Got a Lincoln 140?
Want make that badass weld on your Aluminum?
A weld for that striking weld selfie you want to put up on Facebook and show your buddies.
In this post you’ll find out what to use. And some video’s and pictures to help.
In the YouTube video below. You’ll see the Lincoln Electric 100SG spool gun for welding Aluminum unveiled.
From unboxing. The handy carry case it arrives in. To loading up your Aluminum welding wire and right onto the first welds.
Lincoln Electric 100SG Aluminum Welding Spool Gun
Video Credit: JakesSpeedShop
*Disclosure: This document contains affiliate links. And at no extra cost to you this site earns a commissions through these links should you decide to buy.
Can I Weld Aluminum On My Lincoln 140?
Do you have:
- A Lincoln Weld Pak 140 HD.
- Or a Lincoln MIG Pack 140.
- Or a Lincoln Pro MIG 140.
- Or a Lincoln Easy MIG 140.
And you want to double check if you can.
Yes!
You can buy and put a Lincoln 100SG spool gun on each of them. And start your exciting Aluminum welding journey.
Because they are all the same welder.
Sold by different distribution partners of Lincoln Electric. Under these various name brands.
Can A Lincoln 140 Weld Aluminum?
Yes!
Your Lincoln 140 has the output power to get you started on your Aluminum welding projects.
And just before you rush off …
Wait.
Welding Aluminum On Your Lincoln 140 Without A Spool Gun
You’ll find articles out there on the web suggesting you get yourself a Teflon liner for your MIG gun hose. And load your Aluminum welding wire into your Lincoln 140’s cabinet.
Then weld Aluminum on your Lincoln 140.
In theory you can.
And save yourself the cost of the spool gun.
BBBUT.
Aluminum is a soft metal. And Aluminum welding wire is much softer than mild steel wire.
And no matter how smooth the Teflon liner is in your hose. And how straight you hold the hose from your Lincoln 140 to your contact tip.
Feeding soft Aluminum MIG wire from your spool, across your wire feed, along 10 foot of hose to your contact tip.
Is just asking for trouble. And hours of frustration.
Something like feeding spaghetti through a straw.
You risk a rat’s nest of tangled wire for you to sort out. And Aluminum MIG wire isn’t cheap.
And when you do get your Aluminum wire to your contact tip.
Then.
Wire feed problems as your Lincoln 140 struggles with feeding your Aluminum wire all that way.
Ok. So someone, somewhere will have done it.
And you might be one of those people.
And it may work for a short quick job.
But there is a reason why Lincoln Electric created the 100SG spool gun.
With it you’ve a tool in your hand ready made to do the perfect job.
And your feeding your Aluminum wire only inches from the spool into your project or weld repair.
Because for most people and most situations. Just having a Teflon liner won’t get the job done.
Want to find out more about welding your soft tricky Aluminum metal?
Take a look at this article on the site to find out more.
Welding Aluminum is a MIG welding process. There are many reasons why you won’t find flux core Aluminum wire to weld Aluminum. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a Lincoln 140 or any other MIG welder.
If you’re curious to find out why you can take a look at this document here on the site.
What You’ll Need To Weld Aluminum On Your Lincoln 140?
1. Get yourself a Lincoln K2532-1 Magnum 100SG Spool gun.
(Commissions Earned Through Link)
2. Check the Input Power You Have Available.
Welding Aluminum well means you need to give your Lincoln 140 all the power it needs.
And this means using a circuit that you only have your Lincoln 140 on.
And nothing else while you’re welding.
Check there is nothing on the circuit pulling power away from your Lincoln 140.
You’ll need a circuit capable to sending your Lincoln 140 25 Amps at 120 volts at 60 Hertz.
3. Buy or Rent Yourself a Gas Cylinder with 100% Argon Gas.
You weld Aluminum with 100% Argon gas.
And if you’re looking for advice on buying or renting an Argon gas cylinder. Then do take a look at this article here on the site.
Set your shielding gas flow rate to 20 to 30 CFH (Cubic Feet Per Hour). You can go a bit higher if you find messy soot over the top of your weld.
Looking For A MIG Pak 140 Spool Gun?
Or a Lincoln Pro MIG 140 spool gun?
Or a Lincoln Easy MIG 140 spool gun?
Or even a Weld Pak 140 HD spool gun?
The Lincoln Electric Magnum 100SG spool gun will work for them all.
Remember earlier I said they are all the same welder?
They’re just marketed under different names.
How Do You Connect Up Your Magnum 100SG Spool Gun?
Open up your Lincoln 140’s cabinet.
1. First you loosen the thumb screw and disconnect your Magnum 100L gun.
2. Then you put in your Magnum 100SG spool gun into the same hole your Magnum 100L gun came out of.
And tighten back up the thumb screw.
3. Next flip the switch from the Magnum 100L gun to the spool gun setting.
4. Check Your Lincoln 140 is set to MIG gun positive for MIG welding Aluminum.
(there’s more info on that further on down this post)
5. Load up your Aluminum MIG wire.
Load your Aluminum welding wire into your spool gun. And put on your contact tips for Aluminum.
You get some Aluminum wire to start you off in the box with your Magnum 100SG spool gun.
6. Connect up your bottle of Argon gas to your regulator.
Then your gas hose to your shielding gas bottle and your Lincoln 140.
Success. That’s your Lincoln 140 ready to weld Aluminum.
Here’s a link to the Lincoln 140 manual if you’d like to take a look.
PDF Credit: Lincoln Electric
Capabilities Of The Lincoln MIG 140 Spool Gun
The Lincoln 140 spool gun holds 1 lb. spools of Aluminum welding wire.
You can put in 0.030 inch or 0.035 inch diameter solid Aluminum wire.
Lincoln Electric recommends 0.035 inch diameter Aluminum wire for their spool gun. But you can use smaller diameter Aluminum wire.
And you might prefer it when you’re welding thinner Aluminum metal gauges. You’ll need to get yourself some 0.030 inch contact tips to match if you decide to get yourself some thinner wire.
You’ll find a spool of Lincoln’s Super Glaze 4043 Aluminum welding wire comes with the spool gun. It’s 0.035 inch diameter wire size.
And you get 3 x 0.035 contact tips in the box. Plenty to get you started.
What Settings Do You Use On The Lincoln 140 To MIG Weld Aluminum?
Inside your Lincoln 140 cabinet door you’ll find a decal with the settings for welding Aluminum.
The settings assume you’re using Lincoln’s Aluminum welding wire. Their Super Glaze 4043 Aluminum MIG wire 0.035 inch diameter wire.
You can of course choose another brand of wire when your sample Lincoln spool runs out.
And when you’re ready to look at the best Aluminum welding wires, you can head over to this document here.
Look at the yellow headed colored column on your decal. There you’ll find your start settings for MIG welding Aluminum on your Lincoln 140.
Your Lincoln can MIG weld 20 gauge. 22 gauge. 18 gauge, 16, 14, 12 and 10 gauge thick Aluminum.
You read from left to right. Then top to bottom of the yellow headed column.
The furthest left column shows you your metal gauge. And for Aluminum it starts at 22 gauge as its thinnest.
Then you read down the Yellow Aluminum spool gun column. Your first figure is your starting wire feed speed.
And then you have the letter you set your output dial at on your Lincoln 140.
You weld with 100% Argon shielding gas.
The conditions in your workshop may vary. So be prepared to adjust these settings if you find they’re not quite working for you.
What Polarity For MIG Welding Aluminum With Your Lincoln 140?
You’ll need positive polarity.
And this means your Lincoln’s Magnum 100SG gun set to positive polarity.
You set your polarity inside your Lincoln 140’s main cabinet. By connecting your 100SG spool gun up to the positive terminal. The picture below will show you where.
Picture Credit: Lincoln Electric
YouTube Video Of A Lincoln 140 Welding With An Aluminum Spool Gun
Here’s a great 3 minutes 17 second video showing a Lincoln 140 welding Aluminum. You’ll find a great tip if you’re having issues with your spool gun’s lead kinking.
You see he gets a awesome weld on his Aluminum with the Lincoln 140.
Lincoln Spool Gun Welding Tips DIY
Credit: a2zVideoChnl
Before You Start Tips For Welding Aluminum With Your Lincoln 140
For mind tingling results.
Results to make you proud of your Aluminum welding. And your buddies envying you and your Lincoln.
Take the time to clean your metal.
You’ll find the extra effort worth it.
- Clean Aluminum is a must before you start.
Aluminum oxidizes quickly when exposed to air. And that’ll give you porosity in your welds.
- Use Acetone, or a flap disc for Aluminum to clean off your Aluminum’s surface.
- You can also use a wire brush to clean your Aluminum before you start.
- Use a wire brush designed for Aluminum. A brush you only use on Aluminum.
And use this wire brush on your weld after you’ve finished welding.
Last Tip
When you’re buying more contact tips for your Lincoln Magnum 100SG Spool Gun.
Pick contact tips made for MIG welding Aluminum.
Because those contact tips will expand the right way as you weld. And as your contact tip heats up.
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