Welding Tips and Tricks

Miller Mig 251
30A spool gun
I mostly weld aluminum

Part 1
Been thinking about this for some time.
My welder has a wire speed adjuster on the welder and also an adjustment knob on the spool gun. What is the standard protocol for adjusting wire speed? adjust on the spool gun. Do I turn the machine speed to zero and control from the spool gun? Or, do the opposite?
Either way I do it seems to work but I was just wondering if there is a recommended way to do this correctly.

Part 2
My spool gun runs hot. I usually turn the wire speed down and turn the voltage down a little too from the recommended settings. From here it welds perfectly - at least I like it.
How do you do it? Do you leave the voltage alone and just play with the wire speed only? Do you think of wire speed as amperage? I hear different opinions on this.

Jim

First question is always, did you read the manual? What part of it is in question for you?

You want to be able to control WFS at the gun, this allows you to fine tune the arc length.

My push/pull gun has the knob right under my thumb so I can adjust as the part heats up.

You are using a spray transfer right?

There shouldn't be any debate that WFS is your amperage, that's how it works

For about ten years I beat a 250 to death on Atka Island welding mostly AL. If I recall, the wire speed on the box is for the enclosed push mig gun and when the 30A is plugged in, wire speed is at the gun. FWIW, I ignore any pre-set and set up to my taste. On Atka the power was from a 150KW Deere generator and when breakfast lunch or diner arrived, one had to dance as all cooking was electric. I'm still that-a-way. Tune to what's be happening.