Welding Aluminum - Questions/Tips

[Paul F]

I found MIG aluminum welding to be very difficult (no spool). I never got the hang of it. I'm guessing the spool would go a long way in making it easier.

I now use TIG. The thing that is most important with aluminum is cleanliness, cleanliness, and cleanliness. The aluminum has to be absolutely clean and free of oxide. Wipe it down with alcohol to get rid of any oils and then use your stainless pad. Make sure the stainless pad is also clean. If you don't see a nice shiny pool; if you see a non-shiny skin form, the aluminum is not clean or you have not scoured off the aluminum oxide. Aluminum forms an aluminum oxide skin almost immediately. The stainless pad should remove it. But it will form again very quickly. The AC current will clean off some of the oxide, but if it gets too thick, it won't do the job and you will not see a nice shiny pool, but rather see a skin form on top with the liquid aluminum underneath. If that happens, stop and re-scrub the aluminum.