Aluminium mma and cast aluminium?

[baz-r]

I have a cracked gearbox housing that needs repair, it's not too thick and I have no argon at the moment so I wanted to know if anyone has any experience with the aluminium mma rods on the market now? I have a 200A inverter set and as it's a little job I didn't really want to go and get another cylinder.
I'm hoping that thay can work positional so I don't have to take the engine and box out.
Yeah I know I can tig it but I will probably end up doing it in situ and that is going to be tricky and I will need to get gas, could set my mig to do alley but need gas, wire and a liner for my old torch

 

[rikrobson]

have you considered the ali brazing kits you can get. hts 2000 also you can get a "Laser" version in Machine mart, but its a bit pricy at £20-£30. you'll get rods on fleabat cheaper maybe amazinoa too if you use amazionia primeordeal

its 5 rods and a stainless steel wire brush.

the filler rods melt lower that ally an its meant to be stronger. you clean it up a bit and use the brush to remover the coating when hot. then apply the rod to the crack like soldering. you dont heat the rod though. and all it needs is a propane torch, although a cast gearbox mat pull out some heat.

 

[HughF]

Do not even consider using ali stick rods, they are truly horrible things...

 

[Kent]

Yes, used to do tipper backs with stick. It's not easy with plate so I shouldn't attempt a casting
In the end we went spool gun mig for speed, you could spend all day putting two v- up in

Can you still get rods?

 

[Tom Orrow L]

Ali rods need a high OCV to be even remotely useable.

 

[TechnicAl]

I agree with Hugh. Rods are the last resort.
Ally castings tend to collapse with heat so be careful and dont get it too hot......very easy to say but difficult in practice.

 

[Sarto]

Do the castings tend to collapse while welding or after, when they are put in use?

 

[TechnicAl]

Do the castings tend to collapse while welding or after, when they are put in use?

During welding. The composition of the alloy leaves little room between solid and molten........so just get it hot enough to stick

 

[Richard.]

During welding And it's a disaster.
It seems like your getting no where enough heat through it to start with then in the blink of an eye it just goes.

 

[baz-r]

I'm aware of the properties of alloy and cast aluminium I have done a bit of repair and fabrication with both tig and mig.

I'm not sure what the ocv of my inverter set is I would have to check first just wanted to know what anyones experiences are with them apparently there are some with really hard fluxes now and it holds the pool back but as you know with any of these things what it claims and if it unstable is another thing.

Will not be using them horrible zinc based rods with propane that is for sure!

 

[DAPPH]

Does this tip help ?
Re Acetylene & oxygen welding on a neutral flame with sif flux. We used to use the old trick of rubbing a bar of green Fairy scrubbing soap on the area of aluminium to be welded , as soon as the soap residue turned black it was at weld temp ..heat it for a few seconds longer in the heat pool and it melts .

 

[ronan]

Does this tip help ?
Re Acetylene & oxygen welding on a neutral flame with sif flux. We used to use the old trick of rubbing a bar of green Fairy scrubbing soap on the area of aluminium to be welded , as soon as the soap residue turned black it was at weld temp ..heat it for a few seconds longer in the heat pool and it melts .

Don't forget that aluminium sif flux is corrosive and the joint has to be scrubbed with hot water afterwards to remove it.

 

[Kent]

Are the rods still about though out of pure intrest?

 

[sardine]

I tried the ally brazing rods, and I never got one good joint, the melting point of the rod, and the ally is so close its very difficult to get the rod to flow without melting the workpiece.

 

[ronan]

There were kits called lumiweld kits advertised for years in the classic motorcycle magazines. I never tried them and often wondered if they were any use.

 

[Appyasme1]

Eutectic are the experts on Al

 

[Chris Stevens]

No zinc based solder products like Lumiweld arent a lot of good.................

 

[Kent]

Hey its been about 30 years now but I am fairly darn sure the rods we used on those tipper backs were not a solder

 

[gordon stephenson]

I have used the ally brazing rods quite a few times, And once you get the hang of it it goes well and makes a good strong joint, This huge old drill had been dropped and snapped off the handle Where it met the body, Repaired it with ally brazing,good as new, Also re-attached a starter motor snapped off mounting lug,and its still going strong.

 

[TechnicAl]

View attachment 88313 I have used the ally brazing rods quite a few times, And once you get the hang of it it goes well and makes a good strong joint, This huge old drill had been dropped and snapped off the handle Where it met the body, Repaired it with ally brazing,good as new, Also re-attached a starter motor snapped off mounting lug,and its still going strong.

View attachment 88303 View attachment 88304

My elder brother had one of those WOLF drills.......they were the bee knees of the day........60s ????

and now WOLF is a name for rubbish