MIG welding copper

[mash rookie]

Here is what I learned about MIG welding copper. I stopped by my welding supplier. It just happened that the smartest weld guy in the corporation was there.

He said "Yes, you can MIG copper. Its tough but its tough with a TIG as well". He said most guys MIG welding copper use silicon bronze wire but the color doesn't match. It looks kind of yellow.

Safe for our use.The MDS sheet shows it is 96% copper 2% silicon 1%manganese 1% nickel.

100% De-Ox copper wire is available but pricey. I ordered a two pound spool just to try it. I might buy some silicon bronze wire to try that too.

Here is the key to successful copper welding he said. The gas mix. He recommends a 75/ 25% Argon Helium mix. It will weld with straight Argon but not as well. It tends to stack and not flow out to the edges of the weld.

Not surprising considering that our MIG's use 75/25 carbon dioxide for steel and Aluminum welds best with straight argon. My stainless gas is different as well.

I have two welding gas small bottles, three foot tall. (I cant remember the CF volume) Usually keep one with steel gas, one with argon. They don't have that gas mix in bottles that size but can have one of mine filled for me or I can buy another bottle.

I will let you know how it works in a few weeks when I try to MIG some copper.

[Torp]

I would be very interested in seeing how this works out for you as I have a mig welder out in the garage that I am using to weld the body panels on my old car

[mash rookie]

Finally got a chance to try it today. Using deox copper wire in my MIG and argon from my TIG. Complete failure. Puddled on top with no penetration. I tried to weld 1/8" plate together. You can not get enough heat with the 35 K wire. Maybe if you used 50K or larger wire welding real slow. Maybe preheating your material?
Does not appear to be worth the effort when copper can be hard soldered easily for good strength or TIG welded with Silicon Bronze.
It was worth a try. I guess I just wasted $40 on that roll of wire. always willing to take one for the team.
MR

[Torp]

Thanks mash rookie, your dedication to the cause is to be applauded

To go where no man has gone before

[ozone39]

Not a total loss, you could still use that wire with a oxy/fuel process I bet with much better results.....

[maritime]

i have tig welded copper before.
it is much like aluminum. but you need even more heat to get it to puddle.
i used plain copper fittings and 12ga electrical wire for the filler rod.
did it, just to say i did it.
i think solders are more energy efficent for sealing. it takes a lot of power to weld copper. it disapates heat so fast.


i think your mig problems lie in the amps you tried to push. you machine may not have the balls to dump the amps into the metal.
can't remember the amps i pushed for L copper, but at times tig welding aluminum i was pushing 400amps. water cooled torch a must.

[mash rookie]

Not a total loss, you could still use that wire with a oxy/fuel process I bet with much better results.....

Or I could stuff several columns with it.

i have tig welded copper before.
it is much like aluminum. but you need even more heat to get it to puddle.
i used plain copper fittings and 12ga electrical wire for the filler rod.
did it, just to say i did it.
i think solders are more energy efficent for sealing. it takes a lot of power to weld copper. it disapates heat so fast.
i think your mig problems lie in the amps you tried to push. you machine may not have the balls to dump the amps into the metal.
can't remember the amps i pushed for L copper, but at times tig welding aluminum i was pushing 400amps. water cooled torch a must.

I had my welder pretty high. Its a good 240 volt machine that I weld some heavy mild steel with. The problem was that the 35K wire couldnt handle the heat I was using to try to get base metal to flow. On highest heat with the wire speed in a normal range it would just lay on top. Slow the wire down and drop peas. PITA
I have TIG welded copper with copper filler wire but it was a pain in the ass. Didnt have much better results with silicon bronze either.


Never used a water cooled unit.