Welding sticks for aluminium

Hi folks

Has anyone tried the aluminium welding sticks and if so what success did you have and with which brand and from where ?

Im looking at welding 1.5mm aluminium plate and tube.

I would dearly love to find something that is low temp easy flow. ( iknow its a big ask for ali )

I had tried a couple of sticks in the past but Im finding its a bit hit and miss. I guess Im looking for thin sticks.

Ta

carl

See previous posts.

Search for welding aluminium or aluminium welding, etc

I got some from ebay, not easy to use, very messy and splattery even on an ok welder

Takes practice methinks, havent used them seriously yet... not cheap

Saw a chap on ebay using alu wire/gas

Seems to be a subject that needs pretty serious setup and dedication, not really a plug and play job unless you get lucky, I think the settings are a lot more critical than steel work

Sorry chaps, my fault

I mean the sticks you would use in a similar fashion to soft soldering

Low temperature welding is something that requires practice AND the right heating equipment.Thin sheet and tube more so. A rough country job can be done by a novice and basic tools - Sometimes ! There will be a fellow at the Midland show selling and demoing the rod( alutight), there will be people also with the heating gear. If you can already weld or braze then that will be a handycap as the process is VERY different. READ the instructions and do JUST as it says, then practice ! Good luck. Noel

Most recent thread on the different makes/types was Link

I have just built up a threaded boss on a pot metal gearbox . I hit a branch and cracked the bearing end play adjustment boss. The build up is sloppy and hard to control, I am getting better, a hand held chill bar should help. I am going to go down and mount the gear box in the lathe and bore it and thread it as soon as I get away from the computer, I will take some pictures to help future bodgers.

I agree with Noel that it takes practice but if it was easy what's the point?

It's not actually welding though, is it?

John

Nope. Brazing (was that originally derived from brass?) or soldering? But no material fusion like proper welding (with or without a filler).

.

More likely brazing derives from Brazier

MichaelG.

About 20 years ago I used some welding rods called Lumiweld to repair a Motorcycle alloy front fork leg. A mudguard stay had been removed for some reason. As I was restoring the bike (Matchless 650 CSR) to original I needed it there..

I made a new piece and welded it on using the aforesaid Lumiweld . It made a very strong joint which remained in place as long as I had the bike.

This involved the use of a blow torch for the heat. I still have the rods ,but have not needed to use them since. I was impressed with it. One of my mates, an engineer, used it and also was impressed.

I hope this is of interest. Yes it works and is not messy.

Rob

+1 for Lumiweld, not sure if the rods are still available though - I picked them up at a show many years ago. Used for various repairs on bikes and odd machinery items, always successful, if not particularly neat, there is some skill involved in getting results like the demos.

Rob

The fork repair I did looked fairly neat when done, but I filed and polished it, and it looked good. the only thing that I noticed was the new metal didn't match for colour. I was however the only one who spotted that ! I never pointed it out to anyone.

Rob

I just had a quick search and it looks like Lumiweld is still available.

Rob

I bought some from the last show at Harrogate, I used it very successfully on ally Sweet Pea smokebox saddle castings which had been massively over fettled at the foundry. I built up approx eighth of an inch along the top edge of the casting and then machined it to size. Absolutely undetectable when finished and machined well, still haven’t finished the locos off yet though, maybe next year, maybe not!

I bought some ali welding wire from the Swedish Chef at the Harrowgate show.

He demonstrates and then invites you to have a go, and I did, and it works! It requires a different technique as has been said, but it seems easy enough to pick up. He uses a torch, not an iron, but it's not a big flame, and there is little other kit, just a spike to scratch the oxide off the alloy.

The wire seems very expensive at about about £25.00 a metre IIRC but he measures out "Swedish Metres" by stretching out his arms, and he is quite tall, so you get about 6 feet if you buy a metre. And it seems to be reusable.

He insists it welds, forming an alloy with the ali being joined, and I don't know if that's right or not, certainly thin ali sheet melts right through when you joint something to it, you can see the imprint on the reverse of the sheet. Which does not seem like soldering which I always think of a a surface effect like glue.

So, if you are going to the show, find his stand and try it for your self and buy a piece to take home.

Rod

It is ALUTIGHT, on stand 59 at the midland. Noel.

No, it's like low temperature gas welding, the weld pool definitely eats into the work. Overdo it and you will eat a hole right through it. Very different to sodlering but quite fun.

Neil