What's the latest Tech. to weld Aluminum, cheap ?

[Calico]

What's the latest technology to weld aluminum ?
beside MIG or TIG ... is there anything else come cheap, portable and good result ?

I'm trying to buy the machine but confuse which one is best for me, portable and cheap.
I going to weld 7075 or similar Aluminum, don;t know which one to buy.
I bought TIG weld which AC ad DC switch, all I can do is just buy argon and the "gun". but would it be the best result ?

any idea ??

regards
rud

[ViperTX]

rub 2 pieces together until they fuse.....

The only inexpensive way to attach aluminum to aluminum other then welding is by bolting it together. Depending on how thick the aluminum is...the TIG is going to be at least $1700, not portable and not cheap. Miller 180SD I believe those are the correct numbers is the minimum entry sytem for decent results.

[traveler]

got two words for you if wanting a cheap way of joining aluminum---pop rivets--- no other option that I know of on the cheap

[vladdy]

bolt or rivet is the easiest for home shop, nice solid aluminum marine rivets properly peened over hold very very and look good..

as far as cheap welding, not many choices...I bought a used tig head [hf / wand only] a few years ago for 600 CDN, works well plugged into my old Smith welder..only drawback for me is the cost of the argon contract as I use it very little, in a corner of the shop someplace...

I tried the aluminum stick electrodes a bit, fair job, a little messier than tig, but no contract to worry about, good for aluminum trailer repairs on larger pieces, need a DC welder though..

I also tried the prefluxed sticks that use oxy / acetylene, and they 'kind of' work, came with a brush to preclean, then melt a bit of the special rod on, clean / wipe again, and then weld.. not like a real good weld, melting point of these rods was noticably lower than the parent metal, and were a bit picky on what varieties of aluminum it would work with. It was more like brazing than actual welding, but worked ok for reapir on things like lawn mower starter brackets and such. Messiest of them all, but still holding [I think]..they were a couple of bucks each from Acklands Grainger..

I remember back probably ten years or so, of a wierd looking oxy / acteleylene head , looked like a pistol grip or garden hose nozzle, worked well on thin aluminum as far as I recall...needed a bit on the carburizing for the flame, don't remember the name, but I think they were made in Australia..

[coherent]

about a year ago, I needed a couple of aluminum mounting plates and brackets welded for a plasma torch mount but was in a hurry... looked around the garage and found a couple tubes of Quick JB Weld... the parts are still together and show no signs of not remaining so after fairly frequent use on a cnc machine.
-Marc

[Jern]

Originally Posted by vladdy I remember back probably ten years or so, of a wierd looking oxy / acteleylene head , looked like a pistol grip or garden hose nozzle, worked well on thin aluminum as far as I recall...needed a bit on the carburizing for the flame, don't remember the name, but I think they were made in Australia..

Was it one of these? http://www.cut-like-plasma.com/

The name's changed a couple of times, I think.

[posix]

Well, if I remember my geography lessons correctly lotus glued the elise chassis bits together. Epoxy I think it was. Shouldn't be THAT expensive, or?

[vladdy]

Yep, sure looks like the critter I saw way back...
the one fellow that did some demo stuff with it was a repair welder at a nearby potash mine [IMC Esterhazy], and he was pretty good with it..
I still remember watching him weld up an aluminum soda pop can can, without turning it into a freeform art sculpture...

never did see one after that really...

[dansutula]

I've had good luck on non-critical aluminum joint applications using epoxy adhesives in combination with rivets. The rivets provide both positioning and clamping functions, while the epoxy provides additional strength and seals the joint. This is a "belt and suspenders" approach! In order to maintain a good bond line thickness, avoid squeezing too much of the adhesive out of the joint. To do so, you can use shims or a scrim cloth (screen).
FYI: Regarding the latest aluminum welding tech, google "friction stir welding". I saw sample parts at EWI (the Edison Welding Institute) back few years ago. Very cool, but probably not a DIY technology.

[tsutt]

Your not going to be welding 7075, as it is a non weldable alloy, as is 2024. Todd

[NC Cams]

On late nite TIV there is an infomercial wherein they sell an aluminum welding alloy that can be used with a propane torch.
Usually half asleep when its on - they often run it on Saturday afternoons on some of the DIY channels.

THey show it welding transmission cases and other stuff pretty nicely. Even passes a semi bogus "chisel" test. They show specs for the material as it flashes by on the screen. Surely SOMEBODY else out there has seen it/can recall the 800 number for it.

Since I'm a firm believer in TIG welding aluminum (as is appropriate for aircraft and race car work) I don't pay too much attention to the infomercial. However, it should be quite adequate for hobby work and could be a hand thing to have for anything less than aerospace work.

[tallwelder]

tsutt said it, do not try welding those alloys. There are methods for it though they are not for diy nor are they recommended for a structural part.
You did not say the thickness of the parts You want to weld but if You are learning welding and are joining sheet aluminum try oxygen/ acetlyne. For anything over .090 tig is recommended and so is experience! If the parts are over .250 You will probably want helium rather than argon and use dc. The salesmen at weld shops will tell You You can weld up to .375 with a 200amp torch and argon, this is possible only with lots of pre heating and not much fun. Anyone tells You different is not talking from experience just reading specs from a bogus book. good Luck!