illwood said:MIG - Metal Inert Gas welding (aka GMAW - Gas Metal Arc Welding). A true MIG welder has a sheilding gas tank and a wirefeed. Wirefeed welders that use a flux core wire are not technically MIG. If you have the right attachment for a MIG you can weld aluminum.
TIG - Tungsten Inert Gas welding (aka GTAW - Gas Tungsten Arc Welding). This is similar to gas welding because the torch with the Tungsten electrode is only there to create an arc that is the heat source. You feed a wire filler rod in with the other hand (TIG welding w/o filler rod is often referred to as "sanitary").
MIG is good for production (don't have to keep grabbing more filler rod) and TIG is good more for precision and the ability to weld a wide variety of metals.
The difference in the welder that determines if it can weld steel and aluminum is whether your output can be switched between DC (direct current) and AC (alternating current). Steel is welded with DC and aluminum is welded with AC (and you can adjust the frequence along with the current).
Aluminum is far trickier to weld than steel for two reasons. The first is that aluminum doesn't change color when it heats up to its melting point. When you weld steel you can see it turn that orange-red when it's getting hot and about to melt. Aluminum just looks like aluminum and then it's a puddle. The second trick is that materials have a HAZ (heat affected zone) when they are welded and the material properties changed based on how the heat changed the crystal structure of the metal. Steel keeps most of it's strength when it's welded compared to aluminum that gets "softer" in the HAZ and may require heat treatment and induced age hardening to regain the strength of the pre-welded components.
Sorry for geeking out, but that's what happens when you ask a Mechanical Engineer these kinds of questions.
thanks for the advice. if (when) i get one, i'll definately not do any welding in the basement. there are way too many boxes and things in there that could catch on fire.1105 said:Chris, the only thing I would worry about when welding indoors would be catching something on fire... I wouldnt worry about the gas so much if you're just doing little things here and there, but with a MIG welder there are lots of sparks that go everywhere so if the basment is all concrete and nothing around for a good distance it should be alright, but I would not suggest doing this. Get one that has wheels on it and roll it out to the patio to weld, then roll it back inside. They are not noisy enough to make the neighbors complain, in fact my neighbors probably couldnt hear the MIG unless they were outside too.
Nagash01WS6 said:Zach, bring it out to deland and weld my radiator support on!
OinkAodeOink said:Your crazy brother, you have any idea what that rig weighs? lol
You better have some hellacious muscles.
i wouldnt cheap out on a machine! you can get a decent lincoln mig from lowes for like $700? and make shure to get one with a bottle (sold sep) and it should be capible of welding 1/4" plate. i've been certified for 10 years and yes it put's off some nasty gasses!!!! dont attempt to weld in your basement!!!!! i weld 35 mig and 1/16 dual sheild where i'm at. once you get over exposer from wleding you'll understand! go get a MSDS sheet from the weld supply store for the wire or just read one from the wire box that comes with it. Then ask : is it safe to weld inside ????????? You guy's wish you knew how to weld is great! Welding is easy money, i'm gonna start doing jobs here on the side for other guy's and we are in the process of building up a 80 coupe, i'll be doing the majority of the welding on the subs battle boxes and cage. TIG is a little trickier to do mig is the easiest, those tig welds look good for a beginer flat is easy but try to get a peice of pipe and weld it, just remember not to weld down hand (down hill) as for they are the weakest weld to do, flat or vertical (up) are the strongest!!!! if i was close to you then that TIG and you and i coud make some cash!!!!!!! TIG is good to use and very strong and makes for a nice weld on roll cages and it dosent put off much heat either, i wouldnt use it to do subs i'd use mig for them. anyways loks good for a first timmer remember practice practice. peaceBlackVert said:i'm thinking about getting an inexpensive MIG welder, but i don't have a garage. is it safe to weld in a basement, or should you have good ventilation? also, is there a smell? i suppose i could set it up out on the patio in the back yard if i had to, but then i'd have to worry about rain and disturbing the neighbors ...
my latest spending spree has been the kenne bell and all the supporting stuff (fuel pump, 42# injectors ...), the coil-overs and their supporting stuff (c/c plates, strange struts, ...), shelving for the basement, ... it never ends
now if i could just get some time to install it all...
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