VIPER™ 185: Spool Gun Welding Guide for Aluminium

In this video, we set up the VIPER 185 for Spool Gun Aluminium welding.  First of all, plug the machine into a 10 AMP powerpoint and organise the suitable PPE (Welding Jacket, Mig Gloves, Welding Helmet).

Step 1: Polarity

Starting off our earth clamp goes into the negative panel-mount socket, while our Spool gun torch goes into the euro connection. Next, the polarity cable goes into the positive panel-mount socket and the nine pinned plug goes into the nine pinned plug socket. This makes our setup DC Electrode Positive (DCEP).

Step 2: Gas Connection

It’s now time to connect the gas hose to the gas inlet on the back of the machine and crimp it tight using a hose clamp. Insert the regulator tail into the other end of the gas hose and crimp using a hose clamp.

Now we connect our Argon regulator to the gas bottle and tighten using a spanner. The gas used in our video is Pure Argon gas, ideal for MIG welding Aluminium. Next step is to attach the other end of the gas hose to the regulator and tighten once again with a spanner.

Step 3: Spool Gun Setup

The 150 AMP Spool Gun is ideal for the VIPER 185.

Part I: Rollers

To access the roller, flip open the protective cover, untighten the tensioner screw and snap back the tensioner arm.

To change a roller insert the supplied spanner underneath the roller, and untighten the retaining nut, taking off the roller.

To replace, simply insert the desired roller onto the spindle, replace the retaining nut and tighten.

Part II: Initial Consumables

Firstly put on the gas distributor and screw on the tip holder, tightening with MIG pliers.

Part III: Installing the wire

To install wire, unscrew the housing cover and pull back the brake. Feed around 30mm of wire into the inlet tube and place the spool of wire onto the spindle, releasing the brake onto the wire to ensure the wire doesn’t unravel.

Make sure your wire feeds through the inlet on top of the roller and into the following guide tube. Next, clamp the tensioner arm closed and tighten the tensioner to apply just enough pressure so the wire will feed through.

Part IV: Feeding the wire

To feed the wire, pull the trigger on the spool gun until the wire comes out of the swan neck. Don’t forget to replace the housing cover and screw tight.

Part V: Attach final consumables

The next step is to screw on the contact tip, tightening with MIG pliers, followed by pushing on the gas nozzle and cutting off excess wire.

Step 4: Spool Gun Welding

There are two controllable parameters on this process, we will be setting it up for welding 8mm aluminium. The wire speed control determines how much wire per minute will feed through your gun, while the voltage controls the amount of heat and penetration. These two parameters need to work in harmony to get a sufficient weld.

Now that you have set your parameters, it’s time to turn your gas on to around 10-12L/min and attach the earth clamp to your workpiece. You are now ready to weld.