Help choosing an Aluminum Welder

[pajedaschips]

I'm a graduate student beginning research on aluminum welding. We have adequate resources but I would like an equipment setup to be as versatile as possible. I know I would like the capability to do autogenous welds however, in the future I may want to do MIG welding as a comparison.

1) Is there equipment out there that will do AC/DC , MIG/TIG welding? or is that just asking too much.

2) I know AC output is needed for Aluminum TIG welding but as far as I have read you can use DC to MIG aluminum. Can anyone explain that for me?


Thanks in advance.

[H80N]

I'm a graduate student beginning research on aluminum welding. We have adequate resources but I would like an equipment setup to be as versatile as possible. I know I would like the capability to do autogenous welds however, in the future I may want to do MIG welding as a comparison.

1) Is there equipment out there that will do AC/DC , MIG/TIG welding? or is that just asking too much.

2) I know AC output is needed for Aluminum TIG welding but as far as I have read you can use DC to MIG aluminum. Can anyone explain that for me?


Thanks in advance.

Lucky for you... Miller has provided a pretty comprehensive resources section with articles, handbooks and videos... that will school you through the basics and up to some advanced topics... and most of it is free and you can learn at your own pace..... so you will not need to waste your time or anybody elses to have them retype it.... isn't that just wonderful??

here is the link..

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...g-your-skills/

Enjoy!!!!

[pajedaschips]

Lucky for you... Miller has provided a pretty comprehensive resources section with articles, handbooks and videos... that will school you through the basics and up to some advanced topics... and most of it is free and you can learn at your own pace..... so you will not need to waste your time or anybody elses to have them retype it.... isn't that just wonderful??

here is the link..

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...g-your-skills/

Enjoy!!!!

Thank you H80N, however I have been doing research on the subject and cannot find a mixed MIG and TIG that can do AC(aluminum) welding. In addition I have not read any literature on why that would not be possible. I would be grateful anybody had any insight on the matter.

Thanks

[H80N]

Thank you H80N, however I have been doing research on the subject and cannot find a mixed MIG and TIG that can do AC(aluminum) welding. In addition I have not read any literature on why that would not be possible. I would be grateful anybody had any insight on the matter.

Thanks

Try the Miller SHOPMASTER 300 AC/DC ....they are still available on the used market..

http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o322a_mil.pdf

[Drf255]

Thank you H80N, however I have been doing research on the subject and cannot find a mixed MIG and TIG that can do AC(aluminum) welding. In addition I have not read any literature on why that would not be possible. I would be grateful anybody had any insight on the matter.

Thanks

There is no multipurpose dedicated MIG machine with TIG/Stick capability that will do AC TIG. You can add a spoolgun to the dedicated MIG and do Aluminun that way. As noted above, the Shopmaster is a CC/CV machine that can do all if you add a wire feeder and an HF box. AC TIG with a Sine wave machine and an HF box is not too easy though.