Aluminum welding requirements

[Columbo]

Is there any special requirements to weld aluminum with the PA200 other than using aluminum electrodes?

Thanks.

[Rambozo]

Is there any special requirements to weld aluminum with the PA200 other than using aluminum electrodes?

A lot of practice and a little luck. SMAW aluminum is very tricky, and the electrodes are kinda pricey. I've tried it more than once and have never been happy with the results. MIG or TIG is the prefered process for aluminum.

[Columbo]

A lot of practice and a little luck. SMAW aluminum is very tricky, and the electrodes are kinda pricey. I've tried it more than once and have never been happy with the results. MIG or TIG is the prefered process for aluminum.

Yes, I had heard that Mig or TIG was most commonly used for aluminum but I had heard that it could also be done with stick but takes a bit of practice. I had also heard that it required a special spool for aluminum wire feed.

[Rambozo]

Yes, I had heard that Mig or TIG was most commonly used for aluminum but I had heard that it could also be done with stick but takes a bit of practice. I had also heard that it required a special spool for aluminum wire feed.

It depends on the thickness of the wire and the particular machine. A spool gun is typically a more trouble free MIG solution. There are also push-pull systems where in addition to the push drive rollers in the unit, there are pull drive rollers in the gun. The big problem is that aluminum wire is soft, so it can bind up easier, and the drive rollers can't grip it as well as steel.

For SMAW you can use E4043 electrodes, but be prepared for a little sticker shock. Standard E7018 rods are around $2.90 a pound while E4043 from the same source is $33.24 a pound.

[Columbo]

It depends on the thickness of the wire and the particular machine. A spool gun is typically a more trouble free MIG solution. There are also push-pull systems where in addition to the push drive rollers in the unit, there are pull drive rollers in the gun. The big problem is that aluminum wire is soft, so it can bind up easier, and the drive rollers can't grip it as well as steel.

For SMAW you can use E4043 electrodes, but be prepared for a little sticker shock. Standard E7018 rods are around $2.90 a pound while E4043 from the same source is $33.24 a pound.

WOW! The reason I was asking about the aluminum weld is that I am an amateur radio operator, (HAM), and I like making antennas which, of course, are made from aluminum tubing and square aluminum booms. I can buy a 7 foot x 2 inch square aluminum boom for that price so what makes these rods so expensive?

[undercut]

WOW! The reason I was asking about the aluminum weld is that I am an amateur radio operator, (HAM), and I like making antennas which, of course, are made from aluminum tubing and square aluminum booms. I can buy a 7 foot x 2 inch square aluminum boom for that price so what makes these rods so expensive?

Unfortunately, probably because of the low demand and maybe because of the exotic flux composition on the aluminum. People doing a lot of aluminum will usually opt for MIG or AC TIG so these rods aren't in high demand. SMAW aluminum (from what I've read) doesn't always result in very good welds either. With a TIG setup on your PA200, you could weld with a helium shielding gas but I doubt you have a helium tank just hanging around.

[Shield Arc]

I did this Tig weld years ago, DCEN with 100% helium.

[performance]

Ok, ignore the man behind the curtain...lol.

It takes real skill to do that...and many would question the practicality because, yes it can be done, but you need 100% He. And perfectly clean metal. He is not cheap, and Arc starts in He are terrible with most welders.

[Shield Arc]

Skill?! I gotta disagree there, I wouldn't make a pimple on a real Tig weldor's a$$!

But I do agree, there is an extremely small window where the arc will start when using helium.
The plus side is, you can almost cut your amps in half from when using AC!

[Shield Arc]

blacksmith there are a lot of good push pull units on the market. For years I had a Cobramatic, but the gun is not a whole lot lighter than a spool gun, and then when you add the very heavy cables too, it really gets heavy and cumbersome!

Where people get into trouble is when trying to use a low end Mig welder, without a very short gun, with nylon liner, and proper drive rolls. When it comes to aluminum work, there is just no cheap way to do it!

[SeanMurphy265]

By the way the older cobramatic setups still bring a premium on eBay. I have attempted to get a cobra wire feed setup several times $$$.

[fdcmiami]

blacksmith there are a lot of good push pull units on the market. For years I had a Cobramatic, but the gun is not a whole lot lighter than a spool gun, and then when you add the very heavy cables too, it really gets heavy and cumbersome!

Where people get into trouble is when trying to use a low end Mig welder, without a very short gun, with nylon liner, and proper drive rolls. When it comes to aluminum work, there is just no cheap way to do it!

that setup is serious business. it almost looks like it could move under its own power.