usually best for thicker aluminum tig I usually 3/16" and thinner materials also exotics my opinion 35 years exp. Cert. Welder whatever works for you everyone has their own technique keep welding guys

[@tailwalker84]

Cleaning the extrusion makes a massive difference and the angle you push is pretty critical when using 100% argon. 75 he 25 ar is wayy easier to use.

[@jonwoody3572]

Jody, check out a Fronius TPS welding machine and your not need a push pull gun (normal 5 meter mig torch) and only a one or two tips instead of 20 a day

[@kristianskov4841]

I run a 4 meter push torch on a Migatronic 400 Sigma, teflon liner. Same result as the Fronius..... one, max two tips a day......... Same result with the double pulse setting, which gives a very nice looking weld ( kinda like TIG)

[@bmwfizix1]

Thanks for this test. I have often wondered how the two machines would compare. I learned a great deal.

[@iancrossley6637]

I wish you were around when I was self learning twenty years ago. I had problem blowing tips until I upped the wire feed. Got NO help from the sales department of the machine.

[@michaelszczys8316]

I tig weld aluminum all the time but MiG only a few short times. A lot of it has to do with the machine and how it’s set up. One time I welded aluminum tubing with MiG set up and could barely make successful welds, another time it was as easy as steel. Too many factors, you can’t just ‘ close is good ‘ it.

[@turbovolvos40]

That mig weld penetration looks substantially more to me, and it was faster, which means it has more strength, so for me, mig looks the better choice.

[@CptSlow89]

But if you want nice welds like on motorcycle frames etc. TIG is better.

[@ThisTall]

Is Tig known to put less heat into aluminum then Mig, allowing you to do more continuous bead time without warping the piece?

[@semajniffirg230]

No faster travel speed means less heat input

[@billybobjoe198]

@@semajniffirg230 It depends on your settings.

[@masjr5270]

MIG is the only way to go if you want strength. Aluminum MIG welds are incredibly strong as compared to TIG. When you pour the heat into aluminum when you are TIG welding it decreases the base metal strength substantially.

[@joe_tipakuah4880]

Precise,beautiful,neat and well-welded..Greetings from Malaysia..

[@garypostell5268]

Jody why not use one size larger tip on spool gun?

[@sssrrr6223]

You don’t want it to crackle like it’s steel. You wanna hear a hissing sound as it’s burning in. A small amount of crackle is ok to prevent undercut but if it’s crackling then whole time you’re not laying in the metal you’re getting less penetration and just spitting metal out of the puddle.

[@michelastegiano7442]

the main problem with MIG aluminum is the internal porosities that are completely invisible on the surface, moreover during aggregations there is a certain tolerance (like no more than one every 5 cm. On the other hand, MIG aluminum is actually a lot more penetrating than TIG

[@randyramer7988]

weldmonger, really enjoy your videos, I'm a retired pipewelder but have very little experience wth aluminum, and have a project to do on jon boat that has crack at the top of transom the repair area isn't in spot that would sink boat but need welding to prevent from spreading. Would it be ok to mig weld?

[@JOHNSONsBONE]

I recently took a weld test using a miller 350 with an xr-a push pull gun using 3/32 4043 pretty sure. 1/2" plate 3 pass minimum with a back gouge. Anyway, the procedure said oscillation was prohibited, and the instructor actually mentioned it's a bad habit to get into because it increases the chance of stress cracking significantly with aluminum. Is this true? I've never had an issue with cracking even after laying down multiple hot weaves. Just curious. Keep up the videos! Thank you!

[@kristianskov4841]

Any kind of weave, in any kind of material, will increase the chance of cracking, due to the larger heat input... ...........at least that´s what I´m told. But sounds plausible to me.

[@jedi3320]

Good video and explanation. Thank you for showing the slice through and etching the metal to show the difference cheers.

[@rileyt3072]

Great video, I've been waiting for a mig spool gun vs tig welding for aluminum video. thank you for the information.

[@serenestateofbeing1062]

I think I weld 12 inches 3/16 plate in around 20 seconds, you dont need to go that slow on aluminum. Crank up the heat to where it's making a heat mark on the backside but not burning through. A useful tip: the steeper the gun angle, the cooler the puddle will be.

[@lencost1]

Hay Jody. How about a video on hard facing with stick welding on a backhoe bucket or dozer blade? Keep up the exhalent videos! I hear a lot of you tubers mention your name, and things that they have learned on your channel.

[@vanderhoof5701]

lencost1 I'd love to see that also ☺ 👍 Jody

[@dtwilliams1779]

I might be asked to do some hardfacing in a couple of months. I'd like some tips and do some practice with my powerarc beforehand.

[@brentvaughn4970]

When you run hard facing just let the rod run itself, don't try to work it, you just have to make multiple passes, 25 plus years of welding.

[@raymondcorreira847]

Jody it looked like the actual penetration was slightly more with the mig in the cross section you made.

[@811brian]

I went to school to get my degree in Heavy Equipment Truck and Diesel. I figured that learning to weld would be crucial to my education. The only problem was that no one was helping me at all. I didn't realize that you could adjust the heat with the foot pedal. I hated it, and now I won't ever be able to weld if I needed to.

[@harleyjune1233]

nice information - but @2:24 - is that undercut on both plates ? how'd you remedy this?

[@charleslove2319]

Looks like the mig got way better penetration than the tig but let’s see you do this vertically With beveled edge at a dimes size gap in 7 passes?

[@stevesmith2520]

If you mig aluminium you need a push pull gun not a spool gun. But i guess for a hobbyist it seemed to work fairly well. With a push pull setup set right i can weld 40hrs a week for usually about a month on 1 tip but just the gun is about 1800 dollars

[@KCdurt]

Should you use a brass brush on aluminum? I've heard that steel brushes or pads on aluminum will strip the oxidation layer and some kind of reaction between the steel and aluminum will keep the oxidation layer from fully reforming, leading to corrosion. I'm building an aluminum airplane and have been told specifically not to use steel abrasives for that exact reason. I'm working with 6061T6. Not sure if that makes a difference or if that type is more susceptible to corrosion than others. Not criticizing your work at all, genuinely curious.

[@dongbochen7598]

I "like " your well done welding . easy to learn from you .working together .ER series

[@The.Drunk-Koala]

So Im interested in wanting to start to learn how to weld. I know nothing about them and probably only seen.1 in action in my 33 years of life. What would be the best for me to practice, practice , practice with mig or tig welding. I eventually want to weld odds and end of metal around the house and fixing cars. Your advice would be greatfull. Cheers on advance

[@Lastredneck11]

Now I’ve been doing some mug on aluminum manure tanks and it seems not to want to take or the weld lays out smooth. Cleans with aluminum wheel and then wire brush

[@UniteForgetLeftRight]

You could try chemically cleaning it with acetone, vinegar or hydrofluoric acid and wiping it with a rag. A normal steel brush is not the best way to clean aluminum a hard wheel also imbeds whatever gunk is on the wheel in the metal.

[@rottiejakeluke]

I see you have an Evolution Cold Cut saw. I’m looking to get one and have been thinking about the Fein Slugger. Wonder if you have any opinions to share? Thanks

[@FDINIZA]

In my country mig welding alloy is not alowed, and I never see a machine like that, very interesting.

[@GnosisMan50]

Oh, man! I'm presently welding 1/8" thick aluminum 2" square tubing using my Hobart 230 strongman mig welder with an 8" spool in the machine. ..what a pain in the ass! Any slight error on my part it will bunch up and I lose 14 ft of wire. I did this 4 times. After that, someone came in the shop and said I should admit myself to the nuthouse. This machine is not forgiving. You would think they would make it so that there was more room for welding adjustment/human error i.e. allow the wire to bunch up without kinking or breaking for about 10 inches which is enough time to stop before the wire goes bad. Then all you would do is back the wire up and save 14 ft of wire and much frustration. I fare no better with the 10" spool. The only way I got going was to use gun spools. It works really well for me on corner joints though I still have not learned to do corners with tig...I tried but the welds looks terrible. With mig, I can lay one large bead with good penetration good looks. Well, I have much to learn and I could not do it without you Jody! I just bought some alumina cups from you and some adapters. My way of saying thanks and there will be more thanks to come.

[@weldingtipsandtricks]

I feel your pain. Spool guns can be a pain in the butt but trying to mig weld aluminum without a spool gun can be worse. I worked for a guy in a sheet metal shop who had an old Linde mig setup with teflon liner and weak tensioner spring...and it still was a pain.

[@عبددالقادرهادي]

@@weldingtipsandtricks Tig is good or mig

[@justin-time1479]

what is the benefit of using a generator to power the machine vs workshop power ?

[@nono-fn3zc]

any sense to using a larger tip, perhaps? eg .045" tip with .030" wire. Might be more forgiving and let you clean it up a bit once or twice instead of replacing.

[@isaacpalomares1175]

Did you use the same machine for aluminum tig? The 210 mp?