Arc welding alloy tube.

[benji]

I'm scoping out the idea of making my own roof rack from alloy tube.

I've a cheap arc welder and can weld mild steel down to 1.5mm quite well.

What I'm wondering is, is it possible to weld alluminium on an arc, and how tricky is it?

Obviously a mig would be better, but i don't have access to one.



Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

[oldyella 76]

Benxi, I am in Kunnurra at the moment but if you are not in a hurry I can do it when I get home, as we can mig it for you or teach you and you can use our gear. But I will not be home for another 6 weeks.
Lindsay.
P.S will be bush for 2 weeks till Broome.

[weeds]

I haven't heard of arc welding aluminum......TIG is another option if your power source allows

[rick130]

I haven't heard of arc welding aluminum......TIG is another option if your power source allows

Except you need an AC TIG and a lot of power, an inverter DC TIG won't do it.

[incisor]

Except you need an AC TIG and a lot of power, an inverter DC TIG won't do it.

god bless the old motor driven dc..




can hear it whining in my sleep

[rick130]

god bless the old motor driven dc..




can hear it whining in my sleep

Geez, that's older than me !

[bee utey]

As a young lad I once worked in a shop that fabricated aluminium fire truck bodies and they used MIG quite extensively for materials 6mm thick and over. I used one of these machines to build prototype sorting machines and it was quite difficult to achieve the fine balance between the weld bead just falling off and the entire joint turn into a puddle. The dedicated ally MIGs were pretty powerful machines too and never did anything else. Cleanliness was absolutely essential.

Anything thinner, say 3-4mm, was done with a TIG welder with a foot pedal for current control. This was quite easy to use as you could ramp the current up and down as your weld changed orientation. I wouldn't like to do a roof rack as my first project with anything less than a top quality TIG after using that machine. It was great. No idea now what brand it was.

[Toxic_Avenger]

Pro weld do a 4043 aluminium rod, I've not had first hand experience with them, but know they're out there.
MMA process for aluminium is not a common process, as others say best to get a mig setup for aluminum, or an ac tig.

[dan007]

Just spoke to our welding inspection team at work(one has had 20 years Ali welding)
His response the rods are too cold. To hard to pool. And are not very good.
He said like trying to weld stick with wet 1.2 mm rods on 5mm gal pipe.
Can be done but result only good for the back paddock on the farm.
Un quote

Sent from my GT-I9300 using AULRO mobile app

[Toxic_Avenger]

Hi Dan,
I knew this, but the reason they exist is for the bloke trying to do a $20 fix for a $500 problem (which ends up costing more in the long run anyway)

I supplied a customer at work with a few packs- he was hoping to avoid buying a mig, but ended up caving in the end