CAN i WELD ALUMINUM ?

[escavader]

Im in the planning stages of a nice. cab for my bx. Im a pretty good self taught welder[arc]am sure i could do a great job with steel,was wondering about aluminum.thought i saw somewhere rods that would work on it.Probably would lighten things up alot .Plan on keeping unmodifyed steel rops intact ,so wouldnt think cab had to be super strong.so can it be done with an arc welder?
ALAN

 

[digger2]

There are aluminum rods meant to be used with an arc welder.All i've ever used them on is 1/8" and up.It takes awhile to get used to using them.
The "puddle" is very hard to see,slag running all over so you cant really tell what kind of job you are doing till you are done and chip the slag away.
I also think they are kind of expensive,but i did'nt buy them,i used them where i used to work and thats what my boss told me.
Maybe you could fab all your peices up and then have them TIG welded.
If there isnt too many joints it should'nt be that much $$$.
Aluminum when properly TIG welded is beautiful.I cant say that for the
aluminum stick welds.I tried for quite a while to get a real good looking weld with those rods,and although they do work,its not really pretty.
I think they are more meant for jobs when theres no TIG machine around.
But like i said,they do work.....Good luck.....Digger2

 

[rpoage]

Welding of non-ferrous materials (Alum, Mag, ect.) requires gas shielding (argon)to reduce weld contamination. This means MIG and TIG. A lot of fun but your buy in for equipment will not be cheap. Also Alum construction requires good engineering as fatigue cracking in areas with a lot of flex is not uncommon.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Those aluminum rods also have to be run on DC, I think DC- so if your machineis not capable of DC welding and is an AC machine only then you're out of luck.
I have also heard it is difficult and not pretty to weld with.

 

[firedog]

There is an aluminum stick electrode that does not require gas sheilding.
The Lincoln # is E4043, it requires a DC machine. (DC+)(TSC should carry them)

Like Digger2 said, it takes some getting used to.

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[skippy957]

A DC machine will weld aluminum but it wont be as good as a MIG or TIG.
Those MIG or TIG welders are equip with high frequency devise inside that minimize the contamination of oxidation during the welding process.
Forget the ac/dc welder and go with MIG equip with a push/pull gun on it or go see a shop.
It is hard to weld aluminum without cracks or bad finish with a ac/dc welder.

 

[rpoage]

If I was building a tractor cab I would use a steel substructure (1" x 1" sq tubing?) and attach alum sheet, diamond plate or fiberglass using mechanical fasteners. Easy to do and durable. IMO

 

[escavader]

Well,thanks all you answered my question.Looks like ill stay steel,since i have an ac welder,and want to do it myself.The planning continues

 

[DieselPower]

It's a shame you don't have a MIG welder. All you would need is another tank and a spool of aluminum wire.

 

[RonMar]

Even a small MIG can do aluminum. The 6000 series alloys weld well, with the right wire and a little weld area pre-heat. You have to be aware of the weaknesses incured by welding in your design. 6061 T6 yields at around 45000 PSI. When you weld it, you remove the temper in the weld area and that area is only around 1/3 as strong, unless you re-heat treat the entire structure(big oven, lots of hours). Unless weight is absolutely critical, I would stay with steel, especialy since you already have the tools for it...

 

[skippy957]

I do think that the best material for a cab is steel for the frame works. It will not crack on the twist movement of the tractor. Aluminum is light but not as strong as steel on repetitive movements. As soon that you weld 6061-t6 aluminum you will have utility aluminum (lower grade).
Also steel tubings are good for cab construction and you can also hide electric wires in it, and easier to weld.

 

[DaryleD]

A DC machine will weld aluminum but it wont be as good as a MIG or TIG.
Those MIG or TIG welders are equip with high frequency devise inside that minimize the contamination of oxidation during the welding process.
Forget the ac/dc welder and go with MIG equip with a push/pull gun on it or go see a shop.
It is hard to weld aluminum without cracks or bad finish with a ac/dc welder.[/quote

I just wanted to clarify what High Frequency does, so anyone interested can understand. Mig or Tig wolud be the way to go as stated. High frequency has nothing to do with oxidation or contamination though. A clean workpiece and shielding gas takes care of that. High frequency was developed to keep the arc going when running in AC ( alternating current ). AC current is current switching from negative to positive. When it switches from one to the other, it must pass through the Zero point which would cause the arc to go out. In order to keep the arc going, they imposed a High Frequency wave over the ac current. I'll stop here, so not to bore anyone.

 

[Northstar9126]

It's a shame you don't have a MIG welder. All you would need is another tank and a spool of aluminum wire.

I was under the impression that you also need a special spool gun. My welder ( Miller 210 ) offers an aluminium spool gun as an accessory. A small spool of wire is mounted on the gun itself. I always thought that was because the aluminum wire is too soft and would jam up in the liner that comes from the welder rollers. I havn't bought the aluminum gun ( it's quite expensive ) If there is a way to weld aluminum with my welder without buying the special gun I would love to hear.

 

[sandman2234]

Aluminum can be run in a simple push gun if the liner is new and clean and well maintained. The best way to do it is either a pull gun, or a push-pull combination gun. A little motor in the gun pulling the wire keeps it from binding so it doesn't bind as much. Great idea, not cheap to buy but probably worth it if you don't have TIG acess or experience, or need it done in a hurry due to time constraints.
My choice is TIG due to already having one and being able to run it, plus it makes such a pretty weld!
David from jax

 

[chucko]

I used them years ago on airboat rudders. I think you have to swap your + and - on the welder and it does not look as good as even mig does. lots of splatter so you will have to do lots of cleanup

 

[Rob-D]

I've welded alu. on small MIG machines. The wonderful little Lincoln 110v SP's.

It wasn't easy. Make sure your weld metal is cleaned with a SS brush that is only used for alu. And keep the gun line straight and taught or you'll bunch up the alu. wire. You can use the harder wire and not have it bunch up as badly but it isn't as good for welding. I think Lincoln sells a special liner for alu. and they have the process on their site explaining how to weld alu. with small MIGs.

Now I'm spoiled I use a Miller 210 MIG with a spool gun running 100% argon. Fast and easy but not as nice as TIG. TIG welders are the artists of welding if you ask me.
Rob

 

[Solo]

I like the Tig for aluminum. Make sure everything is clean clean clean.

Solo

 

[schmism]

My neighbor has a MM syncrowave Tig.

at wide open 180 amps he still maxes out at a little over 1/4" AL.

It takes a increadable amount of heat to weld AL, and then it doesnt act like steel. The weld pool doesnt glow red/orange/yellow when its hot so its not just like welding steel.

 

[MJPetersen]

The weld pool does get shiny like a mirror though. This happens just before the whole puddle drops though onto the floor!!

Mike

 

[sandman2234]

Gets shiney, bottom falls out and then you have to try to fill the hole before anyone notices you messed up. Usually happens to me when somebody has another shield and is watching closely.
David from jax