Everyone I've been talking to has said that welding aluminum is extremely hard, however I've found it easier to weld then Stainless or Mild. Right now I'm trying to build my own intercooler piping (out of 6061 Al) with 4043 rod (3/32) I Just started welding aluminum yesterday and I just started welding the day before that. I can weld on top of aluminum but getting 2 pieces of aluminum together is a different story, because one piece gets hotter then the other piece, should i stack the 2 pipes on top of each other (vertically) then tack and go from there or should I tack them horizontally and go horizontally?



That was the best weld I could lay down yesterday, btw i'm using a syncrowave 200. Can anyone give me some advice, or critique my welds to show me what i'm doing wrong? Hey I'm a beginner i'll take all of the advice i can get

 

clean, clean clean

and

practice, practice, practice

 

Yup, weld looks fine. Just keep it clean and practic like said above.

 

Welds look fine as Backpurge mentioned. Might want to work on filling that crater at the end though. Ease off the amps and add more filler at the end.

You just need to make sure that the basemetel is very very clean. The arc will wander around looking for the path of least resistance which will end up being any type of **** that is left behind during cleaning.

Just work on focusing the arc in the exact center of the joint and keep moving. It is easier to learn on flat stock btw.

Good luck and post some more pics when it's done.

I actually like 5356 better cuz it's shinier.

 

AHhh that makes sense, there is alot of aluminum polish on the pipe and if there is a little bit left behind, the arc spreads out. Is a wire wheel enough or should i wipe it down with acetone or something like that after It's wire wheeled?.

Should i use 1/16th's filler for joining the pipes together, and 3/32nd's for blow off valves?

 

make sure that you use a separate stainless steel wire brush that ONLY touches your aluminum work. and i actually put a bit of deoxidisor on the brush and then scrub with the wet brush and then wipe off with a clean rag with water on it. but acetone is good too cause it evap's quick. i think a wire wheel is unnecessary for aluminum cause its so soft, a hand brush is fine.

 

Carefull with a wire wheel as it can actually leave some of the brush imbedded in the AL. Don't bother trying to clean the surface oxide off as it will reform before you can start an arc

 

butt welding Al is tough because the puddle will try to pull back from the edge. I prefer to get a tight fit, up the amps and immediately feed a lot of thin filler rod to keep it from melting through. If you don't care about looks, start the puddle 1/4" away from the edge and move towards it - you should be able to build enough filler in so that when the blob hits the edge, it'll fill in like solder

 

Well guys I was making a noob mistake this whole time . I was using the standard tungsten in the torch which is the red 2% lol. I immediately noticed a difference with the pure tungsten. It kind of scared me at first since it's so much hotter then 2%. But i've made major improvements. What do you guys think of "Aluma-clean" that they sell at the welding supply stores?

Sorry for asking so many questions guys, but I've been trying stainless today, and the weld beads and penetration look good, however the weld it's self is very dull and grey, not like a golden/bright bead like most. Is there a specific reason for that?

 

Damn, you layed those beads on aluminum with a red striped tungsten?! Damn good job dude! As for the stainless...the dull grey color is from too much heat and/or not enough gas coverage. Turn the heat down and see what happens...or move faster..
Kyle

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blueoval557 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Damn, you layed those beads on aluminum with a red striped tungsten?! Damn good job dude! As for the stainless...the dull grey color is from too much heat and/or not enough gas coverage. Turn the heat down and see what happens...or move faster..
Kyle</TD></TR></TABLE>

What he said.

I use red tungsten for damn near everything including AL.

If I recall correctly so does RMF.

To each his own I guess.