Marine aluminum welding

Date 01-05-2003 07:48

A miller push pull feeder or a mk products push pull.Even some of the esab ones would all do the work.The mk you could use with about any power supply.You need to give more info,like the power imput,and price.One inch will take some power maybe cc power supply.I will leave you with one off the best deals going on power.Its kind of older tech but in your range you are welding it won't matter.The arc is first class.I know because I got one.It works at full output at single or three phase.all most all other welders cut the power on single phase.Its on clearance for a whole lot cheaper than it use to sell.After the link go to the home page,and hit the clearance sale and look around.This thing is cc-cv pulse inverter.The pulse part is harder to dial in then some new one,but what your welding you don't need pulse.so use it without.http://www.mkprod.com/mk2000a.htm

By DGXL

Date 01-05-2003 18:40

We used a Miller spool gun, gas cooled TIG rig and a Miller Trailblazer (300 amp w/100% duty cycle). We had an electrician provide about 100' of lead for the TIG including pedal. Typically this was sufficient. Using the pedal while welding the backside of a fuel cell with a mirror was always a task. Sometimes I would have to have the contactor on full time due to limited space.

The spool gun was limited to the factory extra length leads.
The spool gun also did not work well on old material that had lot's of exposure to the elements, this stuff we would TIG. The TIG welding would permit "burning or floating out" the impurities and oxidation before adding filler metal. The clients used SS, aluminum and brass depending on what we fabricated or repaired. We also repaired fuel cells on many vessels that had leaks internally which required contortionist-like positioning. This could be very difficult at times.

The good times were the radar arches and antenna towers, davit's, railing, anchors and bow roller type custom-stainless steel projects.

The bad times were when you dropped tools.

By alumtuna Date 03-14-2003 08:39

wkdivr,

1/4 to 1" plate is a large varience. My sugggestion that i followed in purchasing equipment is go with the next size up w/ what u are intending to weld. 1" can be done in multi pass. Welding a 28' hull .125 to .500 welding w/ a millermatic 250x w/ spool gun. The 1/2" could be multipass.

In welding aluminum boats the aim is more to reduce distortion so that is why MIG is choosen over all other processes. TIG is done for only some components, but could be replaced by MIG. The actual welder could be repositioned so that the welding spool gun can reach anywhere on/in the hull.

There are many sites that list use/application of welders in boatbuilding. Check the web.

Also check out Metal boat Society forum for many other helpfull hints on this application.

Regards,

Alumtuna