OK its time for a new toy. Already have a good mig and plasma cutter. Want to play with aluminum. I'm just a home hobbiest that likes to fabricate things. Have built my own offroad vehicle, made various things, from a stand for a bird cage to gates with the mig, etc. My 29 year old daughter is a hobby artist and keeps talking about 'dad can we make things out of steel/aluminum' We are going to try to use the plasma to do 'cut' artwork here shortly.
Anyway I have been comparing the Miller econotig with the 'new' miller synchrowave 180SD. Ignore price. No business case here. The econotig only seems to go down to 30 amps and will do 18GA to 3/16 steel and 14GA to 3/16 aluminum and has a low duty cycle.
The synchrowave 180SD will go down to 10amps but I can't find specs on lower gage range for aluminum. The 180 has more bells/whistles, better duty cycle, etc.
So if I'm going to do some tubing work (.065-.120 wall steel) and aluminum/steel sheet down to (lets say) 22GA and maybe something like weld aluminum bungs onto aluminum radiators/tanks and maybe a custom tank or two, plus whatever the artist daughter dreams up, will either of these welders work and do a good job? I'm open to any and all suggestions. Maybe even the Hobart Tigmate? What about used Tig machines? Are they like a timex watch and 'take a lick and keep on ticking'?
Thanks in advance, Dave
Anyway I have been comparing the Miller econotig with the 'new' miller synchrowave 180SD. Ignore price. No business case here. The econotig only seems to go down to 30 amps and will do 18GA to 3/16 steel and 14GA to 3/16 aluminum and has a low duty cycle.
The synchrowave 180SD will go down to 10amps but I can't find specs on lower gage range for aluminum. The 180 has more bells/whistles, better duty cycle, etc.
So if I'm going to do some tubing work (.065-.120 wall steel) and aluminum/steel sheet down to (lets say) 22GA and maybe something like weld aluminum bungs onto aluminum radiators/tanks and maybe a custom tank or two, plus whatever the artist daughter dreams up, will either of these welders work and do a good job? I'm open to any and all suggestions. Maybe even the Hobart Tigmate? What about used Tig machines? Are they like a timex watch and 'take a lick and keep on ticking'?
Thanks in advance, Dave
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