TIG WELDING OLD ALUM
I DO A LOT OF ALUM FABRICATION ON OLD ENGLISH AND ITALIAN CARS AND ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE PROBLEMS WELDING ON THEM ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT.
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here are some tips that might help...
use a tapered electrode for precise low amperage starts on thin sheet metal...i like 2% lanth, but 2% thor works fine too.
use as small an electrode as you can for the job.
for thin sheet metal .063" an under, a 1/16" tungsten is fine unless there is a lot of thicker mass nearby that pulls heat out.
clean with a fine bristle stainless brush and keep that brush labeled "aluminum only"
if you have ac balance setting on your tig machine, set it somewhere around 5 until things start puddling clean, then you can adjust upwards
wipe with acetone and let dry completely before welding
make sure to keep your rods clean too and wipe them with acetone before welding
experiment with torch gas flow. too much is as bad as not enough. a #7 cup needs about 15 cfh...use less or more if your cup size is smaller or bigger
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