Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Upgrading the Welding Shop a Bit

Miller has a pretty decent promotional play / rebate going on these Millermatic 211 machines, and after discussing them here, running one at a neighbors, falling into deepest darkest envy at EdM's recent acquisition , I went for it.
I have 2 big (for this little place) structural aluminum projects on the boards before Winter '16, and the spool gun's going to be needed, TIG's just not that cost effective.

No fancy gasses,....just plain vanilla CO2 and .035 70 S6 this evening,....I really LIKE the results, and am never going to regret this. Guess I'd forgatten how FAST a larger Mig can be .

The auto set is a cool consept

I believe it even has over voltage protection

Greg,

Nice. I dropped by the local pawn shop and they had what appears to be a NIB Miller Spoolmate 100 for $150. Not knowing what I may need in the future I passed. Is this a worthwhile purchase assuming aluminum is in the future?

Greg I couldn't weld chikenchit with duckchit but I see Gracie approves. Welding is something I wish I could do decently. Congrats on the new welder!

NICE!

I'll know more once mine shows up,....it's part of the purchase / promotional deal. I typically LOATH spool guns. They're heavy,clumsy and extremely fatiguing,...as opposed to a "Push Pull" system. What they ARE about is SPEED, and one has to really hustle.

Having the spool gun is really just part of the game,....one will also need an Argon flowmeter, and Argon bottle, as well as a whole array of additional nozzles, contactors, etc.

GTC

Would it be difficult for you to hang your machine overhead and run your wire downhill right out of the welder ?

Did that many years ago when welding aluminum boat docks in the shop. Worked great and this was with a 12 foot cable.

Cross, you might want to look into helium or at least a mix of it and argon for your shield gas.

For aluminum of course.

It appears as though Gracie approves, if Gracie approves I approve.

I tried welding aluminum at a buds one time, after he got done laughin' I just let him do it now.......I hope you bought a 220 vac unit, you can weld so much better with 220 vac.

Nice setup!

Appreciate your bringing that up.

Not at all difficult, and there are some nylon liners that will apparently really enhance that setup. An articulating "Swinging arm" carrying a wire drive becomes more and more common.

The wrinkle is that the changeover time from ferrous to aluminum is almost enough to call out having a dedicated machine for each process,.....and this is a small shop, on a lean budget. Small jobs get TIG, and I doubt I'll see all that much structural aluminum, I mostly work in steel anymore.

Years ago itwas different. I had everyone in the area wondering HTH I was able to get light aluminum structural work out so fast. I was squirt welding the joints with spool gun, than blasting over that bead with my DX 400 Dynasty TIG,.....screaming hot amps through a 5/32" lanthanated tungsten, HIGH freqs, and pulsed. You really had to boogie, or you'd blow holes in things.
......fast and GREAT looking finished product, but also an Argon alligator.

....ran a Thermal Arc multi-process machine at a trade show a coupla' years back, a pulsed aluminum MIG through a light push pull setup, that sucker was AWESOME. ( all $8K's worth of it)
The reverse cone of no nonsense SPRAY weld coming off the end of that wire was a pretty thing to watch, and eerily quiet,....just a steady hiss,....no popping, crackling, blorping or farting, ....no spatter AT ALL.

GTC

Amen, Helium Argon blends DO kick azz. That rig described above was running a tri-mix IIRC.

GTC

Yup, just retired a little Millermatic 130 that's run MILES of .030 on 110 VAC,.....I won't knock it to hard, but will not miss it, either.
In a pinch the 211 WILL run on 110 VAC, if that's all that's available.
GTC

nice to have the right tools AND the ability to use them.

norm

Sweet rig, Greg! Don't you jut love it when high quality and low price get together?

Ed

spray transfer is fun... I suck at it, but its fun. I need to get "nuke good" at it like I am with SMAW structural Lots of good Iso phase money im missing out on, and they pump condition'd air out those damn things, its like fancy shop weldin' :-D

Spray is fun to do and delivers very clean no spatter welds especially in tight inside corners.

Gotta have the machine dialed in just right tho' for perfection.

Well, I'm just knocking down one more cuppa' and am fixin' to finish up a gantry to spot over the water well casing head. I have to pull the simple pump today.

Norm, your post got me reflecting,.....these amazing new tools, at their VERY reasonable pricings, are made possible only by that which we frequently decry,....whilst bemoaning the demise of the tradesman / journeyman blue collar jobs.
*Cad/Cam
*Solid Modeling / 3D printing
*CNC machining / Moldmaking
*Mims
*Robotics/printed circuits
*.........jeez, that's barely the bones of it.

Suffice it to say that it's not all that long ago that we were manually winding armatures and field coils, and sitting in clouds of cellulosic fumes, burning off 6010. There sure have been a lot changes to see, in one lifetime, haven't there ?

GTC

Cross, the folding table with wheels, is that permanentely attached? I have a Black&Decker Workmate and I am always carrying it around.

Oh, and good set up.

Wayne

crossfire;
Thanks for the photos and congratulations on the upgrades.

Before I ask the technical question I've got to say that Gracie and Sam's dog are among my favorite canine models here - Gracie seems to be so happy to get her photo taken all the time.

Anyway sir, I see your welder is sitting at 20° or so canted upward. Is the angle critical and what is the advantage?

Thanks in advance and all the best to you this upcoming week sir.

Dwayne