I got my hands on two Volvo car intercoolers for the pick-up truck turbo setup. I cut the end tanks off the other night and did a couple of test alum welds on some 16ga alum sheet. That was with a small MIG setup using Argon and .030" alum wire.
I couldn't weld the stuff for beans. Looks like I need a TIG to weld it up. I do steel sheetmetal bodywork all the time, but had a hard time with the MIG and thin alum.
Anyone have suggestions on which TIG welder to buy for welding intercoolers and intakes up to 1/4" alum.???
I have been looking at the Lincoln 185 TIG.

 

take a look on hobartwelders.com. a number of guys seem to like the ThermalArc 185 (TA185). seems like a nice unit, AC/DC, and priced reasonably. Not built in USA though.

is the lincoln box AC? Need AC for aluminum work.

I've been kicking that one around, but do I get a plasma cutter first? tough decisions. The TIG makes forced induction fab a whole lot nice though.

 

In theory, I like the Stick/TIG/MIG made by ESAB.
I've only seen ads for it in the signature series named after the Long Beach bike builder.
Appears to have the same case size as a 210 mig machine.
There's a unit made by thermal arc IIRC that can be used on 110v and is about $800 I was told. We had them where I used to work and they got abused. Held up just fine.
None of us were pro welders and lots of people learned on them.
They might not be quite big enough for fast 1/4" TIG.
But we did 16ga SS all day on them.
Did some 1/4" SS once too. We were too ignorant to go look for some SS rod for the stick machine. (In the other rod drawer)

 

Yeah, something running on 110V might be hard pressed for 1/4" AL. Al needs lots of current (AC, too).

there are inexpensive DC TIG machines for 110V, but Al. is not easily weldable with those.

unfortunately, from digging around, the TA185 seems to be the cheapest 'new' welder to handle aluminum. (you could, in thoery, add a tig torch to an AC stick welder 'tombstone' box and get AC Tig cheaper, but then that becomes a project unto itself).

the closest Miller/Lincon/hobart I belive get bigger (transformer), limited frequency, and no high freq start. and cost more to boot!

then there is a big gap between the ~200 amp machines and the 250-up machines, price and performance.

the hobart boards and the miller boards, are great places to find info.

 

did you heat up the alm. first? you have to have the hole piece hot before you weld it or the rest of what your welding "sucks" the heat out of where your welding.

 

Turbo setups are a good thing I guess. Now I get to learn how to TIG weld. I looked around and got a decent deal on a Lincoln 185 TIG. I don't know Jack about TIG welding. I have three intercoolers that I want to build so I guess the investment was worth it......or at least I think it is.

 

Just about any brand name TIG will do aluminum fine. I've got the Lincoln Squarewave 175, and it was great for welding the intercooler end tanks, piping, etc. Take some time in practicing with scrap, since the aluminum tends to puddle pretty suddenly, and can just drip off if you don't manage heat carefully.

 

I ended up with the same TIG that you have. It is just Lincoln's newer version of the 175. I picked up some scrap alum. to practice on. I should have the machine next week so it works out good that I can do a little practicing before doing the intercooler. It worked out good because it does stick welding to. Great for making more turbo manifolds out of stock GM manifolds.