Yes, I have made some adjustments once or twice. In fact I have successfully made welds both at the high and low end that are outside of its recommended material size range.
Yes, I am running straight argon. I have considered swapping one of my spare bottles for some Argon/Helium for the heavier stuff.
I can get acceptable welds in 5052 in a variety of sizes using my Miller 212. I just hate the method necessary to do so for some welds. Some welds that I hope to be doing more of in the future. Now I am sure you can tell me how I would set it up to run a ten foot long bead in one continuous weld with out stopping with it, but I never figured that out. I can get very acceptable welds about 3-5 inches (shorter in thinner materials and longer in thicker) long, and then skip a section and make a similar weld. Not just tacks to hold it in place, but short beads a few inches long. In fact some very experienced welders told me that's probably the best way to make a long weld with my welder. Weld a few inches, skip a section, weld a few inches, skip a section, weld a few inches, skip a section. Go back and fill in every other gap. Then go back and fill in the rest of the gaps. It works. I can get acceptable welds doing that. I have welded aluminum from .043 (playing, not real welds) to .375. This welder is a pretty good actually on 1/4" plate. Its fair to good on 1/8" sheet. It sucks on 3/8, but its not rated for 3/8 anyway. Preheat with a torch and its possible, but you have to stop and preheat several times for longer welds. Its not at all capable on .043, but if you can move the gun fast enough its possible to stick metal together without totally vaporizing it. I've repaired cracks in boats, and built enclosures with it. Heck, I just finished welding a whole new back section into the hull of one of my little shallow water boats. The other day I made a bracket for a sealed control enclosure inside a paint booth with it. It does weld aluminum. I never in said it doesn't. As far as I can tell there is nothing wrong with my 212. Most of the welds I make with it use settings very close to those on the little flip card attached to the welder. (I do have to run slightly faster wire speeds on most of the aluminum welds) Now forget all of that. Assume that somebody just emptied a gattling gun into my welder and there is no way in all of eternity that all the king's men and all the king's horse will ever put it together again.
I want a pulse MIG because of what it can do. Make long beads fast. Not long welds, but long continuous beads. (Actually a whole bunch of short overlapping beads fast. LOL) Now you can argue with me and tell me that I don't "need" a pulse MIG, but I don't care. I want one. I am just not sure I want an Everlast. I ran some bead with a 350P as I already said, and I could easily see the difference in how it welds, and how the hot and cold cycle allows for much much longer continuous welds, and how it can make it much easier to weld thinner sheet continuously and quickly. Heck, I made a weld about 2 feet long in .090 my very first try with the 350P. A pretty good looking weld except where I had to much build up at the start.
I was hoping somebody would be willing to answer the questions I asked, but I have found in every new forum the first few responses I usually get are answers to questions I didn't ask. Hopefully we got that out of the way, I didn't piss to many people off so bad they won't get over it, and we can find out if I want an "Everlast" Pulse MIG or not. I just sold a big job (not welding related) and I could afford the Miller right now, but if the Everlast would do similar work I would seriously consider it.
1. May I please see some photos of welds in the size and type of materials I am most interested in? .060-.190 5052 aluminum sheet.
2. May I please see video of some of these welds in process if somebody has done any?
3. May I please know if there is a published setups guide available for the Everlast pulse MIG welders for pulsing aluminum similar to the guide card that came attached to my Miller welder, and is printed under the door on my Lincoln welder? Maybe just a little bit more comprehensive since those welders only have two adjustments (3 if you count gas flow) and the Everlast Pulse MIG welders have half a dozen.
4. (Almost forgot) How hard would it be to use my Miller spool gun on the Everlast Pulse MIGs? (I figure if it works why use the 212 for aluminum if I get a pulse MIG.)
I would appreciate seeing some welds maybe specifically in 5052, but I can get a good idea of how it will work from seeing some 6061 welds.
For anybody who helps me make my decisions thank you very much both now in advance and again in the future. I do try and help when I can in forums where I have received useful help. I make a point of it.
For anybody who thinks I was a bit harsh, I snipped my whole sarcastic string of barbs at the start before clicking Submit. LOL.
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