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You should use 100% argon unless the Al is real thick, then you can add helium to it to help heat transfer.
Edit, sorry for the delay, I had a knock at the door. Do you know the specs on your welder? Amp output and duty cycle? Miller has a handy phone app for weld settings, might help a bit.
Well, the I beam is close to 1/4 inch at the ends and thicker near the web. The Cobramatic with the thinner wire didn't lay as nice of a bead imho. Still tinkering and learning, thanks for the input!
Profo, that is one of the big issues I have, I'm using an older Powcon welder that doesn't have specific voltage or amperage settings. In addition, the push/pull boxes don't have IPM indicators. I'm not as worried about the pretty welds, just as long as they are structurally sound.
Edit, one...
Yes, I have read all those tips. Just to see what the mig boxes would do, I used some old crusty Aluminum I beams. I sanded, then wire brushed, then wiped with acetone. From some of the reading/searching, it seems like I might try a little more shielding gas. I was using about 15-20cfm and I've...
Toward the end, I got some satisfactory bead profiles and penetration(last pic). I was wondering, anyone know what causes that sugaring(evident in the 2nd pic)? I thought it was lack of shielding gas, but from tinkering around today, that didn't seem the case.
ALSO! No matter how excited you...
So I've had a couple of push/pull mig units for a while. Now that I have an Al flat bed on my pickup, I'd like to add stake pockets and a rub rail to the sides. Of course, that comes after I weld on the rear C channel cause I shortened the bed a tad. Here is a couple pics of my first Al welds, I...
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