Welding aluminum with XMT 304 as power source?

[corbyvhall]

Is there an accessory that will allow an XMT304 (DC-only output) to be inverted into AC so I can hook up a high frequency box (HF251) to TIG weld aluminum?

[Noisy Nova]

Not that I'm aware of.

[corbyvhall]

Nova, do you like your spoolmatic? That is my only other option for welding aluminum with the XMT that I know of. I am welding aluminum above 1/8", typically 3/8"-1/2" and am worried the spoolmatic will not be a good choice for this operation. Any comments?

[Dmaxer]

Nope. The closest you can get is with a spoolgun or push-pull mig and argon shielding gas. You can run mig beads on AL that way as long as the parent metal is .125 or greater. For thinner AL you'd need an optima pulser between your XMT and the mig gun (unless you're just tacking).

[corbyvhall]

Dmaxer, do you like the quality of the aluminum welds from your spoolmatic? I will be welding 3/8"-1/2", medium structural, high visual quality, minimal heat deformation. Is the spoolmatic a good choice or should I go with a TIG?

[Dmaxer]

Dmaxer, do you like the quality of the aluminum welds from your spoolmatic? I will be welding 3/8"-1/2", medium structural, high visual quality, minimal heat deformation. Is the spoolmatic a good choice or should I go with a TIG?

The appearance of the spoolmatic's AL welds is pleasing and I'm happy with them. It sure is a lot faster than TIG welding. When AL welding one has to move more quickly than when doing a similar mig weld on mild steel. For that reason there appears to be less distortion. This is not to say I don't sometimes wish I had an AC GTAW machine.

I'm a fan of TIG welding in general and the complete control it affords over the entire welding process. One thing about TIG welding that the spoolmatic cannot replicate is the ability to fuse the metal with the addition of little or no filler. Although it is a slower process, TIG welds can be made to appear less conspicuous than MIG welds. So, when it comes to aesthetics, the trained TIG weldor will usually produce a superior product.

[Noisy Nova]

What dmaxer says.

[jeffscarstrucks]

An XMT304 with a 30A spoolgun is an exellent aluminum set up with the right equipment. I owned one like that for some time as well as using the 304 to run an xrm feeder for a while and liked it very well. JEFF

[Jolly Roger]

aluminum can be welded with the dc tig on your 304. Aside from not having hf start on dc the main reason for using ac to tig aluminum is due to the self-cleaning action of the ac arc. If the material were well cleaned I would think using the lift start tig on the 304 should do fine. If you have the means to do it and the material can handle it the mig is preferred for production type work as it is much faster than tig. I have used dc tig on aluminum before, just not with my 304, but with the old 400 amp millers.