Welding Aluminum

[teul2]

If i have a Lincoln 110 (or 120 or what ever my little mig welder is), aluminum wire, and a tank of argon, can I weld aluminum with out a spoolgun?

I was told that I have to have one to do this.

[quackalot]

You need to use PURE argon, make sure it is not a mix. And get a aluminum liner for your gun. You do not have to have a spool gun. You can get everything you need a capweld.

[driveby]

You can but it isn't the best in the world. Sometimes that aluminum wire will "bird nest" on you if you don't use a spool gun.

[torch]

its hard to do without a spool gun. I have tried it and the weld looks like schit.

[cmwangsdixie]

You can do it without the spool gun if your careful. You will need the liner for aluminum wire as stated above and you want to make sure you lead is at a downward angle at all times and straight with no kinks or curls.

[O/U]

We MIG weld aluminum all day and everyday here at the plant. BUT, our guns/torch whips are made for alminum, they have drive wheels in the feeder and in the torch body. Someone else said to keep you torch lead as straight as possible, that is very true.
Spool guns are easier and less head ache but they just don't hold enough wire, are bulky and are heavy for production welding. It's cheaper and easier for us to use large spools for aluminum and 30 gallon drums "I don't remember the wieght" for steel.
I was at a plant Friday that was production welding aluminum with MIG machines that did not have power rollers in the torch head. Not sure how they do high volume welding without some problems. It was a robotic process and I couldn't see the whole whip. It may have had other drive wheels somewhere else.

[ECHO1]

i got one bring it to clinton or send it with BRF and i'll fix it for ya

[cmwangsdixie]

i got one bring it to clinton or send it with BRF and i'll fix it for ya

I seen your aluminum welding on that boat I bought from you and YOU my friend don't need to be welding aluminum for anyone! hahahahaha Just Kiddin

[ECHO1]

Jokes on you you bought the boat! , none of that was mine and i would take credit for that. to see mine you would have to break into the clarksdale substation i had my hands in putting that 5in bus work up when that station was rebuilt.

[Money]

Take it to bert f.

[dukbum]

you dont need to weld....you might drop yo drank and spill it den you might loose yo camera and wont be able to take a pic once you done fer insurance reasons and den yo fellow msduckers wont belive you that you built sumthing out of sum type of metal you da man dont care wut GH22 says about you

[jdbuckshot]

What you need is a welder with a push-pull gun, its not a spool gun, a spool gun has ther wire on the gun, the gun actually pulls the wire while the feed mechanism pushes it throught the lead. you can weld alum with your welder and make decent welds if your a decent welder. but you will have problems with jamming up the lead. keep your lead straight and your tip really clean. they do not make a spool gun or a pull gun for that welder, but you can fit one to it.