[Dennis Hrvatin]

Can pure argon be used with mig welding without causing problems? I have tried it, seems to work, weld seems a little dirtier and no crackle sound and very few sparks while welding. Cheers

[ljdm1956]

Don't do it. I tried it, not good. All the pros also say don't do it.

[Poland308]

You might get away with it on SS or aluminum.

[ljdm1956]

Yeah, aluminum needs straight Argon. Steel needs 75/25, etc, for best quality. You get a taller bead, less penetration, more undercut with Argon.Don't know about S/S.

[weldin mike 27]

The issue is that you don't have the active part of gas (carbon dioxide, oxygen or both) to create arc force
That's why you don't get the same characteristics of a mig weld, but still get the inert shielding (no porosity)