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I got my hands on a Hobart Ironman 230 mig welder a while back and filmed several videos with it.
Here are the tasks I did using this Hobart mig unit…
16 ga (1/16″ thick ) ( 1.5mm thick) hot rolled steel outside corner joint.
1/8″ wall square tubing.
1/4″ hot rolled steel plate lap joints using both straight co2 and 75/25 argon/co2 mix.
root pass in 3/8″ plate beveled to 37.5 degree using a 1/8″ gap.
1/8″ thick 3003 aluminum plate practice beads.
3/4″ thick 6061 t6 aluminum plate.
An aluminum fixture using 3/4″ thick plate and a 2″ thick hub.
And here are some observations I noted using the Hobart IronMan 230 Mig welder…
The voltage knob has tap settings but I did not find that to be a problem at all.
The mig torch cable that comes with the Ironman 230 is 15 feet long and that came in handy for reaching around the welding table.
Straight co2 works fine for 1/8″ and thicker, but is hot for sheet metal.
For aluminum welding with the spool gun, It was kind of hard to dial in the sweet spot on 1/8″ thick aluminum.
As I tried thicker aluminum welding …like 3/4″ thick, it was much easier to dial in a smooth arc.
Preheat was the single biggest help when welding thick aluminum using the Hobart IronMan 230 and spool gun.
The Hobart IronMan 230 would be a valuable addition to most job shops in the market for an economical mig welder that is powerful and is able to mig weld aluminum.
( And as always, feel free to visit us at our sister site, WeldingTipsAndTricks.com. )
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June 11, 2017 at 9:42 PM
Hello,I read your new stuff named “Hobart Ironman 230 – Mig Welding Tips -” like every week.Your story-telling style is awesome, keep it up! And you can look our website about love spells.
January 30, 2012 at 10:15 AM
Lookin’ good Vern!
Thanks again, Jody.
Paisano
January 25, 2012 at 4:45 PM
Jody –
Looks like something is a miss again with my account. I cannot seem to open any of the vids on the site. I feel sure I had signed up before.
I was trying to reference the video where you use the caliper measuring device to scribe the line on the steel. I am looking to see the size and type of it. Frankly, if you have it and are doing the level of work you are with it, it has to be good enough for me.
Thanks.
T
January 20, 2012 at 2:40 AM
Jody, i subscribed to votw to avoid the buffering that is sometimes on u tube. All was going well til about 8 weeks ago when i wasn’t able
to start the video on votw. The pic at the start of the clip presents as normal , as does the text. The pic has no start arrow in the middle and the black strip at the bottom of the pic has no symbols in it either. I’ve tried clicking in the pic and all over the place with no success so have returned to welding tips and tricks and put up with the buffering when it occurs.
If you or your son can’t offer a solution, would it be worth re registering for votw?
I enjoy every installment, even though they don’t always relate to what i do (sculpture).
Paul D.
January 21, 2012 at 2:02 AM
PaulD… please dont waste Jody’s time with such drabble.
January 23, 2012 at 12:42 PM
Paul-
Sorry for your trouble. This problem has surfaced with a few people – and I’ll be honest… I’m not quite sure how to fix it. Some people just click “Video of the Week” in the top bar, and then choose their post/video, and all is well. Give that a try, and if that doesn’t work, try updating your browser (or changing browsers, if you’re using Internet Explorer – it is often problematic).
Thanks for the feedback.
Best,
Jody