aluminum mig
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aluminum mig do they make flux core aluminum wire?? i have the little craftsman welder at home and i need to weld some aluminum. how can i do this?? it does not have a gas hook up.
They make solid wire, which doesnt bond very well and looks like crap. However, I have never seen flux core alum. before, and dont recommend you doing it. Aluminum is a very particular metal to weld, more so than steel or stainless. Your surface prep and heating take alot more precision. If its just a little job take it up to a welding shop. If its a big job, take it up to a welding shop 
. Go get you a decent little tig, everyone should have a setup.
Brandon
. Go get you a decent little tig, everyone should have a setup.Brandon
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Miller is good and those units work well. I love my MILLER welders! Aluminum is tough with MIG but can be done if correct prep work and materials are used.
Harbor **** offers a small TIG that some people have had good luck with. It is only $200.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91811
It may be good enough to get you by for the moment. What do you need welded? If you're only in Maine, I could get your stuff welded and shipped back within a decent time.
Harbor **** offers a small TIG that some people have had good luck with. It is only $200.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91811
It may be good enough to get you by for the moment. What do you need welded? If you're only in Maine, I could get your stuff welded and shipped back within a decent time.
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From: Jacksonville FL.
Originally Posted by NOSjohn
Miller is good and those units work well. I love my MILLER welders! Aluminum is tough with MIG but can be done if correct prep work and materials are used.
Harbor **** offers a small TIG that some people have had good luck with. It is only $200.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91811
It may be good enough to get you by for the moment. What do you need welded? If you're only in Maine, I could get your stuff welded and shipped back within a decent time.
Harbor **** offers a small TIG that some people have had good luck with. It is only $200.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91811
It may be good enough to get you by for the moment. What do you need welded? If you're only in Maine, I could get your stuff welded and shipped back within a decent time.
trying to mount my ic for my turbo and piping for the turbo to. so basically i need to weld on the truck.
i thought the unit had to do a/c to do aluminum thats what the miller units say anyway.
Last edited by 4.8T; May 12, 2006 at 08:32 PM.
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From: Jacksonville FL.
Originally Posted by Moparnos (The SLP Guy)
thats the one i'm talking damn good price there.
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I've welded aluminum mig but I was using gas with it. I've tried but can't find aluminum wire with a flux core. I guess I'll have to break down and get the gas conversion if I ever want to do any pretty welding...
Yes, the MIG welding of aluminum requires the use of gas.
Ah, so you want to weld the IC brackets and use aluminum piping for your cold side?
I'm following now. It might be a good idea to find a buddy or online person close that might help you out. I think taking it to a welding shop might get pricey. If you marked the IC and pipes where they needed to be welded, I can hit them for you. However, shipping the stuff back and forth you'd might end up spending $100 or more.
Ah, so you want to weld the IC brackets and use aluminum piping for your cold side?
I'm following now. It might be a good idea to find a buddy or online person close that might help you out. I think taking it to a welding shop might get pricey. If you marked the IC and pipes where they needed to be welded, I can hit them for you. However, shipping the stuff back and forth you'd might end up spending $100 or more.
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From: Jacksonville FL.
i'll keep that in mind. i will probably have to hit you up on that when i get it all around. i'm gonna kep talking to the olw lady and see about getting me that miller. i would like to be able to do this stuff and i know other people that might need some work done too. thanks. 
If you have never welded aluminum take it to someone who knows what ther doing. Its an entirely different world than steel, your basic mig with a push feed will not work. You will end up screwing up all of your plumbing and waisting a lot of money on a mig that still wont weld aluminum worth a damn.
Its worth it to pay someone to tig it all into palce and be done right the first time.
Its worth it to pay someone to tig it all into palce and be done right the first time.
Originally Posted by 4.8T
i'll probably wait and buy a tig cause in the future i will want/need one also. then i'll get some junk alluminum pipe and practice
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I know people that picked up TIG in about 6 hours. It's not that hard.
There is a review with pictures on the internet somewhere of the HF TIG. If I find it later, I will link here for the archives. The review basically said the HF TIG is fine if you are an experienced TIG welder already. It made good welds, but he advised it would only be good for thick stuff and steel. If you are welding aluminum piping, you are probably going to mess it up.
There is a review with pictures on the internet somewhere of the HF TIG. If I find it later, I will link here for the archives. The review basically said the HF TIG is fine if you are an experienced TIG welder already. It made good welds, but he advised it would only be good for thick stuff and steel. If you are welding aluminum piping, you are probably going to mess it up.
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From: Texas
I think it's about time I put my 2 cents in this topic. You can weld aluminum with a mig and get really nice welds out of it, but it requires a machine that is capable of running a mig spool gun (this is type of spool gun I have for my ESAB welder). A typical machine that come with a spool gun will cost anywhere from $4,000-5,000. I only use my spool gun for butt joints on long runs, any type of weld in a confined space I use a TIG. Now days I only use a TIG for aluminum.