Cleaning Aluminium Welds

[Brobuilt]

Hi I am new to Aluminium welding and would like to know what/how people clean there mig welds. I am building a lot of aluminium fences around 200 with multiple customers. The design is with a lot of upright struts so there is lot of welds.

I have been recommended "Blitz" Aluminium Cleaner professional formula. In the instructions it states to use diluted or undiluted and to be sure to not let it dry out or run before rinsing of. Problem is it's like water and runs easily making it hard to get it consitent. It takes several trys to get the black soot of and I can't get it all of this way.

It is mill finish 6060T5 alloy.

Would appreciate some feedback as I am well behind in my first order already.

Thank's from Australia

 

[Piero]

Don't know if it works on ally but the fronious magic cleaner looks a mega bit of kit.
You tube it.
Not sure of the spelling for fronious.
Good luck

 

[Piero]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEr2RWPp6sU

 

[Brobuilt]

Thanks Piero. Looks like a good bit of kit. Any idea how much its worth.

 

[langy]

Thats just another Wand, I have this one http://www.sureweld.co.uk/welding-products/CLEANTECH-WELD-CLEANER_201221-1155.asp

There are lots around at varying prices, all do the same job as far as i can see.

 

[Brobuilt]

They all seem to be great for stainless steel welds but what really I'm looking for is a way of easily cleaning the black soot caused from mig welding aluminium?

Can anyone give me some ideas with this one

 

[Hitch]

Normally use Alishine, (liquid cleaner) brushed on with a stiff brush, then power washed off.

Maybe not perfect for your application though, as mentioned, it leaves streaks where it runs down.

 

[Brobuilt]

Thanks Hitch. I noticed when I left the Blitz in a aluminium can (just had my spraygun handy) it jellied up a bit. Made it eisier to apply with brush then and it didn't run.

What type of finishing do you suggest. I am using a flap wheel on my grinder at the moment but its difficult to get around the welds.

 

[langy]

They all seem to be great for stainless steel welds but what really I'm looking for is a way of easily cleaning the black soot caused from mig welding aluminium?

Can anyone give me some ideas with this one

Ah, sorry, I don't know as I would only Tig Aluminium.

 

[hotrodder]

As Langy i don't MIG ally so this is more guesses/ramblings than anything...
The electrolytic weld cleaning machines typically use dilute phosphoric acid, citric acid is also used to passivate stainless and works better when heat and/or leccy are used. The commercial ally cleaners/brighteners are often phosphoric and/or citric based. Adding a thicking agent (no idea what to suggest though) to one of the commercial cleaners is another possability, kinda like how the acids used to pickle stainless are mixed with something to get pickling paste. Speaking of pickling paste some of 'em are also claimed to be usable on ally, Antox 3D for example... http://www.elmerwallace.co.uk/Antox-3D-Non-toxic-Pickling-paste/53.htm The non-toxic bit is more in relation to stronger blends as it's still a mix of nitric and hydroflouric acid, albeit <1% HF

ETA google suggests that 'barium sulphate' is the thickening agent used in pickling pastes

 

[Brobuilt]

Yes I would rather Tig the alloy as well. I just happen to have a mig, but if this new venture starts to take off I will get one, possibly with a plasma cutter.

I just discovered that if I brush the weld before it cools down I can get rid of the black soot, douh. So that's one problem solved. Bit tricky to brush in the corners when its clamped down though..

 

[Drains]

Also worth finishing with Scotchbrite (and going over before welding, with the same stuff).

 

[julieanncharters]

most of the time a wipe with a clean rag will remove the black soot or "smut" as its technically known.
summit to do with the high magnesium content of the wire which vaporises and causes black soot as i recall.

if its stubborn then its usually cos of bad technique/torch angle,

if you want it really clean then a scotch brite end on flap will get into them tight spots.
normal flat scotch flap no good for fillet joint cleaning.
never tried pickling paste on ali ,always been afraid it would be to aggressive and make more of a mess

 

[hotrodder]

More indepth article on weld smut here... http://www.thefabricator.com/article/aluminumwelding/how-to-recognize-minimize-weld-smut

 

[julieanncharters]

More indepth article on weld smut here... http://www.thefabricator.com/article/aluminumwelding/how-to-recognize-minimize-weld-smut

good article cheers hotrodder.
me memory's goin like everything else.
in my experience when you mig ali you should be seeing the two cleaning strips forward & each side of the weld as you progress.
if yer ain't its not going to look pretty with poor fusion on one edge not to mention heavy coating of smut on one side or both.
i only ever welding 5 series wire in mine for 5083 plate which is nice and stiff in 1.2mm diameter but as mentioned prone to more smut.
compared to other forms of welding, ali mig info on the net seems a bit thin on the ground .

 

[Brobuilt]

Thanks Hotrodder I will see if that info helps.

It seems I've thrown myself into the deep end with this project. I originally thought Mig welding would be more the way to go as with the amount of welds to do with all the fences. But it has just caused me a big headache with all the cleaning. Tig might have been slower but they would have been much neater and cleaner.

The Mig welder cost me au$1800 (about us$1900) I really want it to pay for itself. Will have to wait a bit before I can get a Tig.

Will let you know how I get on

 

[Rab-rock]

Hey looks like this hasn't been discussed for a while, but I came across a weld cleaning machine that can clean aluminium at EuroBLECH in hannover, Germany. its called Cougartron, and cleans Mig and Tig aluminium and stainless well!

 

[marlinspike]

First post by a new poster, digging up a 2 year old thread.... Looks like spam to me.