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Feb 28, 2006 22:44:57 GMT
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Related to my inlet manifold question. Who on here has done any aluminium welding, and what method do you use. I have done a couple of little jobs before. I tried mig welding aluminium many years ago (before I could even weld steel which wasnt the best way to start) and had very limited success at the time. I have done a bit using technoweld and for what it is I was quite impressed but I don't think its the best suited to what I have in mind. Or my other option is to get a Tig kit and use that which I have considered for a while, but obviously works out more expensive initially but will probably pay for itself in the long run.
Any advice much appreciated. ;D
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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Aluminium weldingslater
@slater
Club Retro Rides Member 78
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Feb 28, 2006 22:51:14 GMT
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TIG all the way, Its the only way to get a proper weld on most stuff. I'm not sure on MIG but i would think it would be very difficult. Gas is only any good for thin sheet and even then you have to be a welding genious and use fancy flux etc.
I learnt to weld steel with gas before i used TIG which helped alot, If you have only used a MIG before then i think you will struggle to weld ally. Then again practice makes perfect!
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Feb 28, 2006 22:59:15 GMT
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TIG all the way, Its the only way to get a proper weld on most stuff. I'm not sure on MIG but i would think it would be very difficult. Gas is only any good for thin sheet and even then you have to be a welding genious and use fancy flux etc. I learnt to weld steel with gas before i used TIG which helped alot, If you have only used a MIG before then i think you will struggle to weld ally. Then again practice makes perfect! I have done quite a bit of arc with 240V machines, oil filled and inverters and reasonable amount of gas welding as well. Any recommendations on a reasonable spec to be looking for in a Tig machine. I have seen a few inverters with Tig kits for around £250 but I wouldnt bother considering them as I am pretty sure that they wont be upto much but my budget wont stretch into the £1000+ mark either ;D
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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Aluminium weldingslater
@slater
Club Retro Rides Member 78
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Feb 28, 2006 23:24:32 GMT
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Well it depends on what you want to weld i guess. The bigger the chunk of ally your trying to weld the more amps you need. Small work like catch tanks and header tanks only require a fairly small welder but if you want to be able to weld castings like cylinderheads you need a biggie with watercooled torch etc. don't forget to add the cost of a decent mask, set of gloves, supply of diffeant diameter rods and electrodes. It all adds up!
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The £250 inverters will not do Ally either, you need AC/DC Tig for Alloy Not worth buying a cheap one.... If you can Gas weld and you have a decent oxy/acetylene set up , then use that.... Its much gentler and in someways easier on Castings or bigger stuff as the heat spreads and you get good penetration. Its also the Daddy for tanks as they don't split in a crash like TIG welded ones can 1" from the weld ;D Get a stainless steel wire brush and fire up the torch ;D If you eventually get a TIG plant then the experience of Gas welding Alloy will make it a hell of a lot easier ;D
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I have a TIG inverter and its fine for doing inlet and exhaust manifold work, leaves lovely welds with good penetration.
Agree with dom about the gas being a very good way to learn TIG, it gives you the torch control that is needed. Once on to tig the only difference is the distance from the torch to the work is critical, this can take some time to get right and keep right!
J
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All advice much appreciated I`ll start getting the practice in with my oxy/acetylene then. I presume using gas there is no need to preheat the item being welded as basically thats what you are doing with the torch but I would guess you also have to make sure it doesnt cool to quick to make sure you don't get cracks in the weld, admittedly the cooling shouldnt need to be as important on an inlet manifold as anything structural. Also is a flux needed to act as a shield when ally welding to stop it oxidising or can you get away with welding without as long as all impurities are cleaned of with a stainless brush.
Has anyone tried mig welding aluminium, as far as I know its easy for thicker aluminium but you need to make sure that what you are welding is upto a decent temperature before attempting to weld.
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SidewaysGTM
Part of things
Spending my time at the Race track, Pub or in an Engine
Posts: 227
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You can get little inverters that do AC, therefore Ally is pos with them used one myself when a mechanic for a GT team we had thin ally ducts on the oil coolers etc that would get damaged everynow and again so i got quite good at using it to do thin stuff, as other have said experiance with gas and doing steel before hand is a huge help, i did some three years of steel before i could succesfully do ally on the tig, the time I spent down at Andy Robinson race cars helped loads as Andy is very experianced and he gave me some good pointers to get my Tig better when i had just started I learnt on flat plates at college, welding a chassis together is something completly different and the tips/experiance was a great help.
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Live life sideways, Honda Powered GTM Coupe, you better belive it GTM Coupe VTEC Constant progression and acceleration 67' Triumph Vitesse 2ltr [finally decided what to do with it, at the planning stage] 92' Mini nearly std [SOLD and Missed] GTM ownersclub forum
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With oxy/acetylene the flame is the sheild, and so oxidising is minimal. The heat is also much better spread than TIG as the peak temp is much lower.
J
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