From: Richard (metal@fullwave.com)
Date: Sat Mar 27 2004 - 23:50:50 PST
Sarge,
It's harder than doing steel, but I wouldn't agree that
it takes forever to learn.
Let's put it this way, you'll be able to weld aluminum
almost right away....it'll just look like hell, that's all <g>.
And you might slag a hole in it here and there...I know
-I- did...
But like anything else, after your fifth or sixth project,
you'll be turning out nice looking beads.
You sure don't need any fancy $2,000 square-wave
welder either. The old Miller Dialarc-HF is a sweet
smooth welder; and all the shops buying those newer
square-wave welders are dumping these to the junkyards.
At my local junkyard, they just cut up half a dozen 400
amp welders for copper-scrap. The 3-phase ones are always
much cheaper to buy than single-phase units, because most
hobby-guys don't have 3-phase. You can always run it off
a 3phase genset tho...
Most of the older TIG welders DO have an AC position.
The whole purpose of commercializing TIG welders was for
welding aluminum, and I've never seen one without an AC
position; although maybe some were made that way.
Also make sure it has "HF" or "high frequency". Again,
most of the old machine do have it. They used tungsten
spark-gaps feeding a little current-transformer, and it
worked just fine.
ps; get a footpedal with it if ya can....it's great to have.
TIG is also great for doing stainless, and for repairing
cast-iron, with 308 stainless-rod. I've found it great for
repairing exhaust manifold flanges that've been eaten away
by gas-erosion due to long-term loose bolts.
You can do almost -anything- with TIG. I've welded
nickel, molybdenum, and brass, among other things. You
can also weld dissimilar metals together with TIG.
In regards to gas-welding aluminum, also be sure the fumes
from aluminum-flux are going AWAY from you; because
they're loaded with flourine. Nasty stuff.
Good luck with yer project !
Richard
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