Levi
The things you don't know are most of the things folks need to know in order to give you advice.
Is this a surprise test?
Why diddn't you find out about it before and bring your questions??????
Not to be too hard on the Beaver.... But,,,,,,, your job as a student is to read your chapters and know about your assignments... Our job... oh wait... we don't get paid to answer your questions... Our pleasure.. Thats better.. Is to help motivated folks with their problems on the JOB... Students need to do a little more footwork to get answers, because they have the time to and have been provided with all the answers in their assignment.. your job is to STUDY.. :)
Ok out of the woodshed :)
Also find out if you are running GMAWP or traditional spray transfer.
Hey Levi
Can't do a lot of everything in only 1,600 hours of training, and aluminum mig is cake if you have a solid grasp of wire fundamentals. You have to think back to about a year and a half ago, to your second quarter in school. You should do fine.
Just remember the basics... wire is amps, voltage is arc length, DCEP, CV for spray or short circuit. Spray if you can, short circuit if the metal is too thin to allow it. If you spray, use the minimum arc length necessary to achieve it - start your dial in in a short, and add just enough voltage to transition to spray. Excessive voltage loses root penetration and gives a lot of very small stuck spatter in the "etched" area on either side of the weld.
You can't dial in on hot aluminum (after having run a couple of beads on it) and then expect the parameters to work on cold pieces or pieces of a different thickness or ona different joint configuration. Dial in on exactly the conditions you will test on, or do production on.
If you have pulse spray, use it if you can. You will probably be operating in CC if using something like an Miller Optima pulse unit. Don't get confused - a pulsed spray machine will probably show a "trim" number for arc length instead of a voltage value. If it is a trim number you may need to set it at 50 or whatever, which obviously would seem like too much if you thought you were looking at a voltage value.
If you have adjustable run in, try about 50% to help prevent stubbing and LOF on your starts. Use run off tabs if allowed.
You wll probably be using 3/64 5XXX or 4XXX. If you are using a machine with programmed software, be sure you enter the right series of wire as the the burn off rate between the two is quite different.
As mentioned, 40 CFM or so with slight push. Stick out doesn't have a dramatic effect like it does with steel wires. Travel speed is really critical though. You must be very consistant.
If you are making oramental welds on material that will not see paint, such as on shiney tread plate, they almost certainly won't want to see you scratch it up with a wire brush to remove oxides. Best to ask if not sure.
And leave no craters!!!!
Good luck and keep in touch!
All I have to say, in addition to the fine commentary above, is CLEAN. Clean, clean, and then when you think it's clean, clean it again. There shouldn't be so much as a gnat's leg hair within 2 inches of your weld.
Good luck.