Tips on How to Weld Aluminum with a Spool Gun
By CB_Hubber
When learning how to weld aluminum keep in mind that MIG welding aluminum is not easy. The aluminum filler wire used to do MIG welding is prone to kinks and binds within the MIG gun, which makes the wire fold up inside the MIG gun. This is a hard to clean mess and makes for a hard to use MIG gun too. The solution to this problem is to avoid MIG lead and use a spool gun to weld aluminum with.
MIG Welding and the Spool Gun
Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is an automatic or semi-automatic welding process that uses a consumable electrode to weld metals. MIG welding is more suitable for aluminum than TIG welding (TIG welding uses a tungsten electrode).
A spool gun is a small tommy gun-like device, which contains a one-pound spool of fine aluminum wire. This rests on the MIG gun. It is this filler wire that reduces those kinks and binds.
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How to Use the Spool Gun
Now a few tips on how to actually use a spool gun:
- Push, don’t pull - Pushing works better than pulling. Pulling can leave you with a sooty weld. But if you do need to pull sometimes, you should clear the soot using a stainless steel brush.
- Use Argon or a Mix with Helium - 100% Argon is the shielding gas of choice for most welders when welding aluminum. But a 50/50 mixture of Argon and Helium can also be used.
- Use a longer stickout - A longer stickout will work better because MIG welding uses spray transfer – a longer stickout will burn less tips. A ¾” stickout should serve you well.
- Start with fast wire speed - Start with faster wire speed, and then reduce speed. This will save you a lot of tips.
- The sound - With steel, the gun makes a sound like bacon is being fried. Not aluminum. Aluminum makes the gun generate a high-pitched hum.
Keeping these tips in mind while you learn how to weld aluminum will help a lot. Now get out there and start welding!
- How to Aluminum Weld The Guidelines
Learn more about how to aluminum weld by going over the ins and outs described in this article. MIG and TIG welding aluminum are both a challenge to learn, but you can master them if you try.
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