da sanding
by shawn gregory
(deltona fl)
can you sand parts with 80 grit or 180 before tig welding aluminum?
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180 grit is better than 80 and it should be clean.
wipe with acetone first so that you dont smear a bunch of crud into the aluminum before you weld it.
Sanding discs tend to load up with aluminum quickly and are not ideal for weld prep.
if the metal is pretty clean, a stainless power brush works pretty well.
there are also grinding wheels designed specifically for aluminum and even 3m scotch brite pad wheels work well for certain applications. But a wipe with acetone afterwards is sometimes needed to remove the oils and lubricants in the scotch brite abrasive.
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