Aluminum welding rods with torch ?
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From: Stephens city VA
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Don't know if others have done it,, but to join tubes if you use a short sleeve and slip both pieces your joining in side, a mapp-gas torch and silver solder does a good job, I've fixed several aluminum radiators with it,, Built a couple metal radiator "hoses" when rubber just was not going to be a good idea..
I just clean the metal as well as I can, use a good al flux and sweat it together just like copper pipe.. Its as strong as the tubing (Probably stronger) And its easy to slip fit everything together then solder them in place.
Cheers
I just clean the metal as well as I can, use a good al flux and sweat it together just like copper pipe.. Its as strong as the tubing (Probably stronger) And its easy to slip fit everything together then solder them in place.
Cheers
As mentioned, on large pieces it's hard to keep the starting point of the weld from melting and coming apart as you move toward the end of the weld. So clamping is necessary. But that's difficult with some pieces you are attempting to join. So you idea of the inner sleeve will eliminate both having to clamp the pipe ends together as well as the melting of the opposite ends of the pipe joint as you are welding the ends together.
With a little practice you can make some of your own parts instead of the paying the going welding rate in my area which is about $125 per hour - with a 1/2 hr minimum.
I made my own compounded angle bracket for the FPR and gauge and also for my vacuum block. Gonna tackle welding some charge pipe ends next. The inner sleeve will be far less restrictive than the silicone joints. Great idea.
I used Harbor freight aluminum rods with Map gas. You must use Map gas (yellow bottle) to get the material hot enough to flow. Cleanliness is crucial for a good weld. Use a stainless wire brush to clean the surfaces to be joined for good flow. Don't use the brush for anything else. Else you will just contaminate the surface when you reuse the brush to clean the aluminum.
See pics.
FWIW Eastwood has a finance option for their products. I financed their tig200 ac/dc and used it for s few months and sold it to make most of my money back. It’s good to have around though because you can weld just about anything.
Last edited by mtt14; Mar 2, 2019 at 07:02 AM.
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"MAPP gas is used in combustion with air for brazing and soldering, where it has a slight advantage over competing propane fuel due to its higher combustion temperature of 2,020 °C (3,670 °F) in air."
I found that I couldn't get the torch hot enough with propane. Then learned that MAP Pro gas is the preferred gas for brazing aluminum. Perhaps depends on thickness of the aluminum too. MAPP Pro gas is double the price of propane so if propane works, then use it.
IMO using MAPP Pro gas is an alternative in some applications. Don't think anyone is arguing that it is equal to or superior to TIG welding.
I found that I couldn't get the torch hot enough with propane. Then learned that MAP Pro gas is the preferred gas for brazing aluminum. Perhaps depends on thickness of the aluminum too. MAPP Pro gas is double the price of propane so if propane works, then use it.
IMO using MAPP Pro gas is an alternative in some applications. Don't think anyone is arguing that it is equal to or superior to TIG welding.
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I have a Miller MIG 211. The second cheapest spool gun for it is south a little bit from $500. Considering the price of the spool gun compared to $125 an hour to have some pipe joints done professionally using Tig, I opted to have some of my 3 inch aluminum pipe hired out. I'm not even close yet to the price of the Miller spool gun with the few welds I hired to have done.
When it comes to spool guns, you get what you pay for based on the Miller community. Not sure about the Hobart or Lincoln spool guns.
The plus when having your own equipment,however, is that you can afford to make some mistakes. Everything has to be spot on when having some else do it. Once it's welded together that's it. My welder has a bead roller too so he put a bead on the ends if needed for silicone joints - no extra charge.
If you have your own bead roller it's better to have two people run the bead than just one. One to hold the pipe, the other to turn the crank. Practice, practice, practice to produce a nice bead. I have a Woodard but it twists and it's hard to roll a straight bead. A large steering wheel replacing the short crank handle would make it a lot easier to turn the rollers. Eastwood has a smaller unit with longer larger crank handles making it a lot easier to hold the pipe and still reach the crank and have enough leverage to turn the rollers. It's cheaper too.
A chop saw with a high quality non-ferrous high tooth count blade will cut thru aluminum pipe like butter leaving each angle cut spot on. You can use to it cut 10 gauge or smaller aluminum sheet as well for short lengths - works much better than a band saw.
When it comes to spool guns, you get what you pay for based on the Miller community. Not sure about the Hobart or Lincoln spool guns.
The plus when having your own equipment,however, is that you can afford to make some mistakes. Everything has to be spot on when having some else do it. Once it's welded together that's it. My welder has a bead roller too so he put a bead on the ends if needed for silicone joints - no extra charge.
If you have your own bead roller it's better to have two people run the bead than just one. One to hold the pipe, the other to turn the crank. Practice, practice, practice to produce a nice bead. I have a Woodard but it twists and it's hard to roll a straight bead. A large steering wheel replacing the short crank handle would make it a lot easier to turn the rollers. Eastwood has a smaller unit with longer larger crank handles making it a lot easier to hold the pipe and still reach the crank and have enough leverage to turn the rollers. It's cheaper too.
A chop saw with a high quality non-ferrous high tooth count blade will cut thru aluminum pipe like butter leaving each angle cut spot on. You can use to it cut 10 gauge or smaller aluminum sheet as well for short lengths - works much better than a band saw.
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 312
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From: Stephens city VA
I have a Miller MIG 211. The second cheapest spool gun for it is south a little bit from $500. Considering the price of the spool gun compared to $125 an hour to have some pipe joints done professionally using Tig, I opted to have some of my 3 inch aluminum pipe hired out. I'm not even close yet to the price of the Miller spool gun with the few welds I hired to have done.
When it comes to spool guns, you get what you pay for based on the Miller community. Not sure about the Hobart or Lincoln spool guns.
The plus when having your own equipment,however, is that you can afford to make some mistakes. Everything has to be spot on when having some else do it. Once it's welded together that's it. My welder has a bead roller too so he put a bead on the ends if needed for silicone joints - no extra charge.
If you have your own bead roller it's better to have two people run the bead than just one. One to hold the pipe, the other to turn the crank. Practice, practice, practice to produce a nice bead. I have a Woodard but it twists and it's hard to roll a straight bead. A large steering wheel replacing the short crank handle would make it a lot easier to turn the rollers. Eastwood has a smaller unit with longer larger crank handles making it a lot easier to hold the pipe and still reach the crank and have enough leverage to turn the rollers. It's cheaper too.
A chop saw with a high quality non-ferrous high tooth count blade will cut thru aluminum pipe like butter leaving each angle cut spot on. You can use to it cut 10 gauge or smaller aluminum sheet as well for short lengths - works much better than a band saw.
When it comes to spool guns, you get what you pay for based on the Miller community. Not sure about the Hobart or Lincoln spool guns.
The plus when having your own equipment,however, is that you can afford to make some mistakes. Everything has to be spot on when having some else do it. Once it's welded together that's it. My welder has a bead roller too so he put a bead on the ends if needed for silicone joints - no extra charge.
If you have your own bead roller it's better to have two people run the bead than just one. One to hold the pipe, the other to turn the crank. Practice, practice, practice to produce a nice bead. I have a Woodard but it twists and it's hard to roll a straight bead. A large steering wheel replacing the short crank handle would make it a lot easier to turn the rollers. Eastwood has a smaller unit with longer larger crank handles making it a lot easier to hold the pipe and still reach the crank and have enough leverage to turn the rollers. It's cheaper too.
A chop saw with a high quality non-ferrous high tooth count blade will cut thru aluminum pipe like butter leaving each angle cut spot on. You can use to it cut 10 gauge or smaller aluminum sheet as well for short lengths - works much better than a band saw.
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Seriously don't bother with the spool gun, get a tig setup and do it right. I have the alpha 200 and it's a badass machine for cheap. I use it nearly everyday for work for the last few years and not one single issue.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jul 2017
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From: Stephens city VA
It really is quite strong, but the problem with it is, once you get your aluminum hot enough to melt it, it runs like water. So if you welded one side, let it cool, the went either beside it or opposite, once the aluminum tube reaches the melting point, the first weld you put on runs off too,
On The Tree
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Lima oh
You'd be extremely lucky to find a newer setup with a full bottle and regulator
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Originally Posted by dlandsvZ28 
When it comes to spool guns, you get what you pay for based on the Miller community. Not sure about the Hobart or Lincoln spool guns.
hobart and Miller are now the same company, based under Illinois tool works
I should have stated it this way. You get what you pay for when buying a Miller spool gun based on the Miller community. The base line Miller spool gun 100 gets terrible reviews in the Miller community. But that was two years ago Perhaps some of its issues have been addressed since then. Miller appears to pay attention to it's loyal customer base.
It was a tossup for me between the Miller, Hobart, and Lincoln mig. The Hobart 190 is no slouch and gets good reviews. I got a Miller for resale value, because I probably won't use it much in the future and decide to sell it.
Since I thought I might eventually get a spool gun, I opted for the Miller 211 because of the number spool guns that were available for it. When I made my purchase Miller did not sell the adapter for the Hobart so you could use Miller spool guns or Tweco.
For those on the fence - if I had to do it all over again I would get a Tig instead of a Mig and a spoolgun.
When it comes to spool guns, you get what you pay for based on the Miller community. Not sure about the Hobart or Lincoln spool guns.
hobart and Miller are now the same company, based under Illinois tool works
I should have stated it this way. You get what you pay for when buying a Miller spool gun based on the Miller community. The base line Miller spool gun 100 gets terrible reviews in the Miller community. But that was two years ago Perhaps some of its issues have been addressed since then. Miller appears to pay attention to it's loyal customer base.
It was a tossup for me between the Miller, Hobart, and Lincoln mig. The Hobart 190 is no slouch and gets good reviews. I got a Miller for resale value, because I probably won't use it much in the future and decide to sell it.
Since I thought I might eventually get a spool gun, I opted for the Miller 211 because of the number spool guns that were available for it. When I made my purchase Miller did not sell the adapter for the Hobart so you could use Miller spool guns or Tweco.
For those on the fence - if I had to do it all over again I would get a Tig instead of a Mig and a spoolgun.
Originally Posted by thedetroitkid
You'd be extremely lucky to find a newer setup with a full bottle and regulator
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 48
Likes: 2
any stick welder can be a tig machine. They are one in the same tig just has different torch a stick welder as a tig will be and is a less refined tig . Aluminum should be done in ac but can be done in dc. You can get a cheap Chinese machine and a #9 torch cheap. Im sure all said and done for under 300$. But buying a cheap tig vs an expensive one makes a difference.
The eastwood tig welders sucks in AC. I own one still do. I also own the newest modle Everlast 250EX
OP that rods tale a bit of heat to use . Its very hard to get good results and if you have two welds near each other you will heat the metal up to weld the aluminum and it will ruin your prevision work.
50$ 200amp inverter stick welder. My first tig was a crappy no name unit like this many many years ago.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/220V-200A-M...Siz:rk:16:pf:0
The eastwood tig welders sucks in AC. I own one still do. I also own the newest modle Everlast 250EX
OP that rods tale a bit of heat to use . Its very hard to get good results and if you have two welds near each other you will heat the metal up to weld the aluminum and it will ruin your prevision work.
50$ 200amp inverter stick welder. My first tig was a crappy no name unit like this many many years ago.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/220V-200A-M...Siz:rk:16:pf:0
Last edited by mrich0908; Mar 3, 2019 at 12:39 AM.
On The Tree
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 145
Likes: 5
From: Lima oh
You are correct, I would never consider that machine. The problem with that machine is that it is basically an Everlast rebadged. Hence local customer support is non-existent outside of your warranty along with them having one retail locationis the U.s. , that being Los angeles. Not to mention your rolling the dice on underpowered Igbt board internals , so please Cough up the money for the Lincoln ; they're made in Wisconsin and it only costs a little more to go first class.
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 48
Likes: 2
You are correct, I would never consider that machine. The problem with that machine is that it is basically an Everlast rebadged. Hence local customer support is non-existent outside of your warranty along with them having one retail locationis the U.s. , that being Los angeles. Not to mention your rolling the dice on underpowered Igbt board internals , so please Cough up the money for the Lincoln ; they're made in Wisconsin and it only costs a little more to go first class.
Ive had my machine around 5 years with no problems used more then most home shops machinist do . They offer a 5 year warenty . Everlast customer support is awsome . Parts are available . Everlast products are far from underpowered .
I work in a machine shop I've used many many different types of tig machines . There is no difference in welds between my Everlast 250ex and the comparable 1/2 digital Machine that happens to be a miller syncrowave dx 250 that I have used extensively and cost 5k more. Longevity the miller will probably win . Who's cares if I have to upgrade my welder with new tech ever 5 years for 25 years I'm still a head of the game.
Last edited by mrich0908; Mar 4, 2019 at 12:15 AM.