Anyone Know About Welding?

i want to buy a welder and im a little comfused about something.i just to small car audio /video jobs and use aluminum sometimes and metal to build racks or something and i have to use rivets which i dont like to much
now they question i have is can u weld aluminum and steel/metal wit the same welder, im lookinga t a small house hold current welder that puts out 60&80 amps and has a wire feed
please help if u can thanks

Mig welders are very hard to use to weld Aluminium, it can be done, but it is hard and the weld is not that great.
What you would need to do this is a Mig welder with Aluminium wire spool. Some of them are in the handle and some are just wire replacement in the welder. Either way, practice a lot and get used to it before doing any customer fabrication work.
The best way to weld Aluminium is by using a Tig welder, however these are more expensive than a Mig.

Good luck in your decision,
Tom

its actually a gassless electric welder that can be upgraded to use the gas but i dont want to screw around with the gas in my garage
as long as the welder will weld and hold
thats ok its not like i will be doing work on the bbody just little custom amp racks and stuff here and ther
so its ok to use that then right
thanks

A MIG welder is what you're looking for. Aluminum can be tricky to weld, but with some practice you can do a nice job. I would recommend a small 110V MIG welder from Lincoln or Miller. Both companies make quality welders. For welding steel you can use flux core wire, but if you want to weld aluminum you will need a gas cylinder as well. Expect to pay about $300-$400 for the welder, about $200 for the cylinder of argon and regulator, and around $50 for the shield, gloves, etc. Talk to a local welding supply store. They will tell you exactly what you need and might even have some sort of package deal to get you started.

i have just a regular electric welder that wont work at all i was told it would but that i just have to be careful???
i just got it for my birthday and its coming in a couple of days

its only going to be light welding so i think welding with the aluimnum and this would be ok
i hope please let me know
thaskn

If I used an arc welder on a car...would I have to worry about "frying" any of the electronic components ie:ECM, sensors, ignition?

im not really going to be using it directlry on the car so i dont know
i doubt itthough
but if anyone has any other info if i can use the elcetric welder for light aluminum work tat would help. its really only going to be a few tack welds here and there i was told from the fuy i ordered it from that i can use this but that aluminum burns faster so i have to be carefull and do short interval tacks
please any help
thanks

you need heliarc for alum any thing else is just half a#@ welding.  get a small mig for ferris welding

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Big Dave

Yes a Tig welder works best,a spool on a mig will work good if you wanted to let's say make a drift boat or something or do long seams on something .  Tigs are expensive and start at over 1000.00 and go way up,a spool for a wire feed can also cost you 300.00 or 400.00.   I use a 120 V. Hobart mig around my shop there around 500.00 and   a great little welder.

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Thanks,Rick Phillips

You could try this I copied it off a web site  

Lumiweld Kit can be used anywhere to make a strong fused joint [similar to brazing], using only a butane blow lamp as a heat source. It will work on almost any type or grade of aluminium including Dural, Birmabrite [Land Rover bodywork], zinc alloys, Mazak, pot metal and die cast, resulting in a joint stronger than the parent metal. Tried and tested widely in motorcycle magazine workshops, Lumiweld has hundreds of applications for the car restorer too, such as broken carb flanges, thermostat housings, rocker covers, cracked aluminium engine blocks and cylinder heads, etc.

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Thanks,Rick Phillips