Welding Tips and Tricks

First off.. Hello everyone and thanks for adding me!!

Im interested in learning to weld aluminum. i have some experience with wire feed and stick on
carbon steel but have never done Aluminum.
So my first question is what is a good first TIG that can do AL as well as CS?
second is... would a Plasma cutter be of any advantage with Aluminum?
Just getting started so im looking for a welder that isnt to advanced that will do from sheet material
up to 1/4 ---3/8 material.
TIA
Robert

To weld 1/4”-3/8” aluminum you will need a machine capable of 250 amps comfortably. That puts you in the higher end of a starter machine. If you weld those thicknesses regularly, a water cooled torch is almost a must. 1/8” aluminum you can weld easily all day long with a smaller machine, with the occasional trip up to 1/4” by preheating and using a 25% mix of helium with your Argon.

Lincoln SqaureWave 200 comes to mind as a decent, Miller Synchrowave is another. Everlast has an inexpensive 250 amp box too.

Aluminum can be cut with plasma. Entry machines cuts are very course with a lot of slag. Newer machines can use inert air to make the cuts much smoother with less slag.

I would recommend a machine with adjustable balance as a minimum. I tried to learn aluminum with a diversion and hated it.

I had to experience a Miller Diversion 180: Too little duty cycle among other shortcomings.
A Dialarc 250 HF. Wonderful machine if you are content with 60 HZ, 50/50 balance, sine wave. I believe many of the factors I found limiting in this machine were not problematic in 1984 when helium shielding gas was cost effective. With argon, I longed for square wave, 60% duty cycle, balance control, frequency control, pulse.

I now have Dynasty 280DX.

It would have cost less to skip a couple upgrades.

I use a bandsaw meant for wood to cut aluminum just swap out the blade and have at it, hard metals will kill the blade but the soft stuff works great.

Nearly all woodworking tools cut aluminum. Cutting aluminum, the risk of kickback is greater. Butchers wax on the blades will help prevent kickback, and extend the life of blades.