What could it be??

[SoCalTA]

Hello guys,

I have been working on my AL welding with little or no success. I am using 1/8 on AL and following the tap and speed per the panel on my MM210. I am using .030 wire and gas pressure of 25. I seem to have a common set of problems and frankly I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. The results are either flat wide welds, craters/canyons or burn through. If you flip over the scrape I have more buldging out the other side than I do on the side I am working on. I used what I had around to clean it which was paint thinner, some sand paper and a SS brush. I start off with about an eighth to quarter inch of a bead and then thats all she wrote.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Many thanks

Jorge

[HAWK]

Jorge,

It could be several things. Use Scotch-Brite pads by 3M for cleaning and then wipe with acetone. A SS brush will also do okay. Both are readily available at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. The sand paper is probably leaving some contamination on your material. Your gas flow sound high. Drop down to 17-20CFH. You are running 100% argon I guess? Use the push technique with your gun rather than pull. Keep your gun nozzle angle roughly 75 degress off the horizontal. Once your bead starts laying down you will have to speed up your travel to avoid burn through. This is why you are probably getting a decent bead at the beginning and then burning through. It also sounds like you are running too hot overall. Try turning down the voltage a little and see if you can get to a point just between short arc crackle and spray. Let us know! Happy welding.

[timw]

I aggree with HAWK, you sound like you are too hot and too slow. With Alum if your weld comes out black you have contamination. Paint thinner (usually Mineral Spirits) is not good to clean with. It will leave residue behind. acetone is best, it evaporates 100%. Some have talked about using Brake Clean, I haven't tried it for Alum. I know it works great for those quick cleaning needs before painting small stuff. Keep us posted we will help you figure it out.

[klsm54]

Other than technique, which HAWK has covered very well, the majority of Aluminum welding problems come from contamination. Clean, Clean and Clean again.

Some common mistakes: Cleaning with anything that leaves a petroleum deposit, such as paint thinner or gasoline. Acetone is great, an acid cleaner, like Zep-A-Lume, is good if it is old material that has been heavily oxidized or exposed to any contaminents for any period of time.

Using stainless steel wire brushes, but not dedicating them for aluminum cleaning. If you use a S/S brush on carbon steel, then try to clean aluminum with it, you can leave carbon deposits from the rust and mill scale left on the brush. Whatever you use, Scotch Brite, S/S brushes etc. use it only for your aluminum cleaning.

If you are pushing the aluminum through your steel gun, it may be picking up contamination from the drive rolls and liner, especially if it has had a lot of wire fed through it. While steel feeds just fine through the liner, the softer surface hardness of the aluminum wire can pick up copper or steel particles when you push it through that same liner.

I don't ever reccomend pushing aluminum wire, a spool gun or push pull works best, but if I do have a customer that wants to push it, I reccomend that they at a minimum use a new liner, and clean their drive rolls well before welding with the aluminum. A better scenario yet is a nylon liner, but those are not always available, especially in the smaller diameters.

[timw]

Exellent point Klsm54 on keeping SS brushes etc for Alum, Only for Alum. It's easy to crossover without thinking.

[HAWK]

SoCalTA

One of the best aluminum cleaners I have found is a small pneumatic angled die grinder. It is set up to use the Rol-Loc discs. I usually run the red 3M Scotch-Brite pads and when they clog up just chuck then in the garbage. It will also accept the 3M Rol-Loc platic bristle pads. You also avoid the occasionally wire needles that will spit off the SS brushes on a small electric grinder.

[SoCalTA]

thank you all for your input. It's priceless!!!!

I will do a better job of cleaning the surface. I have a new die grinder from HF so I will dedicate one pad for the use you suggested. I will also try reducing the the pressure. I had played around with the tap and wire speed but didn't think about the tank pressure.

thanks again to all of you who took the time to respond. I will continue to practice tonight with my new information.

Have a good weekend guys..

Jorge

[HAWK]

SoCalTA,

Here's a picture of what I use. Many times over this little set up had paid for itself by making a less than quality aluminum alloy weldable. Obviously not by itself, but it's a big help!

[SoCalTA]

Thanks Hawk. Thats just like the one I purchased a few weeks ago. I will make sure to dedicate a set of pads just for Al use.

[HAWK]

Angle Die Grinder

SoCalTA,

The pads don't last too long. Be sure to keep a good stock. The red discs seem to be a good course grit pad. Wear some good safety glasses or googles. It throws aluminum dust everywhere. I wear my welding helmet. Its great for grinding. Even if the Miller Big Window Elite is turned on from welding, it has no off switch, I turn the sensitivity to low and grind away! The bristle wheels have a better life, but don't always clean as well. However, they are really good for getting into cracks on fillets, cylinder walls, and other hard to reach places! They really rock on gasket removal from oil pans and cylinder heads! It's a very versatile tool. I have had this one going on 5 years and it's still rocking along. Keep your air tools well oiled. That's the key to a long tool life. I put a few drops of oil in the air inlet each time I start to use it.

[Paul Seaman]

SoCalTA:
I run Al by the chart and have had the same problems at first. The trick I found is to start slow for the puddle to form and then go like heck trying to keep the wire at the very front edge of the puddle and don't oscilate or you'll have pronounced cracking later on in the weld. I have a slight shake with the spoolgun because its heavy but don't try to weave. Also the wire stick out is more critical with the Al than steel, I push in close to stat the arc maybe 1/2" then pull back to 3/4" after the puddle starts to form.

Question what position are you working in? I had the most trouble in verticle.

Weld well,

[SoCalTA]

Update -
so I am using 4043 .030 wire. I have the settings per the box and the pressure set at 17. I cleaned it off as suggested with brake cleaner and the die grinder.

The end result is I have Terminator 2 in my garage. More melted metal than the movie. I managed to get a T joint so so but the back side looked like a puddle forming.

On a butt joint ... bad bad bad ..
Just running a bead along the top .. bad bad bad.

I am doing fine on steel but this stuff ... 8-(

[Paul Seaman]

SoCalTA;
Do you have a digi camera? If so send me a pic through the forum maybe I can see something that I've done different or a problem conquered. The machine is set identically to mine so this should work.

Good luck,

[SoCalTA]

PJS,

Yes I have a digi camera. I am headed tomorrow morning to pick up more Al to play with so after I come back and have a chance to run some beads I will post some shots. Be warned that what you might see could seriously damage your vision or cause you really bad stomach pains from laughing.

[SoCalTA]

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