Convert Your MIG Welder to Weld Aluminum - The Easy Way
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 13. 10. 2022
- Convert Your MIG Welder to Weld Aluminum - The Easy Way. Everything you need to know to convert your MIG Welder so it can mig weld aluminum. It is very easy but often unknown or misunderstood how to convert your welder to weld aluminum. In this episode I'm using a Hobart Handler 140. I show you everything you need to know to convert your mig welder easily which includes changing the liner and setting up the machine correctly. The equipment needed for this conversion cost me $24.00 You will also need .030 5356 Aluminum wire and Pure Argon Gas
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I have used this method many times. Those 120v machines just donât have the power to run aluminum perfectly. Pause as it is getting too hot. That trigger is your best friend on thin material
Spot on! đ
ÂčÂču.
I read somewhere aluminium was welded with AC because they needed more heat or amp, not sure whats the difference, to penetrate the oxidation?
Also Ive seen ppl brush the oxidation layer right b4 welding. Not sure if you should do both or just one is sufficient?
Don't make any excuses
Iâve been going through alot lately, working overtime to barely stay afloat, making sure my grandparents and my mom and other family are taken care of makes it worth it but watching your videos gives me a hope that one day Iâll be able to do what I love and make sure my family is always good. From the bottom of my heart man thank you so much for being here man seriously
Dude! I really appreciate this comment! Thank you. I wish you and your family well. God Bless
You're a real hero man. Keep going.
Good on you for sacrificing so much for the good of others, stay the course and you'll get through it man.
Thank all of you guys for the support, it makes things easier knowing people can still support others! Good people do exist
They do Robert and the folks here on this channel are super supportive. The best on the web as far as I'm concerned đ
Appreciate this video. I was about to spend $600 just to do around 15â of weld on a boat only worth maybe 2k. Wife would have flipped out. I had no idea I could do this. Really appreciate it!
Glad to help man! Enjoy!
Good job, Brandon. As a former high school vocational instructor, you need to know that you are doing a fine job of getting the material across.
Thank you very much @Mark Fritch I appreciate this. I have to ask, I'm in my early 50's. I've been told that a lot of high schools are doing away with vocational classes. Is this true? I LOVED taking shop class. We had a metal working program at my high school. We rebuilt small engines, we did welding, they taught us life skills like how to change a tire, check your oil and we even did some wood working. I know the schools around me don't have these programs anymore which I think is a shame because these are skills you will have and use forever.
@@BrandonLund Perhaps it'll come Back but the Priorities of the [WOKE] school Board gotta be for the students Rather than useless agendas. I loved SHOP Class in HS. Made my Mom a Hickory chopping block similar to those used in kitchen and butcher shop use. Congrats on your presentation sir.
It's unfortunate that they need to introduce that stuff into the schools. It's disgusting some of the things that are being pushed these days.
Probably learn them how to use a boring mobile phone nowadays. when I was in school we had motorbike classes gocart classes welding fixing engines all the cool stuff â@@BrandonLund
For those of us that can't afford a couple of machines really appreciate that. It's nice to know that I can weld aluminum if you need to every once in awhile. Cheers from Atlantic Canada.đđđšđŠ
Thank you Anthony for "getting" what this video is about đ I thought it was pretty clear that i was trying to offer options but some took it as the be all end all solution to welding aluminum đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
40 years ago this year i started my first business as a hd truck shop in sw kansas. at the time i purchased a linde 225 mig welder and used it nearly every day. i soon learned i could change the liner and feed roller and run aluminum, however i was using the 4000 series wire and with a 12ft liner it bird nested a lot. i soon got known for doing cast aluminum repairs, and would do cummins and cat oil pans for a flat fee of $175 dollars. the shop rate at the time was $25-27/hr. the key to success was preheat so i made up a bbq pit from two 55 gallon drums and used my rosebud to heat the interior and the oil pan, took maybe 15 minutes to get to 500F (used a temp stick). the first run bead i didn't care what it looked like, because cast oil pans have lots of oil in the grain and you have to burn it out. after the first run i would grind it all back out, reheat and reweld. the welds came out clean and perfect, reheat and let cool within my bbq pit...
i could usually do an oil pan in under 2 hours, start to finish, and charging $175 per pan made for a nice day! i remember only wanting to do oil pans!
the same process worked on harley primary cases, golf caddy parts, and even two hole in a fiat piston!
the key to success is "cleanliness is next to godliness" followed by "preheat is mandatory" (for cast parts).
those were good days!
It sure was! That's a nice little side hustle you had going. I don't blame you. I would have wanted to do oil pans all day too. Thanks for sharing brother!
I got called out after I TIG welded an old Harley engine case because I didn't preheat with the torch and it cracked. That was 1976.
My seven plus words to push your video up , very informative, no foul language, much appreciated, thanks , and Lord bless you
Your awesome man thank you and God Bless!
Am 63 now ,My first experience with mig was in 1979. By then I meet a HTP representative on a Auto Paint Supply Store. He give me an orientation on Mig because I was very Interested. By Then He Show me That Option , with The Teflon Liner Keeping The Hose straight as possible, and the sizes of tip ect. I Have to Congratulate You , Because you are the only One that Give this Explanation On CZcams. We use That Technique , For The Repairs of the Rear Ambulance Steps. Using a 120v Solar Brand Machine. But years ago I have a 140 amps HTP from the 80. And I make Magic on Body works . That was a Machine designed for sheet metal. Keep Going My Friend !
Thanks Ramon I appreciate it! đđ Don't say it too loud though, there are people here that say this doesn't or cant work (even though it's been used for decades).
Been welding for 30 yrs. Most interesting how to I've watched on welding aluminum with a mig. đ
Thank you very much Duane! đ
Brandon, this video is so useful to so many, you have no idea. This was so well thought out and executed. With this tutorial, I think just about anyone could convert their gas mig welder to weld aluminum. You covered all the hard learned mig welder configuration issues I have learned over many years of welding. This is a great help to the community... Thanks for doing this... Joe
Thank you Joe I appreciate this very much. It's always a struggle wondering if everything was covered or if i missed anything. I appreciate the feedback đ đ
He did a fantastic job!
Thank you!
Sorry Timothy. I can't have that.
đź
35 years ogo I bought a Daytona pocket mig (110v light duty) that had this option as a selling point. Throughout the years I've had multiple migs since I used to make a living as a fabricator. Anyway this info has served me well throughout the years. But I've never changed the liner, always ran wire lube. I blow the liner out with compressed air before running aluminum. Go one size larger on the tip, be sure polarity is right for aluminum. Use knurled rollers (for flux core wire). And use the right aluminum wire. Basically there are two types available use 5356 0.30/8mm with a 0.35 tip. You'll have to run it hot and fast! Practice practice practice and you'll amaze and astound your friends! Plus it's a great thing to have in the ole tool bag of skills
Good luck!
Right on đ
Very good explanation of converting your Hobart. About 25 years ago I bought a Lincoln MP 15 (220 Volt) at a car show. They had the aluminum conversion kit, it came with a smooth feed wheel. Tried the soft wire 4043 and occasionally had feeding problems, switched to the 5356 and have never had the feeding problem again. I have completed several projects and have never had an issue. I hope others will give it i try.
Thanks @Bob C I've had very good luck as well. đ
Excellent video!! I doubt that I will convert my 120v MIG to do aluminum, but I'm confident that I could from watching. The content is great, but the production is just as great - the camera (close up & distant), lighting, sound, & especially editing. I am VERY impressed. Thank you.
Thank you so much Bob! I appreciate it!
I just did this exact mod to the same welder a couple months ago. Very nice. I ended up going with bigger diameter wire. Had to turn the voltage up but I was able to back down the speed to 70 or so. Welded a bung to an aluminum oil pan.
Nice man! đ these little welders pack a big punch!
Great video!! Thanks for sharing. Iâve got one of these 140s I keep in the back of a Chevy Tahoe. I power it with a Westinghouse Igen 4500 generator and use it for small to medium size welding jobs around the farm. These type jobs make up over 90% of the repairs I run into. Great information brother!!!! God bless.
Right on man. It's hard to beat these transformer machines. These mig machines are comparable to the old ac buzz boxes. They take a beating and keep on working. God Bless you brother!
This is the video i was waiting for! Brandon you nailed it imo! You answered every question i had and gave some great tips. I saved this video and will watch it over a few times im sure. I really thought my old 120V welder would do it but the amps are not there. So, i will wait to see if im the lucky winner of the next welder giveaway. Thanks again Brondon!! đ
Thanks Brian I appreciate it! đ đđđș
I've got this exact welder. I've had it for going on 3 years and never knew or even noticed that it could do such a thing. thanks for the educational video.
I'm glad to help Jon đ
Hey Brandon, what strikes me is that you never remove the sharp edges of the wire when you switch to a Teflon/graphite liner. The sharp edge allows the wire to produce a groove/curl on the inside of the liner. This can cause the wire (especially aluminum, soft) to get stuck. I always use a sandpaper, the point is that the tip of the wire is a bit round. Just a comment and maybe also a tip, have a nice day and greetings, Christian.
Thats a great tip Christian. It's something I take for granted but should have mentioned. đ
He uses a special laser cutter that leaves a nice smooth edge. You outta get one.
đ
Great job! Thanks for the effort of making and sharing your experimental video with the rest of us. It takes a lot of devotion and time to create such an informative video, which you have captured here. So a tip of the hat to you for it. Cheers!
Brandon,
Thank you for a very good and informative video. I've got that same welder and this is fantastic to know.
A long time ago I worked in a pipe mill in Oklahoma with a Great bunch of guys. We all worked together well and learned a bunch from each other. I was an Electrician but was working with a welder on a large aluminum trough. Jerry said that to preheat the aluminum to the correct temperature that I should first run a carbon rich flame on the opposite side from where he would be welding. Then from the correct side use a neutral flame to heat the aluminum to where the carbon on the other side just disappeared. That was the the temperature he wanted the aluminum at and yes, the weld turned out beautiful.
I also worked at a bottling plant ant the welders there had different wire wheel, brushes, cutters and whatever for stainless and for mild steel. So I understand about using different tools for aluminum to prevent contamination.
Thats aweome Alan. Flame and even material color to determine temperature has always fascinated me.
Iâve been welding ally with my little Hobart 140 for about 4 years now repairing cast mailboxes. I got the Hobart over Lincoln because the wire feed speed maxes at about 750 ipm vs the Lincolnâs 450 ipm just throwing that in there for people who want to weld aluminum for cheap and have a little easier time
Huh, Very interesting! Thank you for sharing this! Not only did I find this useful I think a lot of others will also! đđ
Fantastic job of explaining everything. Very detailed, concise and clear.
Thanks Dwight I appreciate it! đ
I really enjoyed this video. As a non-welder, I learned a lot from your video. Thank you, good work.
Thank you very much!
Thanks Brandon, this helps set up my snap-on mig welder for aluminum , way to go !!
Glad I could help!
This is exactly what I was looking for. Got a few years experience welding flux core & 0 experience with aluminum. I have a Lincoln mig welder and will set it up this way and tinker around. Thank you for good instructions/tips. I subscribed.
To @Robert Sanchez, I saw your comment in the threads. Keep your head up brother and keep pushing forward. Youâll be living your dream before you know it. What youâre going through now is just part of the road to get there. I recently retired/ disabled from 22+ years in the military and Iâm just now starting my dream of welding. Again, hang in there. We got this đđŒ
@skeeeter thanks man for your support and sub but honestly what has taken me back the most is your kindness to a complete stranger. We need more of this in this world brother. Thank you for this. Building people up and encouraging them. God Bless you and your family. I commend you and everyone else that has responded to him in a positive way đđđ
@@BrandonLund absolutely Brother. The internet is full of bullies and bad comments that wouldnât be made face face. I agree people need to be more supportive of one another and this world would be a better place. Since I found your channel recently, itâs definitely a great place to visit. You have some good subscribers. Great work on your channel. I subscribe also. Btw, I purchased the metal marking pen on Amazon using your link. It arrived quick. Canât wait to start using it
Thanks Brandon for sharingthis!. Your step by step explanations are clear, no nonsense and to the point. I am having welding evening classes as a 56 year old and I love to learn new things. Hope to try this out one day...
Awesome, thank you! I hope you enjoy your class!
I've never welded but have serious designs on buying a machine soon. This opens the door to an even wider possibility of what can be done. Well made video thank you
Thanks Greg I appreciate it! đ
Great video. I just picked up a Hobart 140 2 days ago to replace the one I left behind in Alaska. Just FYI, I have run 4043 wire through a (brand new) metal liner for a small project involving cast aluminum. Different machine. Had to keep that whip dang near strait, but it worked good.
Yah 4043 is super hard to run without problems through a liner. I've given up on it lol. The 140 is an awesome machine. A real workhorse for sure
DUDE I don't know why but I had it in my head this wouldn't work BUT you busted that myth. Thanks for showing this to us and giving us tips and details. You are awesome Dude. If I ever get a bigger welder, I can convert my little one for aluminum.
I'm here to help brother! đđđ
Wonderfully done. As a novice this instructional video is everything I needed to get started. Great teaching skills Sir!
Thank you Dan I appreciate it!
Thank you so much! I was just researching how to weld aluminum with my welder this morning, and thereâs your video with my exact welder! You answered all of my big questions
Glad I could help!
Remember the rules for MIG or TIG welding aluminum: use only Argon, or for a hotter weld a mix of Argon and Helium. It's also very important that aluminum be clean or it won't weld at all. No oil, grease, paint or gum from labels. If it's not clean use a small disc sander and then clean it with acetone or laquer thinner. In the industry 5356 filler rod is always used, as opposed to 4043, so if the part is Black anodized the weld does not turn white.
Great presentation as usual Brandon!
I was unaware a DC only machine could weld aluminum. I just learned a lot about the differences of the different waveforms in school. We were TIG welding aluminum in my Fabrication class so this topic in general is very timely for me.
Thank you for showing us how to convert our machines to do this.
Thanks Shasta. A lot of production shops and trailer manufacturers use this setup because it's quick. They often add a push pull system but everything else is basically the same
@Rich Pitty there are folks here that have been welding for years and didn't even know this was possible. That's who this video is for. Buying a TIG machine to do an occasional aluminum repair may not be desireable to some folks. I like to offer solutions and this is just another option for people to use. Knowledge is power.
@@BrandonLund good to know! Thank you! I just got the Everlast 255 TIG welder so I can practice my aluminum but i like knowing that for situations where that may not be a feasible thing to do...that the job can still be done.
As always, keep up the good work! Looking forward to tomorrow's video!!!
Thats awesome! Congratulations!
@@shastarayne1233 The secret for making a great looking aluminum TIG weld is the metal has to be clean. Aluminum is the only common metal that has to free of oil, grease, paint and gum from labels. Grind it, file it or whatever you have to do. Laquer thinner or acetone and some scotch brite works wonders. The military spec for welding aluminum is to etch it in an acid tank. Not sure, but it might be phosphoric acid.
Hey Brandon, Awesome knowledge, explanations, training, details! Saves a ton of dry boring small print reading. Thanks for making this video!!! I like this waaay better than the bulky, unbalanced spool guns. Enough so that I suspect I'll be dedicating a welder and gun set up for aluminum....Thanks again!
Thanks man! If you set it up right it's pretty slick.
Thank you for an informative video! My first welder was a flux core machine I picked up at Lowes before I knew anything - naturally. I soon discovered just how easy it was with flux core to make incredibly poor welds! Blobs, BBs, lack of penetration, spurts...you name, I learned how to do it all VERY WELL! I also eventually learned the "secret" of overcoming all the FC limitations and turning out some amazingly uniform, full-thickness welds that indeed had a near stacked dimes look though I prefer a little S2S stir that does wonders in washing the molten metal into the substrate. With perfect welds and a good brushing afterward, people can be fooled into thinking they're seeing MIG welds!
I eventually bought an Eastwood 180 with the aluminum spool gun that has sat in the garage for about 3 years now awaiting a project worthing of a genuine MIG machine! How about that, I finally get a decent MIG machine and haven't gotten around to using it!
I love welding aluminum. I don't always mention it on the channel but I never practice any of my first welds (aluminum, steel or any other metal) and I dont mess with any settings prior to welding. I set it to where I think it should be set and I fire up the camera. The first shot the viewer sees is my first weld. I think that keeps it real so that when viewers dont get an immediate stack of times on their first try they know why and what to expect. As you know, getting the perfect setting takes a few minutes of padding beads to get travel speed and settings right. I think I might have a spool gun for this machine. I might have to try it with some 4043
Brandon, thank you so much for sharing your expertise and explaining everything in detail.
Another great vid, Brandon! I had no idea you could do this, very informative and a boon to those that have a value priced MIG and have a few "friends" with a few aluminum weld needs.
Thanks man! Yah this is a sweet setup for not a lot of money.đđ
Brandon, thank you very much for the demonstration. When I bought my multiprocess welding machine a year ago I had read that there was a Teflon liner available for my machine. I was wanting to find out more about it before I went ahead to purchase it, now that you've shown us the process these are going to be in my Christmas wish listđđ
Right on man! You are going to have a blast
Could it be done with stainless steel
@@rudymarrero9222 Stainless would not require the Teflon liner. The Teflon is for aluminium wire which is soft and could snag easily in the torch liner. Using the standard metal liner for stainless wire is fine.
this is so awesome! I am definitely going to play with my mig set-up now. I have a spare whip, so if this works out, then I can just keep it set up vs. pulling apart the liners.
Thanks man! Yah having a spare setup is really the way to go. You can swap out the whip pretty fast.
Really enjoyed your simplified explaination. ive known for some time its possible but this was the best video ive seen . Thanks
Thanks Gary I appreciate it! đ đ
When you're preheating it with your torch, that'd be the ideal time to use your wire brush on it before you weld, to break up the oxide layer, and it'll weld alot better nomatter what process you use.
Thats a pretty good tip đ
Great video! I'm going to set up a gun and liner for aluminum. I do mostly steel, but occasionally I need to do aluminum. Was always told had to have a dedicated machine for everything! I'm not a professional or do this for a living, so this is going to be wonderful! BTW, I checked out my mig and it has settings in the owners manual but not on the machine like yours. I don't know how I missed that, I usually read everything in manuals. I guess people telling me it couldn't be done just blinded me! Lol! Thanks for your time and sharing! đđâïž( Oh yes, and a bottle of argon)
You know something James this is a lot like welding cast iron. There is a lot of conflicting misinformation out there. Usually the people that say it cant be done have either never tried it first hand or they skipped one of the steps that I listed in the video and it gave them poor results. This process has been around for a couple decades but I cant help but think it's not overly advertised because if you can convert your machine for 25 bucks for occasional welding, why would someone spent 800 dollars to buy a new machine that can do the same thing.
@@BrandonLund Exactly! I'm really tickled I saw your video... I also subscribed! It also reminds me not to believe everything you hear, and, take a little more time reading my manuals! Thanks Brandon!
Thanks James and I appreciate the Sub! đđ
Dude that last part killed me! Isn't that the truth. It seems the ones that can't weld have the loudest voice lol đ
Tip from a retired Welder If you cut your wire on a sharp angle it will start perfectly every time This will give high resistance ,thus high heat contact Balled ends will stub and spatter
Great tip!
Great video Sir, no bs and very useful info - laid out in clear terms, Thank You! 34 year Master mechanic, still wrenching and
Loving it!
Thanks đ I appreciate it!
Very well presented my good sir. Ya learned me a new trick for my mig. Heads up, Miller 141 has the same exact wire hub feed set up. Spring loaded push, rotate, select. You are helping me learn ridiculously fast. Thank you for all your efforts. Very thorough. From start to finish.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it brother!
This was well done!
Thanks for adding value to the Internet.
Thank you Kermit I appreciate it! đ
This is very informative.I looked for this kind of video.I don't have much money to acquire new welding machine.Now I know it can be done with regular mig welding machine.Thank you man.God bless you
Glad I could help! God bless!
Awesome, thank you for sharing. I'm an old retired fart and picked up a cheap used MIG welder. I only new how to ARC & Acetylene weld. With the now high price of gas wire feed seemed like the best alternative for little DIY & auto repair projects. With your tip I can save the $200+ on a feed roller gun. đ
Thanks man and enjoy!
A very well done video.
Thank you very much!
Excellent information, well presented!
Thank you very much!
I never MIG welded aluminum before I watched this video. I bought the recommended liner and swapped out the steel liner on my Millermatic 211. Using the recommended 030" ER5356 wire, 100% Argon , and .035 tips I started laying down some almost acceptable beads on aluminum coupons. I also had a number of burn backs, ruined tips, wire loops at the drive roll, and blow throughs. I tried a number of settings. I went back online for clues on how to get better. I was surprised to see how different the technique is for Aluminum compared to steel. I found: some tips that helped including running hot and fast (no forward back, no e's) as well as to keep the stick out to 3/4". Thanks for getting me started!
Thats awesome man. Always push with aluminum. Keep your whip as straight as possible. 3/4 to 1" stickout and I use very little manipulation. It takes some practice but in little time you will be stacking dimes đ
This was an exceptional video, THANK-YOU for putting your time together to make this. It was much appreciated brother!
Thank you so much!
I bought a Lincoln 120v mig about 30 years ago, in the info, it said if you wanted to do aluminum to switch to the Teflon liner and use a rubber drive wheel to keep it from bird nesting at the drive. That has worked great for me, 1 extra thing I do to make switching the liner a tad easier, is after I remove the metal liner, I use the air nozzle and blow out the torch line.
Thats a great tip @Steve M thanks for sharing!
Great information! Thank You for sharing, I rebuilt and redesign many things. Your information totally makes sense to me.Welding skills, and test center trained.
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks, good to know info. Great videos on welding content you produce. It's simple instructional for the novice to grasp an understand. đđ
Thanks man I appreciate it!
Thank you very much for this information, it allowed me to make a wise choice. I have an aluminum heat pump bracket to weld, but I only have a 120v mig welder.
This welder looks a lot like the one in your video and comes from Canadian Tire, which is the Canadian equivalent of Harbor Freight.
I never use argon, since I use flux cored wire, so instead of spending money on outfitting my welder for this one job, I think I'll bring the support to a specialist shop this time. .
Right on! Glad to steer you in the right direction. I've made those purchases as you describe only to realize I needed something more to get it done and it wasn't worth while at the end. SOmetimes it is just better to take it to someone. Have a great weekend :)
I really love you channel.. all they budget Friendly DIY projects are totally up my alley.
Awesome! Thank you!đđ
Good video Brandon Very rare most people don't know you can used a old machine to weld aluminum with a Liner
Thanks man I appreciate it! đ
Thanks Brandon, if I get my Millermatic dusted off and in my new shop. Ill try this.
Gonna enjoy teaching grand sons, 13yr old Twins how to "make it work" with what you got.
Thanks Chris I appreciate it. Enjoy your time with the grandkids. It's the best!
Remember the rules for MIG or TIG welding aluminum: use only Argon, or for a hotter weld a mix of Argon and Helium. It's also very important that aluminum be clean or it won't weld at all. No oil, grease, paint or gum from labels. If it's not clean use a small disc sander and then clean it with acetone or laquer thinner. In the industry 5356 filler rod is always used, as opposed to 4043, so if the part is Black anodized the weld does not turn white.
Great video Brandon! I learned a lot and will put it into practice soon. Thanks a million for posting and take care!
Great to hear! I appreciate you support man! Thank you đ
This is the best informational video I've ever seen. Thank you. Your a great teacher.
Thank you! â€ïž
Hi Brandon as neon, Thank You for Posting this. Iâve been wanting to Weld some Aluminum but a Spool Gun Costs too much. Just buying a new Liner really opens up possibilities for me. I donât know why I havenât seen this anywhere else. So you da Man. Thanks again and I hope you and yours are all doing Great. You will be my main go to from now on.đâ€ïžđșđŠ
Thank you so much! Appreciate your support!
Hey Brandon, I just came back to your video after watching a couple other CZcamss describing welder conversions.
Your description here is really really good. Very thorough. Even a man can do it, hahah, wait wait wait, a man, you, did do it!!
Wow, thank you!
Ty for sharing this video. I would only recommend doing this as a craft project and nothing that actually needed structural strength. I have many reasons why but the main reason is your heat affected zone on the thin material would really weaken the strength of the base alum. Lots of other good info in this video for sure.
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Awesome content thanks for sharing would have saved me 2k a couple years back when I bought my tig just to repair aluminum boat but still great to know thanks again
Thanks William! One other commenter couldn't understand why I would bother post this video. I'm with you bud. There are a lot of people that don't this is possible and of coarse the manufacturers aren't really showing this either.
Thanks, Very helpful. We both know to weld perfectly takes practice and remembering everything
Very true!
I did this exact same mod...i bought a new 60$ stinger from yes welder off amazon. And bought the teflon liner. Cut to fit. And reassembled. Works like a fkn dream now...i also shortened my new stinger down to 8ft
Pretty impressive huh! For the money you can't beat it!
Just found you bro, and Iâm loving all your videos! Iâm just starting off welding but I like how your seem just like a common man welding not like the rest of the welding snobs! Thank you for the videos!
Welcome aboard! Thanks man! Your entered!
Thanks for the video, I had known from other fabricators that only tig with DC could do aluminium and doing it occasionally meant no go for me but you have changed all that by showing it could be done. My salutations to you sir for an excellent presentation.
Glad I could help!
Don't you mean TIG with AC?
It is with ac but the polarity of cables is changed. I haven't had the chance to try it yet so I don't know how it will go. Basically it's changing polarity in an arc welder putting it very simply and the earth in arc welder holds the tig nozzle and tungsten tip but then it would need shielding gas so I don't know if mig welder might be the other way. Perhaps you know more about this.
At times it might be worth investing in a Tig welder, if you are going to use it a lot that way you don't have to guess or try playing with dangerous voltages and currents and is a safer way to go and it costs money but may save lives. Thank you.
Let me clarify because each process has a purpose. When you MIG aluminum you use DC electrode positive. Its fast and its how most production aluminum cargo and car haulers are built. You use AC when you TIG weld aluminum. It's a much slower process but you can weld much thinner material than with MIG, it has zero spatter unlike MIG and because it's slower, it's much more precise and the heat is easier to control.
Thank you for the information I have that exact same welder so I can expand my use of it I don't weld aluminum but now I can do small projects with it.
Right on Fred!
I don't even own a welder or know how to weld, But I was watching every single minute of this video. lol I do however, need a little Mig for my Hotrod projects, so time to get moving on this new adventure. Thanks for sharing, appreciate it. Cheers from Motown.
What an awesome comment! Thanks man! @robertclymer6948
Thanks for all the tips and the complete walk through on the process and steps.
You bet!
Great presentation,
explanations are simple and easy to understand.
Glad you liked it Thank you!
I think most of what a newbie needs to know was covered in your video, maybe the bench was taking most of your preheat. Use a piece of pine timber like a pencil to test preheat, when it looks like you have used a wax crayon on the material the temp is good. A must is to get rid of the oxidization on the aluminium, this will reform after about twenty minutes. All said a clear and precise video, thanks.
I brushed it. That's plenty for padding beads in a demonstration. A torch was used for the reason given in the video.
Good info! As always! Brandon! Thanks for sharing! Stay safe
Thanks Rudy! I appreciate you being a long time viewer and participant on the channel
Very informative, I appreciate your attention to detail. Gonna rig up my little Lincoln to flow some aluminum shortly. Enjoyed the video may you live long and prosper.
Glad it was helpful and right back at you! God Bless you and your family
Thanks for sharing this knowledge Brandon, I learned a new way of welding aluminium.
Glad to help!
Very informative. Thank you, save to watch again!
Glad you enjoyed it! @jeffreykennedy5956
Besides Jody's Welding Tips and Tricks, yours is another one of my favorite welding channels. Thanks for making this video brother! Cheers!đ»
Wow, thanks! I take that as an honor! He just hit 1 million subs!
I have a couple of Lincoln's that I've had now for dang near ten years or more, good little 110 machines. One maxes out at 90a the other 100 or 110a I think. JUST got a Harbor Freight Titanium Mig140 for work though (30% @ 90a), so I wouldn't have to bring one of my Lincolns in all the time for railing fab and such, and my god do I love it. I've also used plenty of big boy welders over the years, so I know what good feels like... and I NEVER thought a small 110 welder could feel this kind of good. Plus, where Hobart, Miller, Lincoln, etc always give you the old A, B, C, D power setting plus wire feed speed via the old mechanical knobs. This Titanium gives you fully linear control, digital control that is, for Voltage, WFS, and Inductance. . . And I thought this would complicate things, but no... literally from the first bead to now, some week or so and many welds later, it's freaking great. It also has full compatibility out of the box with spool guns. Then there's the Mig170.... a 110/220 hybrid with dongle adapter to plug into either. You get the better duty cycle out of the 110 with limited power, but still a good cycle even at 220 with UBER power... and it does Mig, FC, Tig, and something else... can't remember what the other item is... it's the one I want to personally buy though. But yeah, the Mig140 I got for work was freaking $370 out the door, after membership discount. $450 otherwise.... $400 with a new membership / paying the $30 price to get it. I can't believe how good these things are... time will tell if they're still with me with zero maintenance some ten plus years later, like the Lincolns.... but I suspect they may be... Given the reviews on them, and the time they've been up. And my either one of my Lincolns were easily twice the price, or more... The smaller one was purchased as a FC only machine, which I later converted to full mig (adding gas ability)... the other was basically the same machine, I think ten amps more, with gas already included. Either way they each ended up around $900 - $1000 all said and done... Similar to what most stores have an equivalent new Lincoln priced at, with similar power, gas ability, etc. Yet here you get SO MUCH MORE, for under $400.... I honestly can't believe it... and.... annnd... every single item feels better made. From the lightweight but heavier duty unit itself, to the controls, to the braided gas hose that I admit I stole for myself... giving work one of my old plasticy lines. Even the regulator is better than what you get with a big name. It's massively impressive. . . And heck, I guess even if it only lasts half the time it wouldn't be a bad deal at less than half the price... but I suspect it's gonna last the long haul.
I haven't tried any of the newer Harbor Freight welders. I would love to get my hands on one but some of these 110 welders can pack a big punch!
Just watched your video, 'cause as i said b4 internet here in our new place is not good. But just the same i learned another thing from you. Nice video. Keep doing your good deeds of helping other. Thank you. God Bless.
Thanks and God Bless!
I've got the exact same machine and didn't know until I watched your video thank you
Glad I could help. Your not alone buddy!
Great tip...I have an ac tig and like using that for aluminum and get good results with it but there was a time this would have been a very helpful video to get the most out of my mig welder ..cheers
Great point!
Your presentation is immaculate, many thanks
I appreciate that very much! Thank you!
Thanks Brandon, I actually have that Hobart welder you used, so it's very applicable for me
It's an awesome welder and does aluminum very well đ
I have an Esab Rebel.
I actually bought a cheap Harbor Freight gun and modified the plug and connection to work on my ESAB. Saved me major $ over an expensive gun type.
I might still look at doing the liner mod since it would be easier in tight places.
Thanks
Thats the way to do it and you save of bunch of money too. It's just as good in my opinion
Amazing. This is exactly what I've been looking for. I wonder if my little Lincoln would be able to do this. Thanks for sharing.
I belive it would.
A fascinating instructional video.
I don't have a need to weld ally but at least I know it can be done.
Best wishes from the UK
Thanks Rick and welcome aboard! đ
awesome and informative video, keep up the good work. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks Tim!
That's a seriously detailed lesson! Many thanks for that! I've learned a lot!
Very welcome! Thanks for watching!
That is an amazing thought that you put out there. I am one of those guys who kept the thought that you answered for me today and I'm sure I'm not the only one. So thanks man for confirming what I thought was possible but my extra "safety" first attitude would get in the way. Not anymore thanks to you braddah...Stoked in Kunia, Hawaii R. Walker..Aloha and Mahalo..
That is awesome! Thanks man!
Cool man. That is the exact welder that I got from my dad! I run it at 220 in my shop. Thanks for the tip.
Very cool!
Great video Brandon! Whenever I wonder if I could...........?, I check out your channel because you probably already tried it. I've been tig and mig welding aluminum for years and would never have thought a little DC machine could pull it off. I love your table and clamp. I've been looking at the scrap steel plates over at Clark's. Maybe I'll make a table. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Paul I appreciate it! đđđ
When I make serious changes to serious equipment, I make notes on print paper, part numbers, gas, tips, liner & receipts of everything inside a zip lock bag! My MIG is a 1984 and huge, but inside the wire drive side, I place all this inside away from moving parts. Even extra steel wire spools from rusting over time. You don't weld everyday in a home shop. Do NOT depend on WD-40 to protect the wire as it evaporates. So if your son has to take over, the info is in there. No guessing, mistakes or damage like a polarity change. Photos in black & white can be used for notes, info, part numbers, the welder lives on for decades.
Even if in your late 30's, this increases the ability to "Sell" or use within the next Gen.
My 36 year old son complains because I never taught him. I did, he doesn't remember. But photos are forever with notes inside bag! After that, they don't need to weld!
DK, ASE master tech since 78.
Thats excellent advise Dean! đ
THANK YOU FOR AN INFORMATIVE VIDEO! About time someone made one!!!
Thank you so much!
Massive help. Thanks from a welder.
Thanks! đ
Great Vid, when I bought a liner and tank for my Lincoln years ago, the desk informed me the liner was needed as anything that had touched steel would contaminate the weld. That would include using a steel wire brush to clean the aluminum to be welded. Watched a body shop vid that said to have a totally different set of tools for working on any aluminum, and a different isolated (grinding dust maybe) area of the shop...not very practical, but appears contamination is a real issue on repairs.
Some people will tell you it's ok to use the metal liner. They are wrong but it's their project so I'm not going to argue. You were given very solid advise. I actually have an aluminum plate that I weld on to eliminate contamination. Aluminum needs to be kept very clean with no steel touching it
Yes sir you are correct. Always use a stainless wire brush for aluminum.
Very helpful video Brandon.
keep em coming
Thanks Michael! đ
Done this with my 240volt single phase 250amp welder 28 years ago.But we did it in the workshop too when I was learning my trade that's how I knew about it.
Right on Justin!
Awesome information thanks again, all the best to you and your loved ones
Thanks you Donald and same to you and yours! đđ
You call that beat !!! I run my freaking tips into the ground .. that thing's still new and thank you for the information I was totally unaware that you could well aluminum with that machine
@hedgepethracing9590 I've been known to run tip cleaners through my contact tips and even enlarge them by running progressively larger tip cleaners through them but the Internet Welding Inspectors give me grief so I do all the things "you can't do" (insert the reason why here) _________________ off camera LOL
Brother Very nicely done, this video is very well explained and taught. You would make a beautiful high school shop teacher. Don't know if schools these days have shop class. I did back in the 80's, Wood shop and metal shop, learned so much, it's a dying shame young kids/adults can't learn these things, so to you my brother, my friend beautiful video â€ïž
Thank you so much for that compliment! I appreciate it. I think most shop classes ended with a lot of other important life classes like home economics. I had wood and metal shop and loved it
Yes, trade school is the way to go. I did 33 years in welding amd general metal fab after graduating.