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Mild steel, aluminum, and stainless or nickel alloys are the most used metals with the MIG process. The wire you choose, the shielding gas, and the machine settings all depend on the material. The characteristics of mild steel are very different from those of aluminum.Īluminum doesn’t melt at the same temperature as mild steel nor conducts electricity or holds heat to the same degree as stainless steel or titanium.īefore you can even start, you have to choose the right process and take care of the mechanical and technical setup. It matters a great deal what material you’re welding. What’s Your Material?ĭifferent materials have different characteristics related to heat and electricity. Welding is a custom craft, and it depends on a lot of variables. There’s no generic assortment of settings that always applies. Your MIG settings, like those of any welding process, depend heavily on the job you’re approaching. There’s more to this than grabbing your MIG machine and twisting the dials. Now let’s get that machine set up properly… Before Setting Your MIG Controls You are probably here for this reason, so I’ll explain the main MIG settings and how they should be adjusted.
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One of those details is setting the right parameters on your new MIG welder for the job at hand. That means some people don’t get a few of the fine details welders learn about in school. There are a lot of people out there with welding machines who don’t have formal training. I think that’s great, but there is one drawback…
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The growing DIY movement means a lot more people are welding now.
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