Quote:
Originally Posted by ken4444
I did some reading on silicon bronze MIG welding wire. What was the benefit to using it here?
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Well, my personal observation about it is that it has a lower melting point which translates into less shrinkage in the weld area. It's softer than steel, which makes it easier to grind so you remove less of the adjacent material. On thin sheetmetal, that can make a big difference.
The downsides are that it can be finicky and ugly to weld. With the TIG, it doesn't like to bridge gaps very much. Both sides of the gap have to be wet before the weld puddle will form correctly. I noticed with the MIG (after just a few test welds to determine wire speed and amperage) it leaves a lot of smut and spatter. I'm using pure argon which is recommended, but some say a mix of helium and argon also works if the material is thicker. Too much wire speed is probably the issue with the spatter, but if you slow it down, you don't get a smooth puddle. Looks a lot like a cold solder joint.
At this point, I can't honestly weigh in on the cost/benefit of using it. I like it for applications where strength is less a consideration than cosmetics. Not much I hate worse than trying to be as careful as possible, only to have whoop-de-do's in the panel when everything cools off. MIG with EZ grind wire is not far behind, though.