Alumiweld

[klejeune]

Okay, I know this may be close to JB Weld, but at least you have to use a torch of some kind.

Anyone ever use Alumiweld before?
Of course you can get it at Harbor Freight of all places.

I got some free aluminum ramps from a buddy to get my Cubs up into the out building, but the rungs are spaced too far apart for the front tires to go up smoothly. I want to add an extra rung in between each exhisting one. Then they would be spaced about every 3". The original rungs are just riveted in place. I could do that also, but thought the Alumiwelded rungs would make the whole thing more rigid.

Another thought I had would be after heating the ramps up to 730* would that make the base aluminum brittle and reduce the strength used as a ramp for a Cub? Or would I be safer to just rivet them in place?

No, I don't have money to buy a spool gun or bottle to weld with my Lincoln wire feed welder or to pay someone to weld them for me. But I thought for $12.99 I could try the Alumiweld.

 

[aschumacher]

Keith, years ago there was a similar product that I tried with mixed results. My instinct says if you dont have a small tip torch your gonna melt down the whole area with a Mapp or Propane head. Price isnt too bad...practice on something else to see how it works and let us know results.

 

[kide]

Keith:
Despite the various ads, it isn't "welding" - it's a type of brazing or soldering..
Welding is a fusion of the base metal parts - aluminum melts at 1220.666 degrees Fahrenheit, not 730, so you'd never fuse the pieces, but would be joining them with the filler rod as the joint. Is there a problem with this? I don't think I'd trust a ramp, ladder or other load bearing item that was put together with it, although, that's JMHO..

 

[bnolte]

I tried some of that aluminum brazing rod with a MAPP torch to try and fabricate a luggage rack for my old V30 Magna. Done properly, the alumiweld rods can make a strong repair. The problem is that the metal doesn't really have a plastic state, it goes from a solid to a fairly thin liquid almost instantly. Another problem is that Aluminum tends to oxidize rather rapidly when heated anywhere close to its melting point. I managed to join the metals, but it was an ordeal, and the results were somewhat disappointing and messy from repeated attempts to do the aluminum brazing. Granted, I'm not a professional welder either.

The best way to weld Aluminum is to use a MIG or TIG outfit, and practice on scrap before doing anything critical.

 

[mjohnson]

I always wanted to try that stuff but having heliarc never bothered with it. If I were you I think I'd stick with the pop rivets. Marshall

 

[kide]

Marshall: "but having heliarc"
Actual Green and Yellow Linde ? (or Blue - or heaven forbid - Red)??

I had a Linde stack I traded off last year for Blue.. I kinda miss the old guy after 30 years, but I got out of it what I paid for it and got amperage control without walking back to the power source and turning the crank....

BTW - that rod IS good for sticking pop cans together - I saw it at a county fair (great place to sell welding supplies)- but I still haven't had anyone hire me to fasten a 12 pack of cans together..

 

[jegstad]

Keith,

Do you have access to a oxy-actet torch? Get some flux and eye protection from this guy http://www.tinmantech.com/ and have at it. This guy can weld any aluminum from pop cans on up using the same technology that put hundreds of thousands of airplanes up in WW2, welded by women no less. Yes it's old school stuff but the weld quality you can achieve with practice will be better than any Mig or Tig setup .... but it will take practice. I've seen this guy's talks and lessons close up at the EAA and he is a real pro, not some carnival pitchman.

BTW don't try this without the special eye protection because the flux glare will go right through any normal welding eye protection.

JimE

 

[kide]

Jim:
I agree, real old school craftsmanship - and it is real fusion welding, not brazing or soldering. Better than TIG ? well, he is a little bit of a showman - his examples of the back side of a TIG AL weld obviously didn't follow best AWS proscribed practices or it wouldn't look like bird s..t ... and AFAIK, 6 to 20 porosity failures on a TIG'd tank would get the weldor packing... But he is great at sheet metal (you notice they don't talk about welding heavy AL with the flux - it may work, but it's not practical if TIG is available.).

And just so you don't think I'm TIG happy, I like the looks of those flat fusion welds a hell of a lot more than the "robotic" stack o' dimes that seems to be the only accepted weld for AL today..