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Aluminum Welding for Rookies ...

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mbima(at)hydro.mb.ca
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:42 am Post subject: Aluminum Welding for Rookies ...

(THIS IS RATHER LONG AND BORING FOR THE BUILDER NOT INTERESTED IN AL

WELDING - SORRY)



Some tips from a former rookie aluminum gas welder:



1. I welded my tanks with a big-ol PUROX.  I think it was formerly used

to weld engine blocks to locomotive couplers (what I want to say it that

it is a HUGE burner).  You ever try hammering staples with a

sledgehammer?



So, do you absolutely need the MECO torch or similar?  No.



The dumb thing I did was to order the MECO torch and ultra-light weight

hose AFTER finishing the tanks (I was learning 4130 tube welding now)

and it was 1000x easier to use the MECO.  It is well worth the

investment, to save time, frustration, gas, aluminum, and your wrist.

(I HAVE NO AFFILIATION WITH KENT WHITE OR MECO)



2. Aluminum welding absolutely requires a means to filter out that

orange flame.  Remember that aluminum goes from hard, to liquid, to

gaping hole without any color change.



3. Reading glasses inside your goggles will let you get closer to the

action.  You absolutely have to see that puddle start to form, and if

you are at arms-length away, you'll miss it.  I have perfect vision, but

have become addicted to those glasses for all welding now.  It makes

that little puddle the size of a football field!



4. A respirator.  I use one for all welding.  There is some debate on

this, but I err on the safe side.  Cooking fluxes and gaseous metals

can't be good for you.  The other benefit is that when you exhale, you

are not blowing warm, moist air on your work.



5. WATCH someone do it for a while - or even better - get some

instruction.  I could not find anyone local that melted aluminum with

gas, so I had Kent White fly up from California to show me how (in the

form of his video tape of course).  Just like painting, most of the

labour in aluminum welding comes in the prep.  I was welding a perfect

seem with a beautiful thick bead until I came to a speck of AL-oxide.

She glowed bright orange, turned dark-gray, and made a big hole.  Repair

consisted of scraping out the crud, filing down to shiny metal, and

adding lots of flux and filler.



6. Lots of practice.  The last practice piece I have is one where I

welded a 1" x 1" x 3/16" thick piece into a .025 sheet.



7. POST-Weld treatment.  Get that flux and other stuff out of there and

protect your work and work area.



8. Although you CAN cut the powder flux with alcohol, don't.  I did this

once.  I probably passed the flame to close to the cup of flux and it

took my 5 year old son to come into the shop and tell me that there was

a fire in the cup (I was wearing those blue goggles, remember - you

can't see orange flames).  No damage done other than one melted cup.

HAPPY WELDING

Martin Bima

Winnipeg

STOL-Vair

www.mts.net/~embima

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nfivesl(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:21 am Post subject: Aluminum Welding for Rookies ...

Martin - I found it very interesting and helpful. 

Thanks for taking the time to explain the process. 

The tip on wearing the reading glasses is a good one! 

I think I'll give it another try when I return from

Sun-n Fun.  



Thanks again,



Scott(DO NOT ARCHIVE)Laughlin

www.cooknwithgas.com

--- "Bima, Martin" <mbima(at)hydro.mb.ca> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <mbima(at)hydro.mb.ca>

 

 

 (THIS IS RATHER LONG AND BORING FOR THE BUILDER NOT

 INTERESTED IN AL

 WELDING - SORRY)

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