Back in the day I was quite good with torch welding 20 gauge sheet steel, a MIG came along and have been hooked for a while now. In our window shop we have a project requiring welding 1/8" 6063 T5 aluminum. Does anyone out there have experience with this technique or advise against it.

I am currently hunting the magic flux, but no success yet

I have enough experience to know that if you aren't experienced, you shouldn't try it. When aluminum gives way, it goes all at once. your risk of melting the aluminum is high unless you have enough material to practice beforehand.

I suppose TIG welding is not an option for you?

Ask @Rick 918-S
He knows how to weld air.

rich

Spool gun on a mig welder?

Argon in the Tank

Flux for aluminum

I like the products from here.

Thank you, it's on the way

years ago I did some aluminum welding with a MIG, should have invested in a spool gun, but got the job done.

I am confident that I will be able to get this completed with the torch

Glad to hear t. Please post pics one way or the other.

No.

I’ve welded lots of sheet aluminium with oxy-acetylene. Repaired radiators, even a project here and there with 1/8 aluminum strap. TM flux is top shelf.

Oxy-acetlyene welded:
Click to view attachment

You’re going to have two problems.

1) 1/8” is pretty thick and will take a lot of heat. Aluminium is very efficient at heat transfer away from the weld puddle. If you don’t have enough heat to quickly establish the puddle the part gets way too hot before it even puddles. When it finally does puddle, the puddle is too large and not easily controlled. You need a large enough tip to give you the heat you need while providing a soft flame. If you’re cranking up the pressure and hearing hissing - you need a larger tip.

2) Aluminum flux causes an intense orange glow. Without the right welding lenses, you can’t see through the flux flare to see the puddle. Basically like trying to weld 1/2 blind. TM Tech sells the right shade of lens that makes gas welding aluminum sooo much easier. Not cheap but worth every penny.

https://www.tinmantech.com/products/safety-...elding-lens.php

Thanks all for the great information, it looks as though TM is the source for all things oxy/acetylene welding

Why not just TIG weld it? Gas welding is fantastic for joining aluminum panels that will then be metal shaped as its not as hard and visible weld as a TIG weld, but for something structural I wouldn't.

Another option would be Oxy Hydrogen gas welding. I find that easier to control and a fair bit cleaner because it doesn't have the soot that the acetylene creates.

Thanks for the tip

TIG is an option, but my Miller Maxstar will not weld aluminum. I know a few shops that can take care of this, but will go over budget on this project if I dig too deep with $$.

This is a perfect reason to buy a new tool. Sell the Maxstar and buy a new multi process TIG machine. HAHA.

this is not the wrong answer, I have been considering this route, but trying not to dump $2.k or more

I don't do enough aluminum to justify the investment

I have one of these and love it!
https://ahpwelds.com/

Ya’ all gotta’ admit it’s hilarious that no matter the topic, if the question is can A work, the answer is usually No . . . You need B. For the record, I’m guilty of having done this myself.

MIG is great, TIG is great and all that.

However, let’s not forget that WW2 aluminium airplane parts were oxy-acetylene welded long before MIG and TIG were invented and in widespread use. Are these processes easier, faster, and higher quality? Yes, without a doubt.

When tools are limited to what you have - Oxy-Acetylene can get the job done.

I wouldn't say welded in that context. The vast majority of non-ferrous parts structures were brazed then. And if not brazed, then riveted. Lower temperatures for brazing avoided heat affected zones that would accelerated cracks from all that vibration. These techniques are still common place today.

Also, I've found quite a bit of brazed areas on my car from the factory.

I am by far anyone knowledgeable with regards to WW II airplane construction, but wasn't much of it riveted via Rosy the riveter

I should have clarified that much of the ww2 aircraft welding was oxy-hydrogen as previously noted in prior post as being a cleaner weld than using acetylene.

However - definitely gas welded. Not brazed.

Visit an aviation museum where you can get up close and personal. It’s amazing what they did before the advent of MIG and TIG. People did amazing things lacking the technology we take for granted.

Wendy the welder was trained on O-A welding and was assembling panels in a day. For a non-porous, annealed weld that is ready to metal finish, it doesn’t get any better. Especially if the parent material is used as filler rod.

AL tank shown above being a perfect example. Nice work!

Absolutely. Most all of the tanks, aluminum panels, etc were WELDED with oxy hydrogen. Its impressive what you can do using a strip of 1100 series material as filler when gas welding aluminum. Once metal finished and polished you can't even tell where the panels were joined. There are a lot of prewar and custom cars with gas welded aluminum bodies and they have no issues, but those are not structural panels or extrusions.

Even the chromoly chassis for many an air plane was gas welded with oxy acetylene. Many a Formula Ford chassis, bicycles etc were assembled with O/A brazing as well.

I will add that even with the "best solution" which is probably TIG the learning curve is very long. I Purchased a TIG welder because I wanted to be able to weld Aluminum and this looked to be the preferred choice. my goal was to weld up a 914-6 Vellios tank that I had purchased as a kit. This was my excuse to purchase a new tool and save money. I was pretty proficient with MIG welding steel so how hard could it be???
Well it took me 2 tanks of Argon and a lot of tungsten sharpening and filler rod to get OK. I could have purchased multiple finished tanks for what it cost me to learn. I have probably burned another couple tanks trying to get better for other projects with thinner metal. I am happy with were I am at today which is I can now do most of the Aluminum welding I want with ok results for me, I am still not stacking dimes.

john

I am in a similar boat, been arc, O/A, MIG welding for close to 50 years, but a TIG is somewhat kicking my a**. I have decided to job this project out to a long time locaL fabricator. In my spare time I will work at the technique for the "touch start"

Thanks to all for the great input.

FWIW - learn to gas weld 1st and TIG is a whole lot easier.

Both processes are all about control of heat and feeding filler rod, and having that perfect rhythm going. Having said that I don’t get that perfect stack of dimes either. That really only comes from time behind the torch.

speaking of dimes,

"can someone loan me a dime"

Thank you Fenton, Boz, Duane and many others