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leadfoot · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:00 pm Post subject: aluminium welding/brazing

Are these guys for real??
Seems like an ideal product if it works, I can use my BBQ bottle and go for broke... for something like intercooler piping or manifolds is this going to work for me.. or are we talking completely different type of aluminium?? or will nothing replace a MIG join... I have excellent soldering skills but absolutely no welding skills...
http://www.durafix.com.au/index.php?content=demonstrations.htm
Leadfoot
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Peter_in_AU · Joined: 29 Jul 2001 Posts: 2745 Location: Sydney, Australia

Yep. There are a couple of different companies selling aluminium brazing rods. The durafix rods are expensive and hard to get down here. I got some CIG (I think) rods a while back, they were 1 metre rods and were $1 each at a hardware store.

The process is simple (like soldering) and works well with BBQ gas and a LPG-only torch. As long as there is not going to be too much stress on the joint it's alot cheaper than a TIG or MIG outfit.
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OutOfTheBox · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 434

Peter_in_AU · Joined: 29 Jul 2001 Posts: 2745 Location: Sydney, Australia

Totally agree with OutOfTheBox on electronic helmets. When I started to learn to weld I was making good welds with oxy-acetylene very quickly but having real trouble with MIG and TIG. The problem was that I was using a cheap non-dimming helmet for MIG and TIG and couldn't see anything until the arc started. I borrowed an electronic helmet one day and couldn't believe how much easier it made things.

Having said that, a reasonable AC/DC TIG setup is going to cost you over $2K here in Oz which is a lot more than a good LPG torch (I got a great one for $50 on ebay) and a bottle of BBQ gas.

Give the aluminium brazing rod a go. Practice joining different thichnesses of alu and then take a mallet or hammer and beat the shit out of the join to see if it's strong enough for what you want to do.
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1979 924 (Gone to a better place)
1974 Lotus 7 S4 "Big Valve" Twin-cam (waiting)
1982 924 (As featured on Wikipedia)

Learn to love your multimeter and may the search be with you

leadfoot · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:04 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys, one thing I wasn't sure about was the need for a regulator or not? there seems to be a conversion kit on the durafix site, I'm thinking I just need the self lighting LPG torch though...
Definately will get an auto darkening mask when the time comes...
Leadfoot
_________________
1981 ROW 924 Turbo -
carbon fiber GT mish mash
LS1 conversion in progress...

Peter_in_AU · Joined: 29 Jul 2001 Posts: 2745 Location: Sydney, Australia

If you're using an LPG torch you don't need a regulator, for oxy-LPG you do. Unless you have a mate who can lend you an oxy bottle and regulator just go for a straight LPG torch. The conversion kits are for converting an oxy-acetylene rig to oxy-LPG.

In case anyone doesn't know, auto darkening lenses only work with electric (MIG, TIG and stick) welding, not gas.
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1979 924 (Gone to a better place)
1974 Lotus 7 S4 "Big Valve" Twin-cam (waiting)
1982 924 (As featured on Wikipedia)

Learn to love your multimeter and may the search be with you

Smoothie · Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:12 am Post subject:

Of course I have an el' cheapo alternative to the auto darkening helmet -
Get a helmet with the flip-up lens (I got one for $19 here), replace the lens with one half the darkness (I replaced a #10 lens with a #5 (less than $2 for the lens)). Fit another #5 lens in the helmet itself (There should be a clear lens there that can be replaced). With this arrangement, you can see what you're doing through one #5 just before welding - also, your eyes adjust to that, then flip the other #5 down for a combined equivalent of a #10 shade and start welding.
-or (and this is the setup I used years ago) - If you have a helmet without the flip-up lens feature, put a #5 lens in the helmet and wear some low-profile brazing goggles with #5 lenses installed. [-And put a label on the helmet saying it's only a #5 and needs to be used with the goggles

.] Both of these setups increase visibility greatly by allowing the eyes to adjust to the #5 first, then when you flip the second #5 into place, you can actually see what you're doing through the combined #10 shade. Also you're set for both gas welding/brazing (#5 shade) and arc or mig welding (#10), and you may be able to do it for <$30 as I did.
One advantage the auto-darkening helmets still have is that you don't have to flip a lens into position as you start.
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moone924 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 869 Location: Douglas Wyoming

Harbor freight has auto-darkening masks on sale for less than $75 bucks quite frequently. The lens isn't that large, but lots better than flipping back and forth with a standard mask.
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OutOfTheBox · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 434

Dont you guys in the US, have problems with welders that you can use on a household power supply, with it only being 110V.

My 220 Amp welder, uses a cooker supply, but that draws 40A, if you ran it off 110V it would take 80A ?

Whats the biggest el cheapo "walmart?" welder you can use on the US supply ?

How many amps is the household main breaker, in the US.

Here its 60A on a 220V supply,

Paul · Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:52 am Post subject:

Most new houses in the US have 240V 200 Amp electrical service panels.

No one uses less than a 240V 100 Amp service.
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Smoothie · Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:03 am Post subject:

http://www.wwwsales.net/migs/125_turbo.htm <- That's the closest I could find to my welder - a Shumacher "145 Turbo Mig/Flux". It runs on a 115V 20A circuit like the one in the link. Our service here to a 40 year-old house is 220V and I don't know - maybe 90-100A? Newer homes get a higher amp service at 220V. 220V is used here for central AC, all-electric dryers and ovens/ranges. Gas-fueled dryers run on 115V. All we have on 220 is the AC and a 220V 50Amp outlet that I added in the garage for a stick welder that I had years ago. Everything else - TV's, refrigerators, toasters, irons, stereos, power tools, etc. run on 115V. Anyone with a woodworking or machining shop in the garage may have some equipment running on 220-230V and the rest on 110-115V. Most circuits throughout the house are 115V, 15A - then some are 115V, 20A for refrigerators and freezers. We have 3 wires running from the pole - 2 at 110-115V (which combine to provide the 220-230V where needed) and one common wire.
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"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."

'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

!tom · Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:27 am Post subject:

My house has 60 amp 220 (2 phases, so you get 120 amps @ 110).

It's pretty pathetic; the power company says that the wiring from the pole is always rated for at least 100 amps.
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OutOfTheBox · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 434

sounds crazy

are the plugs different for the different voltages ?

I live on a smallholding and have a 3 phase 415V, enough ampage to run a dairy farm, but I only use it for my 800 Bar hydraulic pump.

The voltage we use elsewhere, is a tap off a single phase and neutral, which gives 220V.

Desolation · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 236 Location: Texas

Yea i'll have to agree the auto-darken helmets are the shiz
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Paul · Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:57 am Post subject: