Sinking Creek 4WD Association

hklvette wrote:You can weld aluminum using DC reverse polarity, but the weld quality lacks a helluva lot to be desired. i have some E4043 aluminum stick that i'm going to try out-of-position in the next few days, but at $26/lb, its expensive as hell.

Yes, and you can weld aluminum using DC electrode negative and it's actually much more efficient than AC welding will ever be. However, it's even more expensive, picky, and difficult than traditional AC aluminum welding. Also, it's best suited for heavier/thicker pieces of aluminum.

Now that all the technicalities are officially covered, my suggestion is to shop around and work with shops in the area of the boat. It may cost a little bit, but if you choose a good shop you'll be so much ahead in the long run. I don't know what little welder you're talking about being sold on pirate, but my guess is it's some smaller and/or under-featured machine, especially for this aluminum job. I'll look the machine over if you show me what you're talking about. Beyond that, you still gotta get solid at welding aluminum and pick up all needed accessories and consumables.

In the vendors section under 'tools & supplies' there's a guy that uses Divtec or something like that as his handle...he sells a variety of machines TIG, plasma, combos which seem to be chinese made crap that people report back that they work...and his website is confusing as crap but I called and his cheapest ACDC TIG machine is $799...don't know the specs and like I said, the website is confusing as shit...but I think it's specs go like this:

200 Amp ACDC TIG/Stick, 220 Volt, Single Phase, Input Current Maximum: 25 Amps @ 220 Volts, Duty-Cycle: 60% at Full Power, 100% at Three Quarter Power, Weight: 25 lbs

confusing website = http://www.parkermetalworking.com/

AS for the learning to weld aluminum part...no need, I've got a guy who welded al to put food on his table for 12 years who's willing to work for beer, he just doesn't have a machine anymore, so I figure get the machine, let him weld my tower, THEN start learning to do it myself on scraps...that way the next time the need arises, I can do it myself for just the cost of consumables. Plus, the quotes I was getting were ranging from $500-800, so it would pretty well even out even looking at it from a dollar to dollar point of view. Just not if the machine is a turd.

The 200 amp AC/DC machine is $1300 according to the website. A good shop that'll fix you up for $500-$800 is your friend. You must've got a really smokin' deal on this tower.

$900 for the tower, controls, compass, electronics box, Lee outrigger holders, Lees poles with spreaders and rigging (and I drove to Miami to get it...so there was gas involved, but I got a vacation in Miami) I went with the pictures of the tower before I bought it and took it to a top/tower builder at home...he said $3500 unrigged, close to $5500 with rigging, outriggers, etc.

I figured I could spend $1,000 on fixing it to fit my boat and still be WAY ahead of the game.

Or I can sell it for the same money no problem...yeah, he lists it on the website for $1300, but if you call he quotes you $799 for ACDC TIG called the super 200 or something...so I'm guessing it's still a 200amp machine.

Billet Benny wrote:The 200 amp AC/DC machine is $1300 according to the website. A good shop that'll fix you up for $500-$800 is your friend. You must've got a really smokin' deal on this tower.

the guy is giving PBB members a rediculous deal.

jonesy wrote:

Billet Benny wrote:The 200 amp AC/DC machine is $1300 according to the website. A good shop that'll fix you up for $500-$800 is your friend. You must've got a really smokin' deal on this tower.

the guy is giving PBB members a rediculous deal.

Right, but is it a smoking deal on a good machine? I called and mentioned Pirate and he gave a whole nother set of prices...so it is legit that he's giving the deals to Pirate members...but I still don't know if the machine sucks or not.

Redneck7 wrote:

jonesy wrote:

Billet Benny wrote:The 200 amp AC/DC machine is $1300 according to the website. A good shop that'll fix you up for $500-$800 is your friend. You must've got a really smokin' deal on this tower.

the guy is giving PBB members a rediculous deal.

Right, but is it a smoking deal on a good machine? I called and mentioned Pirate and he gave a whole nother set of prices...so it is legit that he's giving the deals to Pirate members...but I still don't know if the machine sucks or not.

i looked at them for a little while ... decided to go with a known brand with good support, which i think is as important as good specs.

specs-wise, it seems like a decent machine .... supposedly 100% duty cycle @ 150 output amps and 60% duty cycle at 200 output amps. (duty cycle is the % of a 10 minute period that the machine can weld at full power before it needs to cool down - 60% means you can weld continuosly for 6 minutes and then need to let it cool for 4 ..... lather rinse repeat). and what kind of control do you have over the machine? post flow? crater fill? High Frequency?

the specs do look good .... longevity is what i would worry about. and ask about service. and PM people on pirate that have bought them, people are more honest over PM than out in the public eye .... for the money, it doesnt seem horrible ...

PMing people ain't a bad idea. I've actually wheeled with one of the guys who posted that he was having trouble with a machine as shipped...I don't know him persay, but I'll definitely PM him and see what his experience was/is like.

jonesy wrote:i looked at them for a little while ... decided to go with a known brand with good support, which i think is as important as good specs.

x2. when i do end up buying a machine, ill be buying one of the name brand machines. if i do have a problem with it, i can get help locally or take it down to the local suppliers(Arcet/Airgas) and they can do repairs, instead of buying one of those and having to ship it back and forth to Arizona if something goes wrong. parts availability is another factor, as you can get Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart parts damn near anywhere.

BlueDodgeRam wrote:...as you can get Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart parts damn near anywhere.

Except WV on a Saturday

Arya Ebrahimi wrote: Except WV on a Saturday

i typed that actually, but then deleted it

You all keep forgetting about alumaloy! Havent you ever been up drinking late at night surfing channels and seen this stuff! It will fix anything aluminum.

http://www.alumaloy.net/

i watched that infomercial for hours one night when I was drunk!

SOLD...who needs a welder when that stuff's readily available?

Stinson wrote:i watched that infomercial for hours one night when I was drunk!

At least I am not the only one.