Throughout these past few months, we've put together a beginner's guide that will help you explore the most basic fabrication fundamental - MIG welding. For Part III of the story, we decided to explore a little deeper, with some of the basics of MIG-welding aluminum. Aluminum is a little tougher to MIG-weld than steel, so once you master this, you'll be able to weld almost any ferrous metal.
Miller Electric makes an optional spool gun that's easily added to any of Miller's compatible welders. In this article, we used the SpoolMate 3035 in conjunction with a Millermatic 210 welder. This setup can weld aluminum as thick as 3/8 inch in a single pass. The system and setup is easy, and with Miller's Gun-On-Demand system, you can hook up two gas bottles and both guns and simply use whichever the job requires. To weld aluminum, you'll need to install the spool gun, feed the aluminum wire into it, and hook up a bottle filled with 100 percent argon. Once everything is properly connected, you can get right to work practicing and learning how to weld aluminum. Keep in mind the tips on the following pages, and you'll be on your way to building your own fuel cells in no time.
1. Here's a look at the add-on...
1. Here's a look at the add-on that makes this task possible and more convenient than ever. The SpoolMate 3035 comes complete with instructions and everything you need to get started. All you have to add is the wire (4043 is the model number for the wire, and it's $10 at your local Praxair or welding-supply store).
2. To get started, unwrap...
2. To get started, unwrap the gun and hook up the connector on the front of the welder labeled for the spool gun.
3. and 4. To power the gun,...
3. and 4. To power the gun, you'll have to attach the power cord to the welder's power supply. Simply remove the nut, add the spool gun cord, then reinstall the nut.
4.
5. The last cable coming out...
5. The last cable coming out of the spool gun that needs to be hooked up is the gas cord. In the upper-right-hand corner is a barbed fitting, where the gas for the spool gun is connected.
6. You'll also need to pick...
6. You'll also need to pick up a bottle of 100 percent argon. If you have two regulators, you can hook two bottles up to the back of the 210. This way, you can operate the regular 75/25 mix for steel and the argon for aluminum. With the gas all hooked up, the spool gun is ready to see some metal.
7. Inside the Millermatic...
7. Inside the Millermatic 210 is the handy little guide that helps you set your voltage and wire speed. This chart also includes settings to weld aluminum with the SpoolMate 3035. We followed the instructions and set our voltage and wire speed accordingly.
8. During the setup, we were...
8. During the setup, we were so anxious to start practicing with the spool gun that as soon as everything was hooked up and set, we got to work getting the hang of the new tool.
9. We practiced welding the...
9. We practiced welding the aluminum in many different positions, trying to get a desirable weld. There's a lot of spatter when welding aluminum, so it's very important that the part is thoroughly cleaned before being welded. Gas also plays an important role by keeping the contaminants away from the weld pool.
10. After a little practice,...
10. After a little practice, we were able to produce some good welds. When welding aluminum, the gas coverage is very important to avoid contamination. Always push the puddle to ensure that the gas is on and in front of the welding pool. This will help you produce a weld more like the one pictured on the left. On the right, you see how the weld has a blackened or burned appearance; this is the result of a weld that's been pulled rather than pushed. This is the most important tip when it comes to MIG-welding aluminum. With some practice of pushing the welds, you'll be on your way in no time.
We teamed up with Miller Electric to give away a welding helmet with a contest we introduced in Part I. Well, since we can't leave anything well enough alone, we also decided to customize the helmet with a one-off billet badge from KAIK Products (www.kaikproducts.com). Pictured here is the customized helmet we'll be giving away and an up-close shot of the one-off badge. To enter, you'll need to use the Welding 101 series to practice your welds and log onto the Web site for the specifics. We printed the wrong Web site in the previous two articles. The actual Web site for the contest is www.millerwelds.com/primedia. We've extended the contest for two months to give everyone a chance to enter. For all the details of the contest and to submit an entry, check out the Web site listed above.