Not sure this has been covered....

Watching a You Tube video on welding sheet metal and the fabricator was using only C02 and not C25?

Is this a normal practice? Is one better than the other?

I have been using C25 but must admit my knowledge on welding is limited at best.

Thanks for the knowledge!

I've never heard of strait C02. I use 75% Argon 25% Carbon dioxide

CO2 for TIG with aluminum.

Absolutely incorrect. Argon 100% or helium or last ditch effort nitrogen.


Now talking GMAW then co2 is common the c25 is the most common for all around everyday GMAW.

One cliff note.. I have been a welding educator for the last 20 years

We use straight CO2 at work for MIG, but only with Fronius CMT welders. All other 'normal' MIGs are 75/25.

All depends on what material your welding. Co2 is for heavy penetration

100% argon with Tig here.

99.9% of the time yes.

.....with what polarity?

TIG work for aluminum is done with AC. Argon for shielding as Ben mentioned earlier.

Can MIG aluminum (DCEP Polarity for MIG) + Argon but it's tough to get enough wire speed without a spool gun. I always ran into issues with aluminum wire feed problems that resulted in jambing in the whip and/or bird nests in the machine at the rollers! That was what pushed me to finally move to TIG.

https://weldinganswers.com/guidelines-for-a...oper-tig-setup/

Just to clarify for everyone

Nice thanks for posting. @mb911

Someday when I get back to fabrication of the copper tank for the Norton cafe style motorcycle project I may have to try the Helium mix. Didn't realize that could help with the increased thermal conductivity of the copper. I was just using Argon.

That copper tank material is about 0.060" thick and if I recall properly, it was taking about 160-180A to weld it! It was crazy, but turns out nicely with completely invisible welds when TIG welded.

Sometime I'll have to get brave enough to hit you up for the setup for Magnesium and give that a try.

Thanks for the info gents. All good stuff here.
Just trying to make some good decisions when welding on the car.

Appreciate the help.

Well if you need any insight let me know. I am a national Welding education instructor.

I believe I also saw the youtube guy who you say recommends 100% CO2 for Mig
welding steel for car bodywork panels. I too thought that was strange as this is not ever
what's recommended by the welder manufacturers. He seems to be able to get it to
work, but I am not planning on changing from C25 (75 Argon, 25 CO2).

When I bought my Hobart a hundred years ago, the manual said to weld aluminum I would need to buy a teflon liner and they gave a P/N for the kit. Never tried it and that is the full extend of my knowledge of MIG and aluminum.

The only time I ever touched pure CO2 with MIG was for welding stainless, otherwise we always use 75/25.

Co2 for welding stainless? Ugh no.. it should be a trimix..

Ok it maybe time for me to do a 914 centered welding seminar. Maybe I could do a YouTube video

sign me up

Me too.

Cool deal.

The guys I was referring to is named Fitzee's Fabrication on YouTube. He has some interesting techniques.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qScAlxb34UA

Oh I see.. just watched it.. sooo much bad information on that video.

I need to do a video and clear this up for you.. in his initial opening he talks about the voltage taps as way of turning the heat up or down and the wire speed never changes.. that is simply creating misinformation. I will do a video soon.

On the intrawebz . . . sheesh. Say it aint so.

The problem of course is the time comittment to make one. My hat's off to Ian for the videos he produces.

I'd watch any welding video you do!

Ben,
What is your take on this guy?

https://www.youtube.com/c/weldingtipsandtricks/videos

He seems to have some good information?

Appreciate the insight. Helps to talk these things over with real professionals like yourself.

Let me know if you have any landscape architecture or carpentry questions! HA!

Thank you MB for sharing, count me in too

I'd sure be interested also. Love to be able to weld nicely.