2017-2018 An update.

 Hello :-)

I'm back, never left really.

The boat has been so much fun to get out on when possible, the last two years have been more difficult due to obvious reasons, trying to avoid using 'C' word. Most of the trips have been on our south coast, Jervis Bay and the Basin/ Sussex Inlet to be exact with another trip planned soon. When I finished building the boat, I sold my MIG welder to recoup some costs but I always regretted that, the TIG has been great to hang onto but its just slower, a lot slower. 

Well, its 2022, new welders have come to market and I have just purchased a SWS ALUMMIG 230...whoaaa.....what a machine! Single phase and synergic double pulse modes for just over $2KAUD...I couldn't resist! The weld in this photo was pretty much my first aluminium MIG weld in 8 years, I was very impressed, especially considering that it was made with a conventional MIG gun, not a push-pull gun. With a little more practice and tweaking of settings, this MIG will match TIG for boat building purposes in my opinion. What I noticed with the double pulse mode was how you can really slow down without overheating and distortion and do loooong welds. Slowing down gives so much more control so you can make decisions and adjustments as you push the puddle, its a joy, really! The supplied torch also comes with amp control built in which is very handy.

The ALUMMIG 230 has a 4 point roller system and comes configured for aluminium right out of the box for you. So what does this all mean? Well, I may be building another boat in the future, something smaller  and more manageable for bay/ estuary and light inshore work. It may mean the sale of Tailor-Made one day but I will certainly be ordering another kit through CNC MARINE again. For anyone interested, SWS can be found here:

https://swswelding.com.au

The SWS Team have been amazing to deal with too.

Until next time!

AUMMIG 230 Double Synergic Pulse 1.2mm 5356 wire. 3mm tube with 5mm gusset. You will notice, the weld direction (right to left) hot start enabled looked OK but the weld became hotter as it moved to the left. In hindsight, this is where the torch amp control buttons can be used during the weld or you can use 4T control to change weld parameters during the weld. The weld was clean of soot and spatter was minimal, with further refinement possible. The weld was uncleaned when the pic was taken.