Aluminium soldering

[Tiggy_dorset]

Seeing another thread pop up regarding Ali welding reminded me that I wanted to post this question:

Sif 555 rods - http://www.weldability-sif.com/pages/view_product.asp?product_string=RO553201

How do they compare to the likes of Durafix etc? Are the Durafix and similar products just a glorified version of the same rod, yet more expensive? Are the Sif 555 rods a suitable alternative to Durafix and associates?

Cheers.

 

[hotrodder]

Yep, SIF555 are suitable. I wouldn't be suprised if some of the UK based shills that hype self fluxing ZnAlCu based solder into a wonder rod are just repackaging the SIF stuff with copious amounts of BS... if you look at the MSDS the melting points, boiling points, specific gravity etc are all virtually, if not exactly, the same regardless of brand name. Even the "second generation" HTS2000 rods that (according to the claims) are a unique and more complex 9 part alloy somehow manages to retain the same s.g. and melting temp range as durafix/lumiweld/Sif/royal kirkrod* etc

*Dunno how available they are in the UK but Crown Alloys Royal Kirkrod is another example of the same stuff and (like SIF) not hyped up to be anything other than a self fluxing solder for repairing pot metal castings and sticking aluminium together.
All of the flavours are harder/stronger than many flavours of aluminium, the shills leap on this but often forget to mention that the stuff is brittle with poor % elongation

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Thanks, I think I'll give the 555's a shot, see how I get on with them.