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Its been rough learning aluminum welding. I finally broke through welding 1/4 aluminum practicing. I wanted to thank you for your instructional videos. Many try to do videos but they lack many things. Unfortunately skipping steps and not explaining them will not help people understand why it works for them and not student. In learning every step is important and why. Settings, setups, wire info , mistakes made, etc… You are a great teacher! Thank you! Please keep up the great work!
There is definitely a learning curve and a lot going on when welding aluminum. I'm learning myself so I like to share "discoveries" that I make. If it helped me I know it will help someone else. It's good to hear you are making progress and I'm happy to help where I can. I appreciate your nice comment!
Your first attempts went way better than mine. I just purchased a Miller 235 w/spoolmate 200 and Miller's factory setting for 1/8" aluminum is 21.9 volts, 575 wire speed. It was more of a plasma cutter than welder on 1/8" at those settings.
Spool guns are bulky and heavier in the hand but they feed so much better when you need to change positions. Pre-heating aluminum helps the start process. Clean, clean, clean. Never use aluminum brushes, sanding or grinding wheels on anything else. Proper argon CFM is key also, too much flow can actually pull in surrounding air.
With this machine u have to play with the settings the best way to go is manual setting this machine does it all stick mig flux core and tig it's a must have if u a beginner or a pro
I am going to modify my 250pro to use a spool gun. Using a double pole double-throw switch and 4 pin circular connector both male and female to the existing motor. Also using the HZXVOGEN euro 200amp spool gun since its the only item available in Prime 2day at a reasonable price. Its a pain using the mig with aluminum.
Hello Bruce, first of all thank you for the teaching, I have learned a lot on your channel (theory) now I have to chose which welder I want to buy, I have been searching from multiprocess machines having plasma, Tig, MMA, but then I changed my mind since I want to weld steel as well as aluminum so I have now in mind two options. Yeswelder MIG-250 PRO or Yeswelder TIG-250P. For the plasma cutter I am planning to buy a low frequency blowback system since in the near future I would like to build a CNC machine. Thank you for your help and keep the great work!!!
You're welcome Yadira! Thank you for watching! Both of those machines are fantastic machines IMO. Good luck with your decision, I'm sure you will be very happy with either one. 👍😀
Have you tried thinner aluminum with this welder? I mostly mess with 14 and 16 gage building dog crates, spool gun always did crappy work, so I tig them. Mig would bump my production up so much faster. I mig my steel frame crates 2 to 3 to 1 aluminum. Not to mention much more cleaning on the aluminum to ..
Thank you for that demonstration Bruce, Looking forward to other videos. Do you think there would have been much of a difference if you tried a pull technique vs. a push as you did?
You are welcome Muhammad. Yes, if you use the pull method with MIG aluminum you'll get a very sooty and oxidized crusty looking weld. The shielding gas has to go on and ahead of the weld pool for MIG aluminum. I'll try to demonstrate that the next time I do a video showing MIG welding aluminum if I remember.
Have you got this welder to spray transfer with aluminum yet? It’s supposed to be the preferred method when mig aluminum although 1/8” material might be on the thin side for that. In order to go into spray transfer, has to be at least 21 volts roughly I believe
Yes I've been able to get it into spray transfer for aluminum mig welding with the spool gun. I'll leave you a link for a video showing that. The machine has plenty of power to do that. ua-cam.com/video/1I4pV2lvVUc/v-deo.html
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 awesome. Thanks,I didn’t see the video until you linked it. Nice welds. That was definitely spray arc. Not related but which graphene liner do you have? The one with the brass coil or without the coil? My I bought my machine, I bought an extra graphene liner and I noticed the one I bought separately had the brass coil whereas the one included was solid graphene. I am using the brass coil graphene liner. Not sure which one is best and why there is 2 different ones. And another thing I noticed is on the factory mig gun with regular liner if you look through the gas ports on diffuser you can see the liner coil running past the ports. Not sure if that restricts gas flow as there is space around the liner for gas to flow. So when I put my graphene liner in, I matched what they had and mine is running past the ports too. I guess it’s designed that way. Anyway, love your videos. I learned alot about this machine from you. I am subscribed
I appreciate your subscription to the channel and watching my videos Mike! I was using the solid graphene liner that came with the machine. I really don't know if one is better than the other. I don't have much experience MIG welding aluminum but it is a fun process to learn and could come in handy some day. I was able to get some fairly descent welds with the liner but I really prefer MIG welding aluminum with 4043 wire as opposed to the 5356. Unfortunately I think the 4043 is too soft to feed properly through a standard MIG gun lead but it might be possible if you keep the lead nice and straight. IMO if a guy were to do a lot of aluminum MIG welding, the spool gun and 4043 is the way to go. Either way can produce acceptable welds IMO.
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 I have pretty much no experience with aluminum until now. It is definitely completely different than mig steel. I was using blue demon 5356 .047 wire with graphene liner on 3/16 aluminum 6061 and it was very sooty. I had a tough time trying to get it to spray without burning through. I got it a couple times but at first but swelled up the back side alot. I might try .035 wire next to see if I can get it to spray at a lower heat input. I just need way more practice
I noticed a big difference in the soot comparing 5356 to 4043. My testing showed a lot more soot with the 5356 wire. From what I have read or seen, soot is common with DC aluminum MIG welding and not necessarily an indicator of a bad weld. Crazy how much fun it is to melt metal! LOL
I know I maybe asking much if you ever do a review on the Amico 200. Mig/lift tig/Stick dual voltage welder. Supposably a 200amp multi with high duty cycles with spool gun option. Absolutely no reviews on this multi welder , but many sold.
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 I wrote to them . Hopefully they contact you regarding doing a review on a machine with no reviews maybe it will help boost sales for them or not.
Never done aluminum before, I was certified in 1 inch unlimited (stick) and have done hundreds of hours of mig mild steel. One day I’d like to try it, makes me wonder how hard the transition would be.🧐That last run looked pretty decent!
Old post but you will pick it up but it's different, stick out, travel speed and sound. Especially when you are so programmed from mig welding steel. Main thing for me was getting longer stick out down and travel speed. The other was clean aluminum. Prep and cleaning was more important compared to steel. Getting the oxidation off and acetone makes a difference that cannot be ignored as easy as one can with steel.
You could possibly purchase a graphene liner for the MIG torch, U shaped wire feed wheel and use 100% Argon for your shielding gas with the MIG 205DS. That would be all you would need but unlike the MIG 250 Pro the MIG 205DS does not have any preset "aluminum" synergic settings or manual control over the wire feed speed. I've heard it won't work because the synergic settings on the 205DS are configured to work with steel only and not aluminum. I don't think you would be able to set an appropriate voltage and wire feed speed combination to get a satisfactory aluminum weld with the MIG 205DS. Just for the record, I have not tried this and I don't own a 205DS machine but I would be curious to know how it works if you decide to give it a try.
Anything under 20/21 volts with such a low wire feed speed is not going to be spray and you cant short circuit aluminum. You need to be at a minimum of 20v and get that wire feed speed above 300. you want a hissing sound, not a spatter/ bacon frying type sound like you would with steel. Ignore those charts your following they are for steel short circuit. Assuming your welding thin stuff like 3/16" to a 1/4" start at around 20-21 volt and 500-550 wire feed speed and work your way down with the wfs untill it stops stuttering and starts spraying. Dont go too low or else youll melt the tip back quickly. play with it like that till you find the sweet spot and do that every time. get your voltage set properly for the thickness of material, go extra high on wfs and work your way down. Itll save you tips and find the proper settings to match your voltage.
I bought this welder about last year. The Yeswelder sells the same mig welder with a aluminum spool gun mode. Is Yeswelder going to sell a kit to convert the older MIG 250PRO model? Thanks.
I don't know if they will or not but I'm going to make a video showing how to do it yourself. I don't think it's too difficult and I think it can be done for around $20 using a few parts from Amazon. I'm waiting on the parts and then I'll make the video. Hopefully it will help out a few folks in your situation.
To you too By the way some of the other videos I watched say that if you have burnback issue then it's probably 1 of these 3 1: high voltage 2:low wire feed speed 3:the welding tip is too close the the workpiece Or some combination of them Try experimenting with them good luck and all the best
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 Hi thanks for responding.. Yeswelder 250pro with Aluminum practicing on 1/8 & 1/4 Plate Aluminum.. Argon set to 15 , Aluminum preheated, Clean with new Stainless brush. Weld bead Come out like crap. I want to learn how to weld aluminum metal picket fencing. 6x6 to post
Don't feel bad, I'm not an expert either. I am not good with the aluminum MIG welding. I haven't spent any time trying to get better at it since I have the full feature TIG 250P machine. I prefer the look of the TIG as opposed to the MIG aluminum welds. I do know it requires some time and definitely some practice to learn how to do it with some descent consistency and results.
Learning on your own is a real challenge. I know this because that's how I have been learning. If you are frustrated and struggling it might be worth taking a few introductory welding classes at a local college or school if it's available to you where you live. That way you can get some one on one and face to face help with the issues you are experiencing. Just a though, I'm not telling you what to do. Good luck to you.
Cleaning aluminum is much more important than prepping steel. Dirty aluminum even if it looks clean needs the oxide removed. Aluminum melts at a lower temp than what it takes to burn off oxide. If you dont clean it off then by the time you burn through it you are too hot for the aluminum. I have welded over some mill scale but dirty aluminum is not as forgiving.
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 I was watching someone else weld on just a standard mig and that's what they used and never made a change to the liner.. Once it warms up a bit here in Michigan I'm going to give it a shot... I'll report back...
Bruce, Just a follow up.. Yesterday I got a chance to weld on my trailer and yes it works fine without changing the liner.. The only thing I was thinking is the standard liner may be contaminating the aluminum wire as it feeds to the torch.. Anyways works for me and I should get all the repairs done in a day or two ! Have a great summer !
Why would they not make the welder tp take a spool gun. Very cheap out. They seem like good welders then they do something very stupid like this to saze a buck. This literally made me not purchase. Not you them
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Its been rough learning aluminum welding. I finally broke through welding 1/4 aluminum practicing. I wanted to thank you for your instructional videos. Many try to do videos but they lack many things. Unfortunately skipping steps and not explaining them will not help people understand why it works for them and not student. In learning every step is important and why. Settings, setups, wire info , mistakes made, etc… You are a great teacher! Thank you! Please keep up the great work!
There is definitely a learning curve and a lot going on when welding aluminum. I'm learning myself so I like to share "discoveries" that I make. If it helped me I know it will help someone else. It's good to hear you are making progress and I'm happy to help where I can. I appreciate your nice comment!
If you want your starts to be smoother use a propane torch to heat the first 2 inches of the ALUMINUM. About 150°f. Great Video 😃😃😃 Thanks
Thanks for the tips William, I appreciate it! 👍
Your first attempts went way better than mine. I just purchased a Miller 235 w/spoolmate 200 and Miller's factory setting for 1/8" aluminum is 21.9 volts, 575 wire speed. It was more of a plasma cutter than welder on 1/8" at those settings.
It takes some experimenting to find the proper settings I think.
Spool guns are bulky and heavier in the hand but they feed so much better when you need to change positions. Pre-heating aluminum helps the start process. Clean, clean, clean. Never use aluminum brushes, sanding or grinding wheels on anything else. Proper argon CFM is key also, too much flow can actually pull in surrounding air.
Exactly
With this machine u have to play with the settings the best way to go is manual setting this machine does it all stick mig flux core and tig it's a must have if u a beginner or a pro
Great video, as usual, keep them coming Bruce.
Thanks Thomas, will do!
I am going to modify my 250pro to use a spool gun. Using a double pole double-throw switch and 4 pin circular connector both male and female to the existing motor. Also using the HZXVOGEN euro 200amp spool gun since its the only item available in Prime 2day at a reasonable price. Its a pain using the mig with aluminum.
Sounds like a neat project. I wish you the best with your conversion!
great info thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
I'm interested in ALUMINUM mig welding THANKS for this video 😃😃😃
No problem William 👍 have fun!
Hello Bruce, first of all thank you for the teaching, I have learned a lot on your channel (theory) now I have to chose which welder I want to buy, I have been searching from multiprocess machines having plasma, Tig, MMA, but then I changed my mind since I want to weld steel as well as aluminum so I have now in mind two options.
Yeswelder MIG-250 PRO or Yeswelder TIG-250P.
For the plasma cutter I am planning to buy a low frequency blowback system since in the near future I would like to build a CNC machine.
Thank you for your help and keep the great work!!!
You're welcome Yadira! Thank you for watching! Both of those machines are fantastic machines IMO. Good luck with your decision, I'm sure you will be very happy with either one. 👍😀
Have you tried thinner aluminum with this welder? I mostly mess with 14 and 16 gage building dog crates, spool gun always did crappy work, so I tig them. Mig would bump my production up so much faster. I mig my steel frame crates 2 to 3 to 1 aluminum. Not to mention much more cleaning on the aluminum to ..
Hello Jesse, I haven't tried any thinner aluminum than what you saw in this video. I'm not sure how it would do on the thinner aluminum.
Great video thank you for all the tips!!
You're welcome, thanks for watching! 👍
Just what I was looking for. thx
No problem John. I hope it helped you out.
Can you decrease the ark length on the machine when you weld aluminum?
Yes
Thank you for that demonstration Bruce, Looking forward to other videos. Do you think there would have been much of a difference if you tried a pull technique vs. a push as you did?
You are welcome Muhammad. Yes, if you use the pull method with MIG aluminum you'll get a very sooty and oxidized crusty looking weld. The shielding gas has to go on and ahead of the weld pool for MIG aluminum. I'll try to demonstrate that the next time I do a video showing MIG welding aluminum if I remember.
Wow! Big difference between your first time with your TIG-250P AC/DC and the 250 Mig pro! Seems it lays much more aluminum than TIG by far...
Yes Keith, this MIG really pumps out the wire. It's a learning curve just trying to keep up with it. :)
Have you got this welder to spray transfer with aluminum yet? It’s supposed to be the preferred method when mig aluminum although 1/8” material might be on the thin side for that. In order to go into spray transfer, has to be at least 21 volts roughly I believe
Yes I've been able to get it into spray transfer for aluminum mig welding with the spool gun. I'll leave you a link for a video showing that. The machine has plenty of power to do that. ua-cam.com/video/1I4pV2lvVUc/v-deo.html
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 awesome. Thanks,I didn’t see the video until you linked it. Nice welds. That was definitely spray arc. Not related but which graphene liner do you have? The one with the brass coil or without the coil? My I bought my machine, I bought an extra graphene liner and I noticed the one I bought separately had the brass coil whereas the one included was solid graphene. I am using the brass coil graphene liner. Not sure which one is best and why there is 2 different ones. And another thing I noticed is on the factory mig gun with regular liner if you look through the gas ports on diffuser you can see the liner coil running past the ports. Not sure if that restricts gas flow as there is space around the liner for gas to flow. So when I put my graphene liner in, I matched what they had and mine is running past the ports too. I guess it’s designed that way. Anyway, love your videos. I learned alot about this machine from you. I am subscribed
I appreciate your subscription to the channel and watching my videos Mike! I was using the solid graphene liner that came with the machine. I really don't know if one is better than the other. I don't have much experience MIG welding aluminum but it is a fun process to learn and could come in handy some day. I was able to get some fairly descent welds with the liner but I really prefer MIG welding aluminum with 4043 wire as opposed to the 5356. Unfortunately I think the 4043 is too soft to feed properly through a standard MIG gun lead but it might be possible if you keep the lead nice and straight. IMO if a guy were to do a lot of aluminum MIG welding, the spool gun and 4043 is the way to go. Either way can produce acceptable welds IMO.
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 I have pretty much no experience with aluminum until now. It is definitely completely different than mig steel. I was using blue demon 5356 .047 wire with graphene liner on 3/16 aluminum 6061 and it was very sooty. I had a tough time trying to get it to spray without burning through. I got it a couple times but at first but swelled up the back side alot. I might try .035 wire next to see if I can get it to spray at a lower heat input. I just need way more practice
I noticed a big difference in the soot comparing 5356 to 4043. My testing showed a lot more soot with the 5356 wire. From what I have read or seen, soot is common with DC aluminum MIG welding and not necessarily an indicator of a bad weld. Crazy how much fun it is to melt metal! LOL
I know I maybe asking much if you ever do a review on the Amico 200. Mig/lift tig/Stick dual voltage welder. Supposably a 200amp multi with high duty cycles with spool gun option. Absolutely no reviews on this multi welder , but many sold.
Hello Ken, I would love to do a review on that welder. If Amico would send one I'd review it. I don't have the funding to purchase one for review.
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 I wrote to them . Hopefully they contact you regarding doing a review on a machine with no reviews maybe it will help boost sales for them or not.
Thank you Ken, I'll let you know if they send a machine for review.
You should clean the aluminum first to cut down on impurities getting in the weld clean aluminum ,clean weld, it could also use a little more heat
Thanks for the input
Never done aluminum before, I was certified in 1 inch unlimited (stick) and have done hundreds of hours of mig mild steel. One day I’d like to try it, makes me wonder how hard the transition would be.🧐That last run looked pretty decent!
I'll bet it only takes you 5 minutes to learn the differences and nail it! 😀
I'm à combo welder if u can stick u can mig
Old post but you will pick it up but it's different, stick out, travel speed and sound. Especially when you are so programmed from mig welding steel. Main thing for me was getting longer stick out down and travel speed. The other was clean aluminum. Prep and cleaning was more important compared to steel. Getting the oxidation off and acetone makes a difference that cannot be ignored as easy as one can with steel.
Can I do that with my Yeswelder MIG 205DS? If Ican. Would you be gentle to tell me what parts do I need to buy them.
You could possibly purchase a graphene liner for the MIG torch, U shaped wire feed wheel and use 100% Argon for your shielding gas with the MIG 205DS. That would be all you would need but unlike the MIG 250 Pro the MIG 205DS does not have any preset "aluminum" synergic settings or manual control over the wire feed speed. I've heard it won't work because the synergic settings on the 205DS are configured to work with steel only and not aluminum. I don't think you would be able to set an appropriate voltage and wire feed speed combination to get a satisfactory aluminum weld with the MIG 205DS. Just for the record, I have not tried this and I don't own a 205DS machine but I would be curious to know how it works if you decide to give it a try.
Anything under 20/21 volts with such a low wire feed speed is not going to be spray and you cant short circuit aluminum. You need to be at a minimum of 20v and get that wire feed speed above 300. you want a hissing sound, not a spatter/ bacon frying type sound like you would with steel. Ignore those charts your following they are for steel short circuit. Assuming your welding thin stuff like 3/16" to a 1/4" start at around 20-21 volt and 500-550 wire feed speed and work your way down with the wfs untill it stops stuttering and starts spraying. Dont go too low or else youll melt the tip back quickly. play with it like that till you find the sweet spot and do that every time. get your voltage set properly for the thickness of material, go extra high on wfs and work your way down. Itll save you tips and find the proper settings to match your voltage.
Thanks for the tips!
I bought this welder about last year. The Yeswelder sells the same mig welder with a aluminum spool gun mode. Is Yeswelder going to sell a kit to convert the older MIG 250PRO model? Thanks.
I don't know if they will or not but I'm going to make a video showing how to do it yourself. I don't think it's too difficult and I think it can be done for around $20 using a few parts from Amazon. I'm waiting on the parts and then I'll make the video. Hopefully it will help out a few folks in your situation.
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 Thanks. I really like the welder. So far, I had no problems.
Thanks
Nice video
I am just beginning also
All the best and thanks for watching
To you too
By the way some of the other videos I watched say that if you have burnback issue then it's probably 1 of these 3
1: high voltage
2:low wire feed speed
3:the welding tip is too close the the workpiece
Or some combination of them
Try experimenting with them
good luck and all the best
Brilliant video thank u 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
You are very welcome
Scott rods 31:47
I am about to give up on learning aluminum welding.. I don't what I am doing wrong. So frustrating!
I'm sorry to hear that ken ken. Remind me again what machine you are using and what you are trying to weld.
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 Hi thanks for responding.. Yeswelder 250pro with Aluminum practicing on 1/8 & 1/4 Plate Aluminum.. Argon set to 15 , Aluminum preheated, Clean with new Stainless brush. Weld bead Come out like crap. I want to learn how to weld aluminum metal picket fencing. 6x6 to post
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 Also bought the Primeweld tig 225 x, I am about to sell it. So frustrating
Don't feel bad, I'm not an expert either. I am not good with the aluminum MIG welding. I haven't spent any time trying to get better at it since I have the full feature TIG 250P machine. I prefer the look of the TIG as opposed to the MIG aluminum welds. I do know it requires some time and definitely some practice to learn how to do it with some descent consistency and results.
Learning on your own is a real challenge. I know this because that's how I have been learning. If you are frustrated and struggling it might be worth taking a few introductory welding classes at a local college or school if it's available to you where you live. That way you can get some one on one and face to face help with the issues you are experiencing. Just a though, I'm not telling you what to do. Good luck to you.
Have you tried a .005 bigger contact tip
Yes, I used a .045 tip with .035 wire in this video.
The lines is graphine I think
Cleaning aluminum is much more important than prepping steel. Dirty aluminum even if it looks clean needs the oxide removed. Aluminum melts at a lower temp than what it takes to burn off oxide. If you dont clean it off then by the time you burn through it you are too hot for the aluminum. I have welded over some mill scale but dirty aluminum is not as forgiving.
I agree
$5?!? lol fucking hell its almost triple that right now.
It was a good deal for sure!
Has anyone tried welding Aluminum but without changing the liner?
I haven't tried it but I'm thinking it will work as long as you use 5356 wire and keep the lead as straight as possible.
@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 I was watching someone else weld on just a standard mig and that's what they used and never made a change to the liner.. Once it warms up a bit here in Michigan I'm going to give it a shot... I'll report back...
Bruce, Just a follow up.. Yesterday I got a chance to weld on my trailer and yes it works fine without changing the liner.. The only thing I was thinking is the standard liner may be contaminating the aluminum wire as it feeds to the torch.. Anyways works for me and I should get all the repairs done in a day or two ! Have a great summer !
Thanks for the info David! Have a great summer yourself and happy welding!
Need more heat,
Pre heat the aluminum!!
Yes, that would help.
And clean your project pices super clean!
Good video!!
Thanks!
I hope too see more!
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🙋♂️🙋♂️
Soot everywhere
Why would they not make the welder tp take a spool gun. Very cheap out. They seem like good welders then they do something very stupid like this to saze a buck. This literally made me not purchase. Not you them
The new one does now.