<VV> Re: CAW 'welding'

[Garth Stapon]

Tom:

To answer your questions.

1) The small mig is a Constant Voltage power supply and does not have the output or volt/amp curve to do carbon arc. You will need a CC unit with an air compressor.  250 amp DC output would be the minimum and larger is better.

2) Your mini mig is better than stick electrode for aluminum.  Buy a U groove .035 drive roll, a Teflon liner for the gun and run .035 - grade 5356 aluminum wire with argon shielding gas.  Preheat the aluminum to 800 F prior to welding and set arc current as close to the maximum that your unit will put out - say 130 amps. 18-20 volts. 

Good luck.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: tom zimmermann 
  To: stapon1 at earthlink.net 
  Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 10:27 AM
  Subject: CAW 'welding'


  Hi,Garth--I am enjoying the Q/A on VV immensly...years ago,I got pretty good doing light sheet steel fabbing with my dad's AC buzz box,later at Stromberg-Carlson on the cabinets; I currently have 2 110-volt 'multi migs',one gas,the other flux,and an Espel 1100 110-volt DC tig:: 1)-can I use one of the migs to carbon-arc car body steel occasionally with any success?  2)- would the Espel run aluminum stick rod on Corvair cast heads to restore eroded combustion chambers?..Thanks,Tom Z..


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