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  #11  
Old 11-28-2018, 09:35 AM
AllyBill AllyBill is offline
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I usually get shot down for saying this but having learned both disciplines I still say that TIG is by far the easiest, cleanest and most versatile way to weld ali. Sorry. Just have to put the tail on this Common Tern. Made throughout with 5XXX aluminium in 1mm and 1.5mm sheet, fully TIG welded.



Tern.jpg
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  #12  
Old 11-28-2018, 09:45 AM
Stretch Stretch is offline
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William, did you add rod or simply fuse?
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  #13  
Old 11-28-2018, 09:52 AM
AllyBill AllyBill is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stretch View Post
William, did you add rod or simply fuse?
Both, depending on the effect I want but if a piece is to be polished or anodized I fuse or use scraps of native metal as filler because the welds become visible otherwise.
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  #14  
Old 11-28-2018, 09:57 AM
RockHillWill RockHillWill is offline
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Nicely done Bill. Clearly you have mastered your aluminum welding as well as your metal shaping. Excellent job, thanks for sharing.
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  #15  
Old 11-28-2018, 09:58 AM
John Buchtenkirch John Buchtenkirch is offline
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The advantages of gas welding aluminum sheet have been posted here many times but I guess I missed it, what are the advantages of gas welding steel sheet over tig ?

I used to gas weld everything in collision work and was actually pretty fair with aluminum as well. Then I bought the first mig welder in my area in 1978 and it was a blessing for auto body work . At a later date I got a tig welder. I am saddened by the fact that my gas welding skills have faded thru the years as well as my eyesight. I'm not even sure I can gas weld aluminum anymore, certainly not like I used to . ~ John Buchtenkirch
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  #16  
Old 11-28-2018, 10:03 AM
Stretch Stretch is offline
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William, thanks. Beautiful work btw. 👌
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  #17  
Old 11-28-2018, 10:10 AM
RockHillWill RockHillWill is offline
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Just to add one of my limited experiences with a problem with MIG welding. Prior to getting acquainted with gas welding, I restored a December 1931 Model A pick up with the then new style steel roof. It had very bad drip rails on both sides. The restoration shop that I used had a P9, a fabricated wheeling machine and an Eckold. I thought this was the shop to use, but as I got more into the restoration, I became disillusioned when they wanted to MIG weld the drip rails to the roof section. I had seen many issues with MIG welding while racing the stock cars but wrote it off to being 'rough service life'. They proceeded to over ride my input, but it turned out very nice. That particular truck was entered in five national events and won all five of them, and I was still thinking I did a good job, but after that fifth event I sold it to a Model A collector who took it to a show in Hershey and won some sort of a national award, but merely weeks later the roof cracked on both sides and the buyer was livid with me and I had to dance like hell to avoid a lawsuit. NEVER again for me! Since then I have paid attention and it very common to see cracks in MIG welded sheet metal welds.

This in only my opinion based only on my experience and observations.
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  #18  
Old 11-28-2018, 10:19 AM
AllyBill AllyBill is offline
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Thanks, guys. Appreciated.

Will
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  #19  
Old 11-28-2018, 02:51 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
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Default Sifalumin rods

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Originally Posted by Jim Tomczyk View Post
Has anyone any experience of these Ali tig rods that profess to be fully ductile and crack proof -or is it the more concentrated HAZ that is the root cause of the issue with tig Ali welds?

https://www.metals4u.co.uk/welding/c...m-1.0kg/p58040

From the content of 99.5% as claimed, I would say that the rod is merely the 1100 alloy that is so commonly available here in the USA.
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  #20  
Old 11-28-2018, 02:58 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
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Default Tig tacking - cracks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stretch View Post
Try Tig tacking a butt joint on 16 gauge aluminium without adding any filler rod if you are in any doubt about the stresses inherent in Tig butt welding aluminium sheet. I will guarantee you at least 50% of your tacks will crack. This exercise will substantiate my point with a lot more clarity. I've been involved in restoring aluminium race cars since 1984 (D-Types, C-Types and Lightweight E's etc) and never, ever did myself or any of the guys I worked with use the Tig setup for butt fusing aluminium sheet. It was common knowledge that Tig = cracks somewhere down the line on bodywork. I'm sure someone with metallurgy experience will be able to explain the 'how's and why's', but for us it was just fact based on experience.
As a side bonus, gas fusing aluminium is so much faster, so win-win.
Matt

The old-school master craftsmen builders who use the TIG-tacking, use it prior to gas welding the panels. Guys like Jim Hume, Phil Remington, Tom Hanna, Don Edmunds, Don Borth, Dick Troutman, Nye Frank, etc etc.

Maybe the new guys are doing load tests on tack welds ... and this is not making any sense to me.

Good techniques can be misused / misapplied.
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