Welding Aluminum
Welding aluminum is commonly done with MIG and TIG welding. Many people consider welding aluminum to be one of
the harder kinds of welding. The truth is, with the right tools and a little practice and patience it can be just
as easy and rewarding as other metals to weld. Let’s discuss this a little more.
Welding aluminum can be a little more difficult than regular welding for a few reasons. One of the main reasons
is because aluminum and the metal you weld with are a quite a bit softer than most metals you will weld. This does
not mean that the average welder will not be able to do it well. It just means that a little more care needs to be
taken while learning. The two most common ways to weld aluminum are MIG and TIG welding. They both offer their pros
and cons.
Some general tips for welding aluminum can make your life much easier. Let’s look at a few tips right now. The
most important tip I can offer is to make sure you clean your aluminum. This is easily the most important step that
you can do. There are a few things to look for to see if your aluminum is dirty. If you have a wandering arc, it is
a sign that you have dirty aluminum. If your filler rolls into a little ball instead of melting nicely, it is also
a sign that you have a dirty aluminum. Trying to join two pieces results in them simply curling away from each
other is another sign that you may have dirty aluminum. These are not the only indicators, but they are a good
start.
Make sure you clamp your work to a heat sink. Aluminum is very good at transferring heat. This fact can result
in the rest of the aluminum getting overheated and starting to warp or melt. A solid heat sink will take care of
this for you.
Get the parts that you will be joining to fit together as well as possible before hand. While this is true of
any kind of welding, it can be especially true with aluminum. The less time you have to transfer heat to the soft
aluminum, the less chance you have to overheat the metal causing warping or melting.
Welding does not have to be much more difficult than welding any other metal. With just a little patience you
can learn to weld aluminum as well as any other metal.
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