tig welder?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
tig welder?
is there a decent tig welder for under $1000 usd?..... i need to practice some aluminum welding skills for projects....... do they make a wore feed kind or a self feed/stick...... the welders i've seen use a torch looking nozel and hand feed the aluminum rod....... they were welding 1/8" aluminum tubes for autoshow exhibits.....
thanks
b
thanks
b
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
A buddy across the river has a tig/stick machine for years now, a replacement from Miller I think was about 2500 bux.....he's looking at a new one, .....
course he is a pro welder, this is his home machine....
course he is a pro welder, this is his home machine....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,143
Likes: 0
From: Leander Texas
If I remember correctly not all TIG machines can be used to weld aluminum, I think it had to do with fequency. I asked the welding sales rep from SNAP ON when I bought my TIG/MIG last year about being able to TIG aluminum with it, and he said there are different TIG machines for welding aluminum, so I bought a spool gun to go with my machine to weld aluminum with.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,986
Likes: 21
From: Columbus MN
I have a nice MIG welder for home use. I haven't tried aluminum yet, but I downloaded some tips from a web site (I don't remember where):
Regardless of whether you use TIG or MIG, you're going to need argon gas shield.
Aluminum MIG Welding Tips
1. The best feeding of wire for aluminum is done with a spool gun. If you can’t use a spool gun, use the
shortest gun possible and keep the gun as straight as possible. Use Argon only for shielding gas. Only use a
push gun technique when welding aluminum.
2. If you are having feeding problems, one thing you can try is a contact tip that is one size bigger than your
wire.
3. The most common wire type is ER4043 for all-purpose work. ER5356 is a stiffer wire (easier to feed), and is
used when more rigid, higher-strength weld properties are needed.
4. Clean the aluminum before welding, to remove the oxide layer. Use a stainless steel wire brush used only
for cleaning aluminum.
5. Fill the crater at the end of the weld to avoid a crack. One way to do this is to dwell in the weld pool for a
second at the end of the weld.
1. The best feeding of wire for aluminum is done with a spool gun. If you can’t use a spool gun, use the
shortest gun possible and keep the gun as straight as possible. Use Argon only for shielding gas. Only use a
push gun technique when welding aluminum.
2. If you are having feeding problems, one thing you can try is a contact tip that is one size bigger than your
wire.
3. The most common wire type is ER4043 for all-purpose work. ER5356 is a stiffer wire (easier to feed), and is
used when more rigid, higher-strength weld properties are needed.
4. Clean the aluminum before welding, to remove the oxide layer. Use a stainless steel wire brush used only
for cleaning aluminum.
5. Fill the crater at the end of the weld to avoid a crack. One way to do this is to dwell in the weld pool for a
second at the end of the weld.
Regardless of whether you use TIG or MIG, you're going to need argon gas shield.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
Likes: 9
If I remember correctly not all TIG machines can be used to weld aluminum, I think it had to do with fequency. I asked the welding sales rep from SNAP ON when I bought my TIG/MIG last year about being able to TIG aluminum with it, and he said there are different TIG machines for welding aluminum, so I bought a spool gun to go with my machine to weld aluminum with.
Last edited by Twin_Turbo; Jan 1, 2007 at 06:05 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,078
Likes: 27
From: Northeast South Dakota
We have 4 TIG machines at work that will not weld Aluminum. To weld aluminum you need to have high frequency on your welder. TIG will work for everything else without high freq. We use them to weld stainless steel and do sanitary welding of stainless steel with internal purge. You can get a high frequency attachment for a stick welder as long as it is an AC/DC with switchable polarity but I think they cost about as much as a good TIG machine with high frequency already built in. (We run one of them at work too)
-Justin
-Justin
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Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
We have 4 TIG machines at work that will not weld Aluminum. To weld aluminum you need to have high frequency on your welder. TIG will work for everything else without high freq. We use them to weld stainless steel and do sanitary welding of stainless steel with internal purge. You can get a high frequency attachment for a stick welder as long as it is an AC/DC with switchable polarity but I think they cost about as much as a good TIG machine with high frequency already built in. (We run one of them at work too)
-Justin
-Justin
BTW, you can use all good tig machines as a stick too.
onaqwst
Think about taking a decent course on tig. After a month, a friend of mine's son could tig beer cans together. I was amazed.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
i have a mig right now and had argon/aluminum wire... but was having issues with the travel distance/wire binding......
i'll find a few sites and see what i can find..... anything to look out for as in specifics for home use....f.i. 110/220 20 amps/etc....... a spool gun seems to be the best for little work such as furniture items/etc...?
thanks
b
i'll find a few sites and see what i can find..... anything to look out for as in specifics for home use....f.i. 110/220 20 amps/etc....... a spool gun seems to be the best for little work such as furniture items/etc...?
thanks
b
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,986
Likes: 21
From: Columbus MN
Aluminum welding wire can sometimes bind up in regular MIG welders, so spool gun welders are often used for aluminum MIG welding because of the short run between spool and nozzle.
Sears sells Hobart and Lincoln spool gun welders. Just search "Tools". There are a couple Miller spool gun welders on eBay too. You'll need argon gas shield to weld aluminum.
Sears sells Hobart and Lincoln spool gun welders. Just search "Tools". There are a couple Miller spool gun welders on eBay too. You'll need argon gas shield to weld aluminum.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,186
Likes: 45
From: detroit area
http://detroit.craigslist.org/tls/255013370.html
i found this..... need feedback if possible.... look like a decent startup machine?
b
i found this..... need feedback if possible.... look like a decent startup machine?
b
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,711
Likes: 43
From: San Antonio TX
Not a good machine for a beginner. Besides, it's three phase power.
If you want to TIG weld aluminum you need a high-frequency AC machine. Yes, you can weld MIG (I weld aluminum with MIG just fine. Not quite as pretty as those welds you see on TV, but the weld strength is just as good).
If you want to get into TIG, you're going to start at around $2,000. And good TIG welding is a mix of gas and arc welding expertise.
If you want to TIG weld aluminum you need a high-frequency AC machine. Yes, you can weld MIG (I weld aluminum with MIG just fine. Not quite as pretty as those welds you see on TV, but the weld strength is just as good).
If you want to get into TIG, you're going to start at around $2,000. And good TIG welding is a mix of gas and arc welding expertise.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,441
Likes: 0
One more thing you might look into for your MIG gun is a nylon sleeve for the torch hose, it allows the wire smoother travel to the tip. I have a Lincoln MIG that welds aluminum beautifully if I keep the hose straight.
You don't need A/C to weld aluminum.
You don't need A/C to weld aluminum.
