- Thread starter biodoctor
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alarming entertainment
DURAFIX EASYWELD DISTRIBUTOR
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i'm glad to hear that you have positive things to say about durafix... i've found it to be invaluable when used within it's limits and have only had one customer "complain" that he didn't like it's properties.... can't have it all i guess.... as far as using this on ally radiators is concerned, i have found that a greater heat source is necessary as the radiator.... radiates. It loses heat. quickly. So the key is to use a more intense heat source.
Thanks again for everyone's comments.
Thanks again for everyone's comments.
Slim Shady
Tig Mad
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I have just one thing to say,
They would not be suitable for "welding" critical stuff because they have no penetration, they fill the hole. otherwise they are pretty good.
They would not be suitable for "welding" critical stuff because they have no penetration, they fill the hole. otherwise they are pretty good.
brightspark
Member
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just out of curiosity have u used them and tried snapping the joint
alarming entertainment
DURAFIX EASYWELD DISTRIBUTOR
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- 21
yes I have tried that, and in fact there are videos on the net showing this.... if the weld is carried out properly, the joint is actually stronger than the ally itself.
aametalmaster
Member
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- Salem Ohio USA
How does your rod work on fixing Magnesium chainsaw case parts? ...Bob
shenion
Tool Pack Rat
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- 7,586
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- Stone Mountain, GA USA
I have used Alumaweld (very similar). It works well but you need a lot of heat and it runs like water.
You also need to get all the oil off.
Have used it when converting chainsaw engines for R/C use. Takes a bit of practice to get it right. I use a MAPP gas torch so it heats up quicker.
aametalmaster
Member
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What keeps the torch from catching the magnesium on fire? Just wondering...Bob
shenion
Tool Pack Rat
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- Stone Mountain, GA USA
You can never get it hot enough for it to burn.
I asked that in about TIG. With TIG's much higher temps, I assumed it would burn as soon as it moved out of the gas coverage. Apparently a solid piece of magnesium or Al/mag alloy will suck the heat out of the weld before it can ignite. Only when the entire piece gets hot enough will it burn.
Apparently the black soot when weling Al/mag with TIG/MIG is when the magnesium boils and vaporizes. When this exits the gas shroud it burns.
I asked that in about TIG. With TIG's much higher temps, I assumed it would burn as soon as it moved out of the gas coverage. Apparently a solid piece of magnesium or Al/mag alloy will suck the heat out of the weld before it can ignite. Only when the entire piece gets hot enough will it burn.
Apparently the black soot when weling Al/mag with TIG/MIG is when the magnesium boils and vaporizes. When this exits the gas shroud it burns.
From http://durafix.com/
Less fun but a drop of vinegar will react with mag alloys (fizzes producing hydrogen) but won't react with Al alloys.
As said, a chunk of mag is incredibly difficult to ignite by mistake, it takes effort like a ****** big fire. Like custard if it's in powder (swarf) form then it's a lot easier to start a fire but even then the swarf/chips from a typical mag alloy casting don't burn as well as the pure mag ribbon we all played with in school. Titanium swarf is much more fun!
Filler wire will burn if you melt a blob off the end with the arc and it doesn't land on the part, say when welding vertically up for example
Before TIG came along mag used to be welded with oxyfuel FWIW. Don't know if the flux is still available though.
hts-2000 claim theirs works on Mg parts, also claim 10% elongation versus 3% for the other '1st generation' rods. As usual it's in the FAQs littered amongst the selective truths, half truths and BS. We know it works so why market it in such a 'snakeoil salesman' way? Why is it such a good thing that it's 'stronger' than aluminium? Surely it's the strength of the part that's important i.e. repair a lug or crack with a harder, stronger and less ductile material and you add a great stress riser. Hardly surprising that the part in the demo fails right next to the 'stronger' repair.
Edit, forgot about the magnesium myth video
Just looked up the price of this stuff
Makes Mg and Ti wire look cheap
Less fun but a drop of vinegar will react with mag alloys (fizzes producing hydrogen) but won't react with Al alloys.
As said, a chunk of mag is incredibly difficult to ignite by mistake, it takes effort like a ****** big fire. Like custard if it's in powder (swarf) form then it's a lot easier to start a fire but even then the swarf/chips from a typical mag alloy casting don't burn as well as the pure mag ribbon we all played with in school. Titanium swarf is much more fun!
Filler wire will burn if you melt a blob off the end with the arc and it doesn't land on the part, say when welding vertically up for example
Before TIG came along mag used to be welded with oxyfuel FWIW. Don't know if the flux is still available though.
hts-2000 claim theirs works on Mg parts, also claim 10% elongation versus 3% for the other '1st generation' rods. As usual it's in the FAQs littered amongst the selective truths, half truths and BS. We know it works so why market it in such a 'snakeoil salesman' way? Why is it such a good thing that it's 'stronger' than aluminium? Surely it's the strength of the part that's important i.e. repair a lug or crack with a harder, stronger and less ductile material and you add a great stress riser. Hardly surprising that the part in the demo fails right next to the 'stronger' repair.
Edit, forgot about the magnesium myth video
Just looked up the price of this stuff
Makes Mg and Ti wire look cheapaametalmaster
Member
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I used to burn it for fun all the time with a torch when i had an unlimited supply of broken chainsaw parts. But now my parts are too rare to even try it. I tried welding them with my mig and spoolgun but the bead cracked right away. It welded real nice but i didn't have the right Mag wire...Bob
I'd love to hear how they define 'great success' 
Is not leaking a great success? 
Most, if not all of the decent tank fabricators use the softer Al alloys because they will deform a lot more than stronger (harder, more brittle) alloys before they split. Some prefer oxyfuel welding over TIG for ductility reasons and fatigue properties too. The various aluminium solders are all brittle. Hopefully anyone who's used the monkey metal for this sort of thing has given joint design a lot of thought and even more to the way the tank is mounted
FWIW you can buy a similar product from welding suppliers (555 Al solder), not hyped up to be a 'wonder rod' but then it's not priced like a wonder rod either...
Is not leaking a great success? Most, if not all of the decent tank fabricators use the softer Al alloys because they will deform a lot more than stronger (harder, more brittle) alloys before they split. Some prefer oxyfuel welding over TIG for ductility reasons and fatigue properties too. The various aluminium solders are all brittle. Hopefully anyone who's used the monkey metal for this sort of thing has given joint design a lot of thought and even more to the way the tank is mounted
FWIW you can buy a similar product from welding suppliers (555 Al solder), not hyped up to be a 'wonder rod' but then it's not priced like a wonder rod either...
Cheers 'hotrodder' :-) I would like to make a bespoke aluminium tank for my Land rover ambulance. This being the reason I asked the guys at 'Technoweld'. My thoughts on joint construction have been pretty simple. Get a big sheet of aluminium (I'd have to consider ductility now that you have mentioned it of course), mark it out like a piece of cardboard and then fold it up into a box like enclosure. I would do it in such a way as to have as few joints as possible. There would be internal joints which would be in the form of plates used for baffles.
For fixing I had already got an idea of using neoprene strip to cushion all round the straps I would use.
I could consider using reinforcing plates on the the joins too... As yet I haven't thought of what gauge of metal to use either which could make a difference.
Of course, I could just do this out of mild steel I suppose and avoid the possibility of brittle joints :-)
For fixing I had already got an idea of using neoprene strip to cushion all round the straps I would use.
I could consider using reinforcing plates on the the joins too... As yet I haven't thought of what gauge of metal to use either which could make a difference.
Of course, I could just do this out of mild steel I suppose and avoid the possibility of brittle joints :-)
Agreed. Besides which, tabs could possibly mean more joints which in turn could be possible failure points. The idea I have in my head is to use neoprene (or similar) lined straps similar to neoprene lined 'P' clips. I could even go further, I suppose, and use some of that flat foam cushioning strip instead of harder neoprene strip. It should take out any (or most) vibration.
I'm starting to think it may be easier to do this in mild steel after all. What I want to do is to make two similar tanks one for each side for balancing. One for petrol the other for fresh water. The fresh water would of course have to be made of stainless steel.
Yep, mounting tabs can be a common failure point... smallish lightweight jobbies tend to fatigue and break, make the mounts bigger/thicker and stiffer and the weak point can move to where they join the tank so then you need to add 'doublers' to avoid them being ripped out of the tank
Nicely done mounting straps here... http://www.proalloy.co.uk/cgi-bin/sitewise.pl?act=gallerybig&p=950&id=proalloy
A simple folded box can work with steel but not the best way and with ally really need some shape to stiffen the thing up. Sharp corners are stress risers and while they can work with welding, soldered/brazed construction = flanged joints which handily also stiffen things. Couple of examples in this thread.
A folded box doesn't make much of a difference regarding no of joints- one maybe 2 less. With 2 seperate end pieces (main body folded from one or two pieces) layout and cutting are easier/quicker, you typically get less distortion issues with the baffles and while there'll be more joints there's often actually less from a length of a weld POV
Nicely done mounting straps here... http://www.proalloy.co.uk/cgi-bin/sitewise.pl?act=gallerybig&p=950&id=proalloy
A simple folded box can work with steel but not the best way and with ally really need some shape to stiffen the thing up. Sharp corners are stress risers and while they can work with welding, soldered/brazed construction = flanged joints which handily also stiffen things. Couple of examples in this thread.
A folded box doesn't make much of a difference regarding no of joints- one maybe 2 less. With 2 seperate end pieces (main body folded from one or two pieces) layout and cutting are easier/quicker, you typically get less distortion issues with the baffles and while there'll be more joints there's often actually less from a length of a weld POV
I don't like the easyweld durafix stuff that much. it has it uses but it also has some serious limitations.
Small non critical jobs it's brilliant, clean up both bits of ali add some heat and rod and it's all done marvalous.
on bigger jobs it's a PITA , it's almost to willing to stay molten and it seems to crack very easaly. i choped down and fliped a VW 16v manifold for my 16V turbo conversion it was ok for a while and then it cracked right through the middel of the join
ended up knackering the engine and din't do the turbo any favors
Small non critical jobs it's brilliant, clean up both bits of ali add some heat and rod and it's all done marvalous.
on bigger jobs it's a PITA , it's almost to willing to stay molten and it seems to crack very easaly. i choped down and fliped a VW 16v manifold for my 16V turbo conversion it was ok for a while and then it cracked right through the middel of the join
ended up knackering the engine and din't do the turbo any favorsWould Durafix be capable of mending this: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=25348 ?
