Is welding aluminum with a MIG machine any more difficult than steel as long as you got the correct wire/gas?
I can put down some good welds on steal but was wondering if aluminum requires a much higher skill? Bout to put my floors back in my boat and was trying to decide which way i need to go, my neighbor has a MIG set up for aluminum and I could pay him to do it for me or see if i could borrow his rig and do it myself alot cheeper. Just wasn't sure in the difference in difficulty in the two

There is a fellow right by the Hugo ramp that is good with aluminum repairs and fab work...

Right next door to Harp taxidermy in the bend of Gou Hole Road...

Im real good friends with Caleb Harpp...he tellsme that dudes higher than giraffes ass. If i gotta pay someone to do it it'll be my neighbor or i know they guys grandson that used to build empire boats and can work something out there.

Im trying to get an answer on my question though, I would like to save alittle bit of money and someone else time by doing it my self.

I don't see why you couldn't do it. I'm no expert, not by any stretch of the imagination, but I've done okay with the aluminum I've worked on. Steel is easier, but I was kind of learning both at the same time. If you understand how to weld, it should be a lot easier for you than it was for me, and I didn't think it was terribly hard.

If you know how to weld steel you will be better off. It's similar but not exactly the same.

4043 wire would flow better for someone that hasn't welded.

Best thing to do is cut a buncha pieces about 6" long by 2" or so and make welds on the 6" way. You can make all kinds if different welds with them.

Practice a lot before you go welding on your boat!


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If he lets you use his machine just get him to set it for you and you will be good. Im sure he can answer any questions you have better than anyone on here since you will be face to face with him.

Thats what i needed to know, thanks. I can weld fairly decent on steel, i've made several fire pits and smokers already so i can weld pretty decent. I'll have plenty of scrap aluminum laying around when i get done so i'll do alittle practiceing first. I just wasnt sure if aluminum required a whole nother set of skills..thanks again

Also I believe u have a gd boat right? That plate isn't .125 it's thinner and is a pain to weld if it's the original floor u pulled up and putting back down

No it where the pods were on the sides

But yes its the original floor. Im planning on riveting it back in incase i ever need to pull it back up for some reason. Only thing im gonna need welded in is a plate im putting in on the back corners so that i have alittle bit of a seat left in the corner on each side. Other than that the rivets will take care of the flooring. I'll practice on a few scrap pieces i cut out before i get to far though

Best advice I will give you is to practice on some new clean very clean scrap. The reason I say this is you will see a nice weld when you practice. One you start on a dirty ass boat you will know if it's you or the work is not clean enough. I have a PM 300 with a python lead MIG welder just for repairs on my boats. I just did some floor welding myself and was welding nasty dirty fish slime tread plate to dirty nasty fish slimey boat. Ugh. I'm not a welder but do know how to tig/MIG aluminum. I got my welder set up on some scrap and struggled until I bought some Alclean chemical to clean the slime and dirt up. It got better.

Sounds good, thanks

It is vary similar to steel