Welding Tips and Tricks

My school has a Millermatic 211, the model before the current 211, and my teacher has assigned me to set up a spoolmatic 100. I set it up with .030" wire and it feeds well until I actually start welding. When I pull the trigger and start the arc the wire just almost stops and is similar to a very slow pulse mig, except with little arcing. I have the ground properly done and argon gas, but it doesn't want to lay out a bead. Any help would be appreciated. Also, is there a certain angle or method to a spoolgun?

What gas are you using? Voltage and wire speed? Thickness of material? Position?

Start with your wire speed maxed out, This stops you melting into the tip. Then adjust your wire speed so the aluminum is not stubbing into the joint. Hold about 5/8 inch standoff. Aluminum used a bigger standoff than steel. Wire should vaporize before it hits the puddle, but you want to be able to see the solid wire for at least a 1/4 inch from the tip while welding.

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Straight Argon and whatever settings were on the panel for 1/8" aluminum.

Farmwelding wrote:Straight Argon and whatever settings were on the panel for 1/8" aluminum.

I would say what southpaw said... Max out the wire speed and dial it back from there.

If the above advise doesn't work, check the gun tip size. if you are using .030 wire you want to use a .035 tip because as the aluminium wire heats up, it expands in size. This could then slow your wire feed speed.