How to prep ally for TIG welding? (or is it MIG, me forgets)

[Warthog]

Given that the hurdles are coming up faster than I can jump them when prepping my Ural for Siberia, I'd be mad to give my self another to contend with, wouldn't I?

It seems that my grand schemes to mount two jerry cans around the back are coming to nought so maybe I should make my own, ally sheet, biult to fit the shape of the obstacles that are making mount the Jery cans so hard.

So, if I do how best to prep the ally for welding? should I allow a few mm less or more at the joins, should I just measure it all exactly to match as I want it to be?

[J]

make sure your TIG welder inverter is AC as many are not and only weld ferrous metal, the joints should be a nats nadjer apartto alolow for penertration. your welding electrode should be round not pointing like a pencil. Welding ALU is an art takes lots of practice with a TIG or you get big blobs no penertration and if your lucky electric shocks which wake you up. Using ALU wire in a MIG is far more fogiving and you dont get shocked.

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by J

Using ALU wire in a MIG is far more fogiving and you dont get shocked.

But you either need an AC MIG (rare as hell) or a MIG with a positive torch (Most are negative), also remember the Argon-Co2 mix normally used on a mIG/Tig for ferrous is no good for Aluminium, where straight argon is used.

Kymmy

[Warthog]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

But you either need an AC MIG (rare as hell) or a MIG with a positive torch (Most are negative), also remember the Argon-Co2 mix normally used on a mIG/Tig for ferrous is no good for Aluminium, where straight argon is used.

Kymmy

What shape head do you have that allows for all this know-how to get in and stay in?!?

I'm gonna start a thread entitled "Find something that Kymmy doesn't know heaps about".... don't expect many posts, though....


Top tips from both, mind. Please note, if this goes ahead I would only prep the ally sheet, not do the welding. Prep by me tends to save money at the welder's...

[Kymmy]

Remember as well that Aluminium welding produces a fair amount of oxide, if the metal isn't spotlessly clean then the oxide gets tainted and behaves differently causing a lot of splatter. Also having a ramp down feature on the welder is good for ally as the heat can;t transfer away from the joint as fast as it can with MS.

Kymmy

PS..I only know about welding as my dad was a Sheet Metal Worker

[StumpyFingers]

I tried gas welding ally once, it was hard work to get right, had to do it to pass my tests.