Welding Aluminum

[scw877]

Please have patience I am new to this site. It has always been my understanding that you had to have an A/C welder to weld aluminum.
Now I am seeing liturature for d/c welders with either pulse mig or inverter.

What's up and wich is prefered for a newbie welder?

[jamscal]

You can weld Aluminum with a mig, and they're DC.

You tig aluminum with AC.

People can apparently use DC to tig aluminum, but it has to be super clean, it's not common, and I don't know much about it other than having heard it.

You can also stick weld aluminum. I did it once in welding school and don't remember if it was AC or DC.

-James

[fun4now]

if you are starting out AC TIG is the best way to go for TIG. as said it can be done in DC but requires different GAS. along with some other issues.
you can also MIG it or O/A weld it.
the application would make a big difference in the choice of processes. thin aluminum dose not MIG well.
what are you looking to weld ?? thickness ?
welcome to the site.