Lincoln PowerMig 350 mp

This Weekly video is about fabricating an aluminum project using a Lincoln PowerMig 350 mp.

The Lincoln PowerMig 350 mp is a multi process welder capable of doing lift arc Tig on DC, Mig welding, as well as stick welding.

All I am interested in today is mig welding aluminum.

So I have the MK Python push pull system set up on this welder and it is in one word....AWESOME SAUCE!!!  Ok thats 2 words but adding the sauce on the end makes me feel young.

I used a Hobart Ironman 230 along with a Hobart spool gun to weld an aluminum fixture a while back but let me tell you thatthere is no comparison.  

The Lincoln PowerMig 350mp  with the MK push pull setup is the way to go if you are mig welding aluminum on a consistent basis.

The gun is easier to hold, its more maneuverable, and lets you get into places where you didnt think you could go.

Mig Welding Aluminum goes a lot better when you have plenty of weapons in your arsenal.

Pre flow, Run it, hot start, standard CV mig, pulse, pulse on pulse, along with settings like post flow can make a big difference in the final result.

( we will get to all those settings in future videos)

The Lincoln PowerMig is a transformer machine but uses chopper technology to allow for doing some special things with the arc.

Future videos will show how to set this machine to overcome cold starts, crater cracks, etc.

But for now, I need to get this job done so I am only using a few basic settings like crater fill to prevent crater cracking.

In future videos, I will take the time to experiment with all the settings.

Hot start, pulse on pulse, crater fill, run in, preflow, post flow, arc control, and all kinds of other features.

The thickness of the aluminum plates specified for this project ranges from a full one inch ( 25mm)  down to 3/8" ( around 10mm) . 

Thick Aluminum like this  calls for at least 3/64" (1.2mm) wire and maybe even 1/16" (1.6mm)  but all I had was .035" (.9mm) 4043 wire.

And as luck would have it, I was already behind the eight ball on this job. so .035" wire had to do.

So I had to run around 575 to 600 inches per minute of wire feed speed using 4043 .035"aluminum wire.  ( voltage was set to around 25 with pure argon at 25-30 cfh)

600 ipm a lot of wire speed. Next time, I will make sure to have bigger diameter wire on hand because as a rule of thumb, its usually best to use the biggest size you can for aluminum mig.  For lots of reasons. It feeds better, less wandering of the wire as it feeds into the puddle, etc.

One main tip that I was reminded of on this project is that when you have multiple parts where a flange or plate is welded to one end and there is a risk of distortion, tacking or clamping the plates together where stresses can be offset works great.

I also had to heat these parts up to about 350f with a rosebud tip and let them slow cool to make them come out flat.  That was a lot of welding on one side of a plate and it did want to warp.

In addition to part 2 of this video, I have plans for demonstraing tig, mig and stick on stainless steel...maybe even some other stuff.

I do have 2 stainless flanges along with some stainless pipe just waiting to be welded with tig , mig, and stick.

This should be very fun.

Stay tuned....

see more welding project videos like this one on Lincoln Powermig 350 mp

In case you missed this video below, I am shamelessly trying to sell you a Tig Finger