Alloy welding

[pryantcc]

Hello All! Alloy welding: anyone done it? What did you use?

I have been contemplating having a go with some of the alloy welding rod things which you can get. It sounds like it's similar to brazing but less heat required. I'd be inderested to hear what people think of these products.

I'm not going for TIG because I only have a little bit to do & would have to buy a whole cylinder of pure argon & I don't think I can get it clean enough & I have some gaps to bridge which I find tricky at the best of times with TIG.

[pryantcc]

Ps. Did PC ever do a product test on these?

[pryantcc]

OK folks, this is becoming a very personal thread

I bought a Durafix easyweld kit from Ebay and was fleeced for the postage to Ireland, but that seems to be the way with these things! Anyhow, the upshot is that this kit works pretty well. I had some issues because the sheet aluminium I was welding was vertical as was the crack in it and I had no way of turning the car to make it horizontal. Aluminium is a very good cundoctor if heat, far more so than steel. This meant that in heating any 1 part of the crack to apply the filler rod, I also heated teh part which I had just welded. This caused the filler to run out of the crack. So, it was hard to keep the filer in teh vertical crack. Apart from that, it's a good kit with very clear and easy to follow instructions which I would recommend.

It is also worth noting that the filler is much harder than the aluminium,so not as bendy, etc. if that's relevant.

[Luxobarge]

OK folks, this is becoming a very personal thread

Sorry - didn't see this. I tried it once - I used my MIG with aluminium wire in it and a throw-away cylinder of pure argon. It worked - sort of. The weld was pretty difficult to control, and it filled the air with ash-like stuff, alluminium oxide I shouldn't wonder. However, it did the job even though it wasn't pretty, I reckon with more practice etc. I could get it better but I'm not sure I'd tackle a vertical split in sheet ally like you did - I was welding a solid cast steering wheel boss.

Anyway, all that's irrelevant now as you've already done it - interesting what you say, but it did the job eh? Let us know if you get any problems with it over time!

Cheers

[spiderbloke]

I also tried one of the rod welding kits and eventually got a reasonable finish, although in frustration I ended up using a shed load of heat barrier putty circling where I was welding and by doing little bits at each end of the crack in turn managed to get a reasonable job done. Using an oxy-propane torch helped rather than the butane only one I started the job with.

[pryantcc]

Using an oxy-propane torch helped rather than the butane only one I started the job with.

Yes, I concluded that my butane torch isn't quite hot enough. It takes it so long to heat the bit being welded that the whole area surrounding it gets heated up too. The kit does say though that a butane only torch is sufficient. I guess it is if you don't mind waiting! Unfortunately, I don't have an alternative. I might try to borrow one in future.

[sierra3dr]

I've tried the Lumiweld Kit from Frost,to make a plenum for a dgav. The need for additional heat other than the butane torch was needed,so the oven came to use. I've tried using the MIG but it was a battle to get the correct heat.

[bubs]

I got a 150te clark, argon shield light. I was told to use a larger tip than the wire, so i ran .8 mm ally wire in a 1mm tip and liner, I cleaned the ally up with brick acid, then distilled water, and i got a really nice weld on a bmw ally sump.

I tried that lumiweld stuff before, though it was ok at best, but if its done your job, then thats all that counts

oh and i pulled back on the weld rather than pushing into it like steel.

[spiderbloke]

Hi Bubs,
Isn't ArgoShield Light an Argon/CO2 mix?

Neat Argon will make alloy migging a great deal more manageable.

[bubs]

yup, but I had no issues.