Mig Welding Aluminium

[welder_guy]

I recently picked up a spool gun for my miller passport plus and I tried welding aluminium. When I welded a piece of aluminum I got a black soot around and sometimes on my weld. I did exactly what the guy at Airgas told me to do (use straight argon, clean parent metal with a stainless steel wire brush, and use the push method at a 45 degree angle). Most of the time I kept my gas flow at around 20-30cfh. I don't know what to do now, any tips?

[SignWave]

thats normal. just brush it off with a stainless brush

[FusionKing]

I recently picked up a spool gun for my miller passport plus and I tried welding aluminium. When I welded a piece of aluminum I got a black soot around and sometimes on my weld. I did exactly what the guy at Airgas told me to do (use straight argon, clean parent metal with a stainless steel wire brush, and use the push method at a 45 degree angle). Most of the time I kept my gas flow at around 20-30cfh. I don't know what to do now, any tips?

45 degrees is pretty steep. just have some angle pushing in the direction of travel. Prolly more like 15 degrees depending on the positioning of the work. HTH

[aametalmaster]

How to mim alum welding smut...Bob
http://www.thefabricator.com/Aluminu...cle.cfm?ID=554

[welder_one]

how about this. i dont know the stats on the passport, but i dont think that it can get hot enough. when you are running aluminum hot enough, you'll get the "grey streaks" down both sides of the weld bead like when you tig. you really have to be in spray transfer to keep the soot down. as far as your angle, keep about a 3/8 stickout and about a 5 to 7 degree push angle in the direction of the weld. turn it up and then turn it up some more and burn it in. i like to run argon about 25 cfh at the nozzle (i will probably get some flak about that) but you have to move so fast with aluminum that i have found you start to loose gas coverage at a lower cfh. try it and let us know

[welder_guy]

how about this. i dont know the stats on the passport, but i dont think that it can get hot enough. when you are running aluminum hot enough, you'll get the "grey streaks" down both sides of the weld bead like when you tig. you really have to be in spray transfer to keep the soot down. as far as your angle, keep about a 3/8 stickout and about a 5 to 7 degree push angle in the direction of the weld. turn it up and then turn it up some more and burn it in. i like to run argon about 25 cfh at the nozzle (i will probably get some flak about that) but you have to move so fast with aluminum that i have found you start to loose gas coverage at a lower cfh. try it and let us know

Im using the setting that miller recomends for 1/8 in plate. But I know that it is spray transfer. So I dont think its that. I also keep my gas coverage at a constant rate of 25cfh.

[burninbriar]

How to mim alum welding smut...Bob
http://www.thefabricator.com/Aluminu...cle.cfm?ID=554

Good article, I learned something from it. Pretty wild that the smut is actually white but just looks black because the particles are so small they act as a light trap.

[welder_guy]

How to mim alum welding smut...Bob
http://www.thefabricator.com/Aluminu...cle.cfm?ID=554

yeah i learned a lot from this article.

[welder_one]

For 1/8 material, i run about 23 to 25 volts, and about 650 to 700 on wire speed. Try to set your curve with about 160 to 190 amps. Put your running shoes on, and once you figure out how to keep a puddle at this heat, and your welds will loose most of the soot, come out shiny, and pass every x-ray test you take ( almost)...as your material gets hotter, you will have to move faster. Zero torch manipulation, just straight passes. On 1 inch material, i run about 260 amps. This is with .035 wire, 5356 alloy. 4043 doesnt have to be run as hot.

[StillBoostin]

I assume you have the new SG100 for you Passport plus. You must use the 230V plug so you can get the High amps needed to weld AL. I used ththere settings and was to fast for me. Don't get closer then 1/2" or you will melt the tip. I called Miller and spoke to there Spool Gun tech. If you get stuck you could always call them. They were very helpful for me.

James