I use those Crown Alloys Royal Kirkrods with a torch and they work pretty well. With a mig you need Argon gas so thats out. Got a buddy with a welder?...Bob

 

I'd do all the fitting and then take them to somebody that has a Tig or spoolgun all set up to go. If somebody brought me a couple frames and said here, tack these together. It might cost them a $20 bill. I'd prolly do half a dozen of them for that cost. But that's just me....

 

Ballpark figures: You can get a cheap 110 volt MIG machine with gas-hookup for under $400. For aluminum, you will need to use gas. Remember, you need the "true" MIG (with the gas-connection) not the REALLY cheap versions that are just wire-feeders and have no gas-ability. And the "adjustable wire feed" is standard on all MIG machines- generally you'll have just two settings on the front of the machine: Amperage and Wire Speed.

A small tank of Argon (something around 40 cubic feet if you arent doing too much) will probably be about $100 filled. For aluminum, most people prefer to buy a spoolgun as well, since aluminum wire is soft and pushing it through the 6 feet of welding cable will frustrate you with frequent jams. Spoolguns are generally pretty costly though (I haven't seen a name brand one for under about $150). Again, these are ballpark numbers- you can probably pay far less if you look around a bit.

If all you're going to do with it is 1/16", a 110 volt MIG machine will have enough power and do you nicely. As for the machine settings (amperage, wire speed and gas flow) many machines will have a chart on the door (or in the manual) that will guide you on the setup.

In terms of cost- I don't know your budget but I always take the opportunity to speak out against the cheap Chinese crap that has flooded the North American welder-market. You can find some very inexpensive machines but with welders, you generally get what you pay for. Unless your budget forces you to buy one of these cheapos, find yourself a decent price on either a Lincoln, Hobart or Miller. You'll be happier in the long run.

 

Why Aluminum if they are going to be covered in fabric?

Wood would be my choice since then I could staple the Fabric to the back side- but I don't know the project

 

If you don't easy access to the necessary equipment, you might also consider an adhesive. Something like this should work:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Box-of-12-Loctite-Fixmaster-Metal-Magic-Steel-Epoxy_W0QQitemZ290353241621QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item439a66de15

 

If I didn't have an ALUM welder, I would use the ALUM rod with a propane torch, It,s fast, cheap and fairly strong. I've used it to fix radiators with no problems.You can get some from HFand try it. Darrell

 

I'm looking for the quickest, cheapest way to do this & I've been told that I can do this with a low (or variable) voltage/amp MIG welder that has adjustable wire feed, and that I can also do it without gas.
Can someone help me out with some answers? If I can use a MIG, I need to know what volt & amp range I need to stay in. I need to buy the right equipment the first time around.
I tried using Alumiweld rods & they work really well except I could only do one side of the tube at a time. When I went to do the other side of the tube...the previous weld melted because of the temp needed to make the bond. -Thanks-

I really doubt mig is the cheapest way to go unless you plan on large scale production. As others have mentioned I'd look at silver solder or the alum brazing rod. It sounds like the torch you have may be a bit large if you are melting the other side when you try and do the 2nd side. One thought would be a smaller hotter torch, Oxy/acetylene or air/acetylene or possibly one of the professional air/propane torches HVAC guys use. The other thought would be to try and keep the 1st side cool. Maybe a wet cloth, a pan of water that covers the original joint or the 1st side laying on ice to dissipate the heat while you do the 2nd side. Alum is a good conductor of heat. You either need to get it hot fast so it doesn't have time to transfer to the other side, or do something to reduce the heat that is getting there.

Another good option might be an epoxy type glue if your joint design is right or as suggested wood or some other material.

I'd do all the fitting and then take them to somebody that has a Tig or spoolgun all set up to go. If somebody brought me a couple frames and said here, tack these together. It might cost them a $20 bill. I'd prolly do half a dozen of them for that cost. But that's just me....

You might add your location to your user CP so we know where you are. I agree with Boostinjdm. If it was only a couple and they just needed to be tacked I could see doing them for a twenty or so if everything was set to go. I'd bet others would probably offer to do the same. That's most likely your cheapest route.



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I missed the statement about the easiest and cheapest way and instead focused on the questions themselves which were about MIG...
If you want easy and cheap for joining a couple of pieces of light aluminum that won't bear weight, a MIG welder, gas, tank, spoolgun, etc is not even close.
If easy and cheap are the prime criteria, adhesives or brazing are the answer.