Oxy/acet welding of 1/4" round aluminium rod

[rustyh]

The glass is green and when seeing through it the world is green. However it filters out the orange flare produced by the sodium (as I understand it) flux. My regular headgear and another pair of welding specs didn't eliminate the orange flare so I could not see where I was placing the torch. TM 2000 gave perfect filtering when I used the sodium based fluxes, a night and day difference. There is a youtube vid showing the TM 2000, I'll see if I can find the link....

Found it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlgcg8xz0zI

[GlennW]

Thanks for the info!

Not buying the Glaucoma bit though. Sounds like a sales pitch to me...

[Curt]

In my search for a process to weld aluminum I came across this product.

http://youtu.be/BZRZWBOx8zQ

Has anyone used this product?

[warmstrong1955]

I've used a similar product. I still have some in one of my tool boxes somewhere.

Used to use it in a pinch, where we had no access to a TIG welder, mainly for fixing heat exchangers when some genius ran a piece of drill steel thru 'em.
Hardest part was getting the oil away from where you were going to solder.
Had to get everything really clean. I used a stainless steel brush, just like TIG welding.
If you could get it all very clean, and oiless, the stuff worked really well.

Not sure who made the stuff. It was something I bought thru Dyna-Systems.....and I got it on the mid 80's. The salesman showed up with some of the stuff, and soldered two pop cans together.....sold me on gettin' some when he fixed a broken Hayden style cooler layin' on the bench. I don't know if they are around anymore.

Bill

[mcostello]

Customer changed their mind on hole location on some parts I made out of 7075 Aluminum. It is supposed to not be weldable. I filled the holes with some wonder bar like You show, and it worked. Interesting phenemom, the holes were flat bottom with 1/16" wall thickness left, the braze concentrated the heat somehow and melted through and I had to use a heatsink to avoid loosing the bottom of the hole.

[rustyh]

It has been a year+ since I posted. Update is the gas welding has it's moments, but I can see a need for a MIG welder about the 180amp range. Linc's, Miller's,Thermal Arc's, are available around here. Most are about $900, then spool guns are about $250. Gas bottles are $200 for 55's and $220 for 80's plus fill. I'd need Ar and Ar/CO2.

Then there are the retail models like the Linc at Home Depot/Canadian Tire for $599, but click settings and plastic parts. I found what is a Sharp up here but looks like a Clarke 190EN gas/no gas for $319 on sale. It looks like a floor model that has been around awhile as the box is in rough shape and very faded. Unison and other off shore makes are scattered around the retailers, tried finding reviews but no luck or they were poor.

3-n-1's are around as well, while ideal for my needs, advice seems to lean towards getting a single operation machine, so I thought I'd start with a MIG. No cross border shopping as well, as our dollar is in the dumpster and customs/shipping (UPS) is a royal pain.

Any advice?

[redneckalbertan]

I am a fan of Miller they make good machines. Lincoln I don't like but that is just prejudice on my part, they do make good machines as well. Thermal arc I have not used and as thus don't have an opinion, I have used a few other 'no name' type brands and they are, in my opinion, overpriced targets. The ones that I have used are finicky and work sometimes and other times only intermittently. Have a very unstable arc and are over rated on their capacities. I know of a few people that have taken a chance on a cheep welder and been successful, I know more that are frustrated and end up buying something else. Spending more money on a name brand welder, I think, is well worth the price instead of putting up with frustration. You aren't going to look forward to welding if it is pain in the posterior.

You could use CO2 for welding steel. It is cheeper than mixed gas, the weld is not as nice looking there is more spatter, but you get deeper penetration than a mixed gas. Body shops are not allowed to use it in Alberta, it makes for a more brittle weld prone to breaking if you are working on light gauge body panels. As you move up in material size it is less of an issue. I wouldn't want to weld a boiler up with it but for general welding it is fine. It is something that you may want to consider.

[rustyh]

RNA
I found this site yesterday, seems like it contains good basic advice.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/buying.htm

I said Linc was at the top of my list but only because it was available locally. Millermatic 180 is my preference but price and travel do make the purchase a wait and save proposition. Watching for sales is ongoing as well.

The local price for gas bottles and fills seem nuts to me at the moment, I'll go into town at the end of this week and research it further.

The 3-n-1's are tempting, however reviews are mixed as is the advice, so I'm leery.

The search and info gathering continues.......

[redneckalbertan]

RNA
I found this site yesterday, seems like it contains good basic advice.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/buying.htm

I said Linc was at the top of my list but only because it was available locally. Millermatic 180 is my preference but price and travel do make the purchase a wait and save proposition. Watching for sales is ongoing as well.

The local price for gas bottles and fills seem nuts to me at the moment, I'll go into town at the end of this week and research it further.

The 3-n-1's are tempting, however reviews are mixed as is the advice, so I'm leery.

The search and info gathering continues.......

Nothing wrong with Lincoln, I am just biased against them.

Mixed gas is not cheep the best price on a 300 of 75/25 that I have been able to get is $110 and that is renting their bottle. It took a lot of haggling and going back and forth to a few suppliers. If all you have are depots then the price will be even worse. We have a good selection of suppliers here and we do go through a lot more gas than your average joe welding as a hobby. I wouldn't expect to get close to that price if you could get a lease on a bottle for $50/year and $160/fill I would think you did good, again with a 300. See this site for bottle size comparison. http://www.airgas.com/content/details.a ... 0000000234

When you say 3 in 1 machines, are you referring to machines like the multi plaz?

Regardless of what you end up buying, take a look at Bernard consumables. Their centerfire series line of consumables is the greatest thing since sliced bread! http://www.bernardwelds.com/centerfire- ... x-t-n-9KSM you should be able to get a gas diffuser to fit most any gun, and then use centerfire tips and nozzles. (You may not be able to get them for smaller guns, but if you are talking about 180 millermattic machines I am assuming that you are looking around the 180 amp range and that shouldn't be a problem.)

[rustyh]

RNA

I rent oxy/acet bottles and when I did that it was then I considered buying, until I was told the cost. KMS has bottles for sale at what seems better pricing, but then I seem to remember there was a thing about buy and fill here only (but maybe not at this place, as they took my 30yr old acet that was standing in the back of the shop). I'll check that out again, it's Praxair.

The 3-n-1 are STICK/DCTIG/MIG all in one machines. Problem is, when one usage fails, the whole machine goes down...apparently. I like the idea and would prefer a machine like this, but not at the expense of quality and/or reliability. On Craig's list there is a local area guy that rents welders, try before you buy, so I have a request in, more info when I hear from him.

Looks like the Bernard torches start at 200amp. May be too big for the 180, or not adaptable, I'll talk with Tech when I have settled on what I will buy. I still cruise CL daily and there are some better machines (Millermatic 211, and 212's) but at prices that indicate the models I'm interested in hold their prices. What's a little disconcerting is they are almost always barely used. Essentially they want what they paid, less the tax. The well used machines always look ratty and abused, and are probably old enough that parts may be a problem.

Thanks for the links

[redneckalbertan]

RNA

I rent oxy/acet bottles and when I did that it was then I considered buying, until I was told the cost. KMS has bottles for sale at what seems better pricing, but then I seem to remember there was a thing about buy and fill here only (but maybe not at this place, as they took my 30yr old acet that was standing in the back of the shop). I'll check that out again, it's Praxair.

The 3-n-1 are STICK/DCTIG/MIG all in one machines. Problem is, when one usage fails, the whole machine goes down...apparently. I like the idea and would prefer a machine like this, but not at the expense of quality and/or reliability. On Craig's list there is a local area guy that rents welders, try before you buy, so I have a request in, more info when I hear from him.

Looks like the Bernard torches start at 200amp. May be too big for the 180, or not adaptable, I'll talk with Tech when I have settled on what I will buy. I still cruise CL daily and there are some better machines (Millermatic 211, and 212's) but at prices that indicate the models I'm interested in hold their prices. What's a little disconcerting is they are almost always barely used. Essentially they want what they paid, less the tax. The well used machines always look ratty and abused, and are probably old enough that parts may be a problem.

Thanks for the links

Most places will only fill their bottles, but any praxair should be able to fill a praxair bottle.

I can't comment on small 3 in 1 machines I have never used them. If you want to talk about Millers XMT line they are great machines but probably not in the budget of a hobbyists. Last time I priced them out the XMT was about $5000 the wire feeder was separate and depending on which model ranged from $1500 to $3000. Cables, guns, tig torches, stingers, all sold separately. But they are very nice machines.

I think that the 200amp guns work with the 180 amp machines but don't take my word on it.

I haven't used a millermattic 211 in years and haven't used a 212, but the 211's are good machines and I don't think you will be unhappy with either.

[rustyh]

I found a Millermatic 211 for $650. The seller wants to sell the whole shop for $1300, leaving shortly for the oil fields in Northern Alberta. Welding table 4 x 6 with vise, assortment of grinders, metal chop saw, assortment of fixtures. All stuff I don't need but can find a use for, so what the heck. I've e-mailed him back, we'll see if it's still available. Edit: Looks like I have it, I'll go to Van and PU on Saturday.

The rental guy was an interesting call. He buys and resells welders. Repairs and reconditions them. He moves a lot of the Millermatic 180's (around $550) and guarantees his work. None in stock at the moment, but expecting some shortly. We had a nice conversation, he doesn't see many 211's, but has used them in the past. It looks as if he will be a great resource and will keep an eye out for a Miller TIG. He built himself a plane and so we chatted on about paragliding, I'll be a great resource for him!..