Can you weld aluminum with a MIG welder? If a friend asks you that and you’re not quite sure how to answer, then you definitely need to continue reading. It’s pretty easy to find people discussing the topic of welding aluminum and different types of steel.
It’s a common misconception that you can’t weld aluminum with a MIG welder. The reality is that no welder is made for it, but that doesn’t mean it would be impossible.
This article talks about the factors to consider first before attempting to weld aluminum with a MIG welder.
On top of that, there are a lot of factors that can influence whether your MIG-welded aluminum will be strong or weak.
I’m going to walk through everything you need to know about MIG welding aluminum, so you can confidently get the job done and make high-quality parts.
Can You Weld Aluminum With A MIG Welder?
The short answer is yes; you can weld aluminum with a MIG welder. You’ll need to adjust the voltage or amperage of your equipment to account for the difference in the heat required for welding aluminum to that of steel. Mig welding aluminum should not be done on any thinner than 18 gauge. Any thinner than that, and you’ll need to use another process, such as Tig.
Aluminum is an extremely versatile material and can be used for a variety of applications, including automotive parts and other machinery. It is also one of the most common materials used in welding.
Mig welding aluminum requires some special considerations because the electrode used to melt the material may react with it and make it unusable.
For example, if you use an aluminum electrode on an aluminum plate, you may end up with a hole in the plate as opposed to a welded seam.
There are also some special precautions that need to be taken when using aluminum-specific electrodes in order to avoid damaging them or creating too much heat that might cause fire or explosions.
If you want to know about that how to set a MIG welder for aluminum welding and precautionary tips to go for a MIG welding aluminum, then keep reading!
How to Set up a MIG Welder for Aluminum?
| No. | Steps |
| 1 | Spool Gun Fixing |
| 2 | Wire Feed Settings |
| 3 | Polarity Adjustment |
| 4 | Amperage Output Settings |
| 5 | Gas Flow Rate |
Now, I will explain to you in detail how can you weld aluminum through a MIG welder with the help of the above-mentioned steps:
1. Fixing Spool Gun:
Attaching a spool, or push-pull gun is one of the first steps you need to take when setting up a MIG welder for aluminum.
Not every MIG welder supports this kind of connection, and even if it does, the torches are not universal. All brands of MIG welder use spool guns and push-pull systems to feed the wire.
To attach a spool gun or push-pull system to your MIG welder, follow these steps:
- Make sure that your MIG welder has an appropriate port for connecting a spool gun or push-pull system (this port may be called “gun,” “wire feed,” or something similar). If there is no port available, check whether they sell an adapter kit specifically designed for your machine.
- Remove any old connections from your machine using pliers or wire cutters—you don’t want any loose ends sticking out!
- Attach your new connection with pliers or wire clamps according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Wire Feed Adjustment:
In order to get the best welds possible, you need to make sure that your wire feed settings are set correctly. If you have a spool gun, you may be able to adjust the wire feed rate on it.
However, if you don’t have a spool gun or need more precise control over your weld, then you will need to use a foot pedal.
The wire feed rate should be set between .025 and .035 inches per second (IPS). The exact number will depend on the thickness of your material and what type of aluminum you are welding. I recommend .025 IPS for thin materials like sheet metal and .035 for thicker materials like pipe or tubing.
If you are using a spool gun and have it set up with a foot pedal, then there are two ways to adjust your wire feed rate: manually with the switch on the side of your machine or automatically by pressing down on the pedal while welding.
3. Adjust the Polarity:
The polarity setting will depend on the type of metal you’re welding. If you’re welding aluminum, I recommend setting the polarity to DCEN. This stands for direct current electrode negative, and it’s what is used to weld aluminum.
4. Set the Ampere Output:
This is the most important step in setting up your MIG welder for aluminum. If your amperage output is too low, you will not be able to melt the wire and get a proper weld.
If it’s too high, you risk burning through the metal and potentially damaging your machine.
The best way to figure out what you need is by using an amp meter. With this device, you’ll be able to test different settings on your machine and see how much power they draw.
A good rule of thumb is that if it draws more than 10 amps, it’s probably too high for aluminum work; however, if your machine only draws around 5 amps or less, it may not be strong enough to get a good weld.
When choosing an amp setting for aluminum work, try starting at 8 amps and working your way down until you find one that works well for you. Then keep testing at different settings until you find one that works well with your material and welding style.
5. Gas Flow Rate:
When it comes to setting up a MIG welder for aluminum, the shielding gas flow rate is one of the most important factors to consider.
If you set your flow rate too high, you risk getting a lot of spatter on your weld and causing porosity in your finished product. If you set it too low, you may not be able to get an arc started at all.
The best way to find the right balance is by starting off with a low flow rate and then increasing it until you see a change in your arc. You can also try different gases, such as argon or helium, and see how they affect your welding experience.
For aluminum, I suggest that you use a shielding gas flow rate between 25 and 35 cubic feet per hour (CFH).
Can You Weld Aluminum with a Wire Feed Welder?
You can weld aluminum with a wire feed welder, but you need to make sure you have the right equipment and know what you’re doing.
Aluminum is not as easy to weld as steel. The reason for this is that it does not have the same melting point as steel—it’s lower than that of steel.
If you don’t take steps to protect the aluminum from being burned during the welding process, it can be destroyed by heat. Because of this, you’ll need to use a special type of shielding gas when welding aluminum.
Why is it Difficult to Weld Aluminum with a MIG Welder?
Welding aluminum with a MIG welder is difficult because the aluminum melts at a lower temperature than steel, so you can’t use the same settings as you would for welding steel. Aluminum is a difficult material to weld for a number of following reasons:
Surface Arrangements:
The main reason that welding aluminum is difficult with a MIG welder is surface preparation. The best method of achieving quality results when welding aluminum is by grinding the metal down to a suitable level.
This will ensure that the welds are strong and have good penetration into the base material.
The main issue with grinding aluminum is that it leaves behind residue from the grinding process, which can cause problems during welding.
The only way around this problem is that I recommend to use an abrasive wire brush before grinding, which will remove any surface contamination but will also wear down the metal further than necessary.
Extreme Heat Conductivity Issues:
The reason it’s difficult to weld aluminum with a MIG welder is because of the high heat conductivity of the metal. Aluminum is highly reactive when in contact with other metals, and you can’t just weld it in the same way you would other materials.
You have to be particularly careful when welding aluminum because if you don’t use the correct settings on your machine, it could melt or burn before it’s even finished.
You’ll need to go slow when welding aluminum and make sure that your settings are accurate for the type of metal you’re using.
If there’s too much heat being applied at once, the metal will melt into itself and cause larger holes than normal; conversely, if there isn’t enough heat being applied, then nothing will happen at all – it’ll just sit there looking pretty until someone comes along and helps out!
If you’re using a MIG welder, then I recommend some things that can make this process easier:
Firstly, check if your machine has any specific settings for welding aluminum; secondly, try switching up some parts such as gas flow rate (higher or lower), voltage settings (higher or lower), amperage rates (higher or lower) etcetera).
Different Aluminum Alloys:
Aluminum 6061-T6, which is an alloy with manganese, silicon, and copper that has been heated and treated to increase its strength properties; Aluminum 2024-T4, which is an alloy with magnesium and silicon that has been heating treated to increase its strength properties; Aluminum 5052-H32 and 5754-O, which are both high strength alloys with a hexagonal close-coated grain structure.
To be able to weld successfully, you need to know what type of material you are trying to weld together before starting your project so that you can choose an appropriate filler metal or consumable electrode tip that will work well with your particular material type.
The most common aluminum alloys used include 6061 and 2024. 6061 is a general-purpose alloy that can be used in many applications, while 2024 has a higher strength rating than 6061 but is not as resistant to corrosion. In addition, there are several other alloys available, including 7075 and 5052.
Aluminum Wire Feeding Issues:
Aluminum wire feeding issues can be one of the most frustrating problems to deal with when welding aluminum. The main cause of this issue is that aluminum will stick to the wire and clump together, which creates a buildup of aluminum on the end of the wire.
This buildup can cause a short circuit in your machine, so it’s important to take some precautions when welding aluminum.
If you notice that your machine is not properly feeding aluminum wire into the weld pool, you should change out your spool for one that has been treated with silicone lubricant.
This will help prevent the wire from sticking together and causing buildup on the end of it. If this doesn’t work, try changing out your rollers or adjusting them, so they’re closer together.
This would keep more tension on the wire as it comes off of the spool, which will prevent it from sticking together as much as it would otherwise do so if there were less tension being applied during each rotation cycle (which would mean less friction between individual strands).
Selection of Gas:
Welding aluminum with a MIG welder is difficult for beginners because of the type of shielding gas you need to use. It’s common for beginners to use the 75/25 mix of argon and carbon dioxide, but that can actually cause problems.
When you weld aluminum with a MIG welder, I recommend 100% argon shielding gas. The reason is that the arc from your torch causes hydrogen to be released from the metal as it’s being heated up, and this hydrogen can build up in the atmosphere around your weld or even on the surface of your workpiece if it comes into contact with air or water before it cools down again.
If you don’t have enough argon in your mix, then those hydrogen molecules will react with oxygen in air or water and create H2O (water), which is not good because it can weaken the weld joint.
Tips & Techniques to Weld Aluminum with a MIG Welder
Aluminum is one of the most common metals used in manufacturing, and it is also one of the easiest to weld.
There are several tips and techniques that can help you get better results from your aluminum welding project. Following are some:
Weld Speed:
For most aluminum welding, travel speed should be between 2 and 3 inches per minute. This will give you the best results for the least amount of burn-through and spatter.
If you are working with thicker aluminum and need to increase your travel speed, I suggest to increase your wire feed rate along with it.
Travel Angle:
When you’re welding aluminum, the torch angle should be set at about 15-20 degrees higher than vertical (in other words, you’ll be pointing up slightly). The travel direction should also be slightly upward.
This helps keep molten droplets from cooling before they fall into place on top of each other, which could result in porosity and poor weld quality that could lead to corrosion later on down the road.
Work Distance Technique:
The tip of the welding electrode should be kept at a distance of about 3/8 to 1/2 inch from the weld puddle. The closer the tip is to the weld puddle, the hotter it will become, which can result in burning through your material.
The farther away it is from the weld puddle, however, the slower it will melt your material. If you are welding something thicker than 6 inches, increase your distance from the weld puddle by about 1/4 inch for every 2 inches of material thickness.
Go for a Spray Transfer:
Aluminum is a tricky metal to weld. It’s particularly susceptible to short circuit transfer, which means that the electric arc will jump across your weld rather than stay on the metal you’re trying to weld.
This causes the finished weld to be brittle and weak. To make sure this doesn’t happen, I advise that you’ll want to use spray transfer instead of short circuit transfer:
- Use a small spray-arc voltage when welding aluminum. A small voltage will help prevent short circuit transfer and ensure that the arc stays on your workpiece.
- Use a high-frequency (HF) power source for aluminum welding if possible; HF power sources are less likely to cause short circuit transfer than low-frequency (LF) ones.
Final Words!
Can you weld aluminum with a MIG welder? The answer is yes. You can still weld aluminum with a standard MIG welder.
The tricky part is making sure you have a quality aluminum wire and the right settings to do so. You may need to adjust your wire speed, your voltage, or even the type of shielding gas your machine uses.
As long as you take the time to test each setting to find out what works best, you should be able to weld aluminum successfully with a standard MIG welder.
FAQs:
What type of MIG wire do you use to weld aluminum?
The best wire choice for MIG welding aluminum is 5356. This wire is designed specifically for arc welding aluminum alloys and has a coating to shield it from gas contamination. 5356 wire comes on spools with various fill materials such as a loose filler metal flake, solid pressed powder, or granular metal if one wants to keep a higher amperage output when welding. The 4043 wire is used for lower amperage outputs or for heavily contaminated workpieces requiring increased gas shielding qualities.
Can you weld aluminum with a 110v MIG welder?
Yes, it is possible to weld aluminum with a 110v MIG welder. However, the best welder for aluminum is a 220v machine. Anything less than that may not have enough power to weld aluminum effectively. You’ll need an aluminum-compatible wire, the proper machine settings, and some experience.
