3035 Test Drive...

[hankj]

Finally got the argon tank home yesterday, and took my first test drive with the 3035 today.

Here's the dedicated aluminum station:


The first aluminum beads ever using .030 4043:


Tomorrow, I'm gonna try to weld TWO pieces!!

Hank

[Bulldog]

Looks like your having some fun. Congrats! It also looks like you have a couple of cans of something under the welding bench... Not combustible I hope! That battery also needs to go! Be careful.
Bulldog

[hankj]

Bulldog,

The battery resides elsewhere! I saw that in the pic and crapped. How an old fart like me can get so excited over a spoolgun the he forgets to move a lead-acid battery from under his welding table escapes me. I'm certain I'll hear about it from the Brethren! The buskets are full of 8d and 16d galvy nails - no sweat there.

And fun, you betcha!

Hank

[aphexafx]

Bulldog,

I'm certain I'll hear about it...

Hank

Hey Hank, you need top move the battery from under your welding table. This is a fire/explosion hazard! Hehe. I'm just kidding.

Looks good, cool setup.

[fun4now]

juce it up

hummmm now see i just thought he was guna use his new 3035 to recharge that battery.
well some people will try anything once.

[Wheat]

Hank, Congrats on the new spoolgun. I'm probably the only one in history that bought a 210 w/spoolgun, never used the spoolgun and sold it....Go figure??? Actually took that money and will get a 200DX eventuallly. You got enough "angle of the dangle" where you welded the pipe nipple to the bench,,,Don't want that spoolgun to fall out accidently...Not bad looking welds for a rookie....Have fun.....

[Mike W]

Looking good Hank!

[Paul Seaman]

Wheat:
I have the spoolmate 3035 and now the D200DX and I am currently much better of with the 3035 in Aluminum than the Dynasty. All in good time I will get there with practice, alot of practice.

Peace,

[Sundown]

Hank,

OK, now I need a "dedicated" area to use my 3035 in, I will have to get right on that. Wow, you learn something new here all the time Looks like you are havin' some fun now, Darth

[hankj]

Yeah, Darth Weldor strikes again! Don't forget your deep-cycle marine battery for under the table, George.

Hank

[DDA52]

Very nice, Hank.

I am playing with alu and the MM 135 as well. Your beads look much better than mine. The spoolgun and 210 are a better steup than my overgrown toaster. Keep us updated on your progress.


BTW, has anyone mentioned the battery??

[hankj]

OK, the battery is gone, guys. Honest.

Here's a couple more pic's.

Tuning it in...

Nice sound here, can you spray with this setup? Sure had that "hiss".

Well, need more practice, but I got the travel down good near the end.

Bent it in the vise. Weld cracked along the first inch, but then the base piece deformed and the weld held up.

Killer suff, this aluminum.

Hank

[DDA52]

Keep it up, Hank. You'll be building a boat before you know it.

In answer to your question, yes it will spray alu. If you have the Miller MIG calculator, you'll notice that no short circuit values are given, only spray. I can even get my MM 135 to spray. I haven't been able to control it much due to liner problems. The liner prob is history. Now, if I can just get the time to play around with it. FWIW, I was told that spray is the best way to go with alu. He said that short circuit will not have sufficient penetration. Mine didn't with short c, but did with a spray arc......so much so it would blow big ol' holes if I wasn't careful!

What thickness are you welding? Did I read on Hobart that it is 1/4? What size wire and type?? I would guess it is .035 4043. I'm running .030 4043 on 1/8 flats.

[Sundown]

<snip>Weld cracked along the first inch, but then the base piece deformed and the weld held up. Killer suff, this aluminum.
Hank

It's easy to get a cold weld at the start with this stuff, I sometimes will use about a 1" ramp on both ends, then just cut it off. I think as we get more time in they might not be needed any longer, at least I hope so. Keep the pictures up

[hankj]

Don,

It's .090. .030 4043 on tap 3 @ 52 WS. Ar is set at 30CFH.

Hank