Welding alum

[kward11]

I'm new to welding and have a miller 135.
My question is do I need a shielding gas to weld alum
or can a flux core wire be used?

[HAWK]

Al with Miller 135

It can be done with 100% argon for shielding gas. Check with your local dealer. You will probably need the Al accessory kit with a different liner for your gun. Try to keep the gun hose as straight as possible and start with a stiffer wire like 5356 to give better feeding. The low amperage/duty cycle will limit your material thickness as well-probably 1/16" or maybe a little thicker. Be sure to clean your surface before welding. A good brushing followed by isopropyl alcohol should work. This is more of a hobby type machine. At any rate it will be a lot of fun and a great learning experience. One more tip: be sure and push the gun while welding Al-do not pull it. have a lot of fun and let me know how it turns out.

[HAWK]

Al with Miller 135

kward11.
On the thickness you can probably do 1/8" at the max.
It's always good to see another welder join the crowd.
again, good luck!

[ROCK]

KWARD111..............Ah your about to have some fun........ Aluminum is quite hard to learn to mig weld........... Also worth noteing is the fact that you will need to travel 1/4 to 1/3 faster than you normally mig weld at........ Do not stay in one area too long as the aluminum will shrink and crack or burn thru.....The best advice I can give you on this is practice, practice, practice......... The skill level is obtainable thru practice..........Good luck..........Rock
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