I'm at the drawing board working on a new project. I'm using an old aluminum ramp from a u-haul truck. I'm working with a Ironman 230 and looking for information on what type of aluminum the ramp might be made of and what type of wire I should use?
Artie F. Emm
- Artie F. Emm
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Weldmonger
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Posts:
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Joined:Thu Jul 24, 2014 7:53 am
Welcome to the forum!
For full disclosure, I have not welded aluminum with MIG, altho I know enough to tell you your machine is *capable* of aluminum MIG but may not be *ready* yet. Apologies in advance if you already know that aluminum wire does not behave like steel wire: it is too soft to push through a cable to the MIG gun, so to weld aluminum you'll likely need a spoolgun, which holds the spool of wire so the wire travels 8 or 10 inches to the contact tip instead of 8 or 10 feet.
Also, for aluminum MIG you'll need pure argon gas for shielding, rather than argon-co2 which is common for steel.
So again, sorry if you knew all that stuff already. Do you MIG weld steel now?
For full disclosure, I have not welded aluminum with MIG, altho I know enough to tell you your machine is *capable* of aluminum MIG but may not be *ready* yet. Apologies in advance if you already know that aluminum wire does not behave like steel wire: it is too soft to push through a cable to the MIG gun, so to weld aluminum you'll likely need a spoolgun, which holds the spool of wire so the wire travels 8 or 10 inches to the contact tip instead of 8 or 10 feet.
Also, for aluminum MIG you'll need pure argon gas for shielding, rather than argon-co2 which is common for steel.
So again, sorry if you knew all that stuff already. Do you MIG weld steel now?
Dave
aka "RTFM"
aka "RTFM"
Greetings and welcome.
We are not lawyers nor physicians, but welders do it in all positions!
Miller Dynasty 280DX
Lincoln 210 MP
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Victor Oxygen-acetylene torch
Miller/Lincoln Big 40-SA200 hybrid
Miller Dynasty 280DX
Lincoln 210 MP
Miller 625 X-Treme
Hobart Handler 150
Victor Oxygen-acetylene torch
Miller/Lincoln Big 40-SA200 hybrid