Aluminum is a tricky metal that makes it slightly difficult to weld compared to other metals such as stainless steel and others. This is because it takes more heat compared to other metals to weld. To weld aluminum for a welder, it has to produce more heat than others. That is where the question comes how many amps does it take to weld aluminum?

Without knowing the right amps for the welder, you cannot choose a good aluminum welder that can work perfectly for your project. So make sure you know it properly and choose the right welder for your project for maximum effectiveness and efficiency. 

How many amps does it take to weld aluminum?

So, how many amps does it take to weld aluminum? Well, it depends on the welder you are going to use and the depth of the aluminum you are going to weld. Also, there are some other determinants as well. When you know those, you can easily determine how many amps you will need for your welder to weld aluminum perfectly. 

A common rule of thumb is that you will need 1 amp for every 0.001 inches of metal you are going to weld when other variables are constant. That means if you want to weld 1/8-inch aluminum, you will need around 125 amps when other factors are constant. So here are the factors that will determine that amps along with this rule of thumb. 

The thickness of the aluminum

The thickness of the aluminum plays a vital role to determine the amps of the welder. If you need to weld thin aluminum, you will surely need fewer amps. On the other hand, you will need higher amps when you are going to weld a thick aluminum. So know the thickness of the aluminum you are going to weld and then you can easily determine how many amps you will need. 

Types of welder

Along with the thickness of the aluminum, you need to know what types of welder you are going to use. There are different types of welders available in the market. Among them, mig and tig welder are most common. Tig welder offer DC current only where mig welder offer AC and DC combinations that make the later one perfect for welding aluminum. These two types of welder require different amps to weld 
 
the aluminum. You will find it on their manual and also, you will find the capacity of the welder as well. So, know the type of welder you want to use and it will help you know the amps you require. 

Welder quality

Moreover, welder quality also varies from welder to welder. Even if you are going to use mig welder to weld aluminum, you will find different brands selling mig welder. You can easily understand that the quality of those welder will not be the same for sure. If you choose the wrong mig welder, no matter how many amps it is, it cannot weld aluminum properly for sure. So to be sure about it, make sure that you are using the best quality welder. 

Tips to weld aluminum effectively 

Not only choosing right amps for welding aluminum will provide you effectiveness and efficiency, but also, you have to follow these tips.

• Make sure you have cleaned the aluminum metal properly so that nothing else can come into contact with the aluminum during the welding. 
• You need to clean all the dust and debris grown from the welding rod along with the metal to ensure nothing disturbs the welding.
• If possible, preheat the aluminum up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit that will help you easily weld this tricky metal.
• Make sure you have taken all the safety measurements possible including glasses, boots, and gloves.
• Hold the torch at 10-degree angle and the filler at 90-degree angle to work effectively with the aluminum. 

Conclusion

So, how many amps does it take to weld aluminum? You cannot say exactly how many amps you require. However, if you the factors that determine the amps you require to weld aluminum, you can easily figure out how many amps you need. We have mentioned almost all the determinants so that you can understand the amps requirements for your upcoming project. So make sure you have followed those and calculate right amps for your welder so that you can weld aluminum effectively and efficiently.