mig and flux core tips and techniques, equipment, filler metal
Poland308
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Easy Farmer!
I have more questions than answers

Josh
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cj737 wrote:When you MIG aluminum, you will get smut because you're welding with DC and have no cleaning action. To minimize smut, crank up the CFH (pure argon) and use a push angle. As mentioned, if you're welding outdoors, be mindful of the breeze as a little cause a lot of problems.

You also look cold on the welds, so crank up the volts and slow your travel a tad. A gentle brushing afterwards with a stainless brush cleans those welds right up (but they'd better be good welds else your mistakes show ;) )
Respectfully, I would have to disagree with your cleaning action statement.

Welding with DC+ is the cleaning polarity. DC- is the penetration.
These are the 2 that get adjusted on tig machines with adjustable balance.
On mig aluminum, you only get the DC+

Completely agree that the settings are off.
Could be wrong polarity or just not adjusted correctly into spray?

For the OP, here is a short video of what spray arc looks like (the arc itself looks very similar for aluminum and steel).
Make sure the sound is on so you can hear what it sounds like.

Also, make a weld, post all related settings that made it. This makes it easier to help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHkbh0oKv_g
Dave J.

Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~

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Farmwelding
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Poland308 wrote:Easy Farmer!
What did I do this time.
A student now but really want to weld everyday. Want to learn everything about everything. Want to become a knower of all and master of none.
Instagram: @farmwelding
Nick
Poland308
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Take deep breaths don't be offended! Just pause for a bit not every question needs a rapid answer. Sometimes you need to think first.
I have more questions than answers

Josh
Sharn schimke
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PeteM wrote:Is your polarity correct?

I'm not awesome with aluminum, but I've never seen it do that.
Yes
Sharn schimke
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MinnesotaDave wrote:
cj737 wrote:When you MIG aluminum, you will get smut because you're welding with DC and have no cleaning action. To minimize smut, crank up the CFH (pure argon) and use a push angle. As mentioned, if you're welding outdoors, be mindful of the breeze as a little cause a lot of problems.

You also look cold on the welds, so crank up the volts and slow your travel a tad. A gentle brushing afterwards with a stainless brush cleans those welds right up (but they'd better be good welds else your mistakes show ;) )
Respectfully, I would have to disagree with your cleaning action statement.

Welding with DC+ is the cleaning polarity. DC- is the penetration.
These are the 2 that get adjusted on tig machines with adjustable balance.
On mig aluminum, you only get the DC+

Completely agree that the settings are off.
Could be wrong polarity or just not adjusted correctly into spray?

For the OP, here is a short video of what spray arc looks like (the arc itself looks very similar for aluminum and steel).
Make sure the sound is on so you can hear what it sounds like.

Also, make a weld, post all related settings that made it. This makes it easier to help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHkbh0oKv_g
Thanks!
Sharn schimke
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AndersK wrote:Are you welding outdoors?
Just a little draft can blow your shielding away.
No all inside
Sharn schimke
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Everything that has been said has been tried.
Sharn schimke
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exnailpounder wrote:Your shielding gas is wrong. You need 75% Argon and 25% CO2 or straight CO2.
Sorry but you wrong !!!! Aluminium is 100% argon.
Sharn schimke
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Artie F. Emm wrote:
Farmwelding wrote:
exnailpounder wrote:Your shielding gas is wrong. You need 75% Argon and 25% CO2 or straight CO2.
He's welding aluminum right. If he is then definitely 100% argon. Aluminum doesn't like carbon dioxide.

We may be hitting and missing the mark simultaneously. Sharn got sooty welds at home, moved the machine offsite and got good welds, then sooty welds back at home. The gas bottle at home may be mislabeled or contaminated, even though it is marked 100% argon. Sharn, is the bottle at home new, or recently exchanged? Have you made good welds with this gas?
It has been changed twice at least. And now from a different supplier with no connect to each other.
Poland308
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Is the plug you plug the welder into good and tight? And is the voltage correct? I.e. Do you have a bad plug internally at the wall. Is there any thing else you took apart to transfer the welder to the other location that may have gotten reassembled one way when you were there and a different way when you got home?
I have more questions than answers

Josh
Sharn schimke
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Poland308 wrote:Is the plug you plug the welder into good and tight? And is the voltage correct? I.e. Do you have a bad plug internally at the wall. Is there any thing else you took apart to transfer the welder to the other location that may have gotten reassembled one way when you were there and a different way when you got home?
No all the same assembly. All the wiring in the wall is new and good so is the plug on the machine.
Poland308
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Can you take a picture of the front of your weld machine? So we can see where your dials and or switches are set? Is this a 3 phase or single phase powered machine?
I have more questions than answers

Josh
Artie F. Emm
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Back to the gas for a minute: you said the bottle has been changed, got it.

Have you made good welds with the gas from the current bottle?
Dave
aka "RTFM"
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To me it looks like bad gun angle. Point your gun at a 15 to 20 degree Pushing angle. When I started I found I needed even more of an angle then I thought. Try it.
Remember with aluminum it's push only. When you pull the gun it'll look like your picture.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Sharn schimke
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Artie F. Emm wrote:Back to the gas for a minute: you said the bottle has been changed, got it.

Have you made good welds with the gas from the current bottle?
No! No better!
Artie F. Emm
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- poor quality welds at home
- good quality welds away from home (at the trade school)
- never able to achieve good welds using gas from the bottle at home

Contaminated gas at home? Mis-labeled bottle contains other than pure argon?
Dave
aka "RTFM"
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