Finally took time to get my spool gun installed. Only downside is (provided I installed correctly, I went by Lincoln’s directions and even they stated this) it seems the wire feed on the front of the machine has no effect on the spool gun and the only WFS adjustment is a numberless dial on the back of the gun. But hoping to run some test beads in a couple of minutes!
Edit: attached are the first beads I’ve run with it. Never touched a spool gun before and this is on just some old scrap 1/4 aluminum plate a customer had me remove and I kept. Running about 10cfh on argon, E setting on my machine (A-G settings) and no clue on wire feed. Machine called for 400 for .035 4043 on 3/16 so I just guesstimated it and dialed it down a bit. Any advice?

Bent it a little with my 50 ton ram

1.25 hole through 1.5"

Still in use

Hate to ask a dumb question but how possible is it when welding edges together to laminate plates for trapped air to bubble up through the weld even though there’s some other gaps? When welding up this transom piece I noticed the puddle had little tiny bubbles coming up into it. Wasn’t like porosity bubbles cause eventually they’d seem to die down if I paused enough and never came through the weld.

I have never seen one of these before.

Welderskills!
I am welding tig aluminum and check out how much the stickout changes the bead appearance. The flush with the cup tungsten was more difficult to weld as well as a more erratic arc. What do you think is happening here?

Today is a first for me. I’ve welded 14 gauge lines up on an aluminum transmission cooler off a Toyota Camry before, and I welded a bunch of 1/8 plate but today is the thickest I’ve done before. I don’t have any pictures as of the moment but a client is having me build a transom riser that’s constructed out of 3/16” aluminum plate and 2”x1/4” aluminum square tube. No helium available and my machine is limited to 230 max AC. This is going to be fun!

Late night machining