One more thought. After the weld is completed. Re-heat the weld and then
quench with water. This will return the aluminum to it's malleable state.
Dave@Taos Garage Annex in Albuquerque
'59 AH :{) '54 BN1
----- Original Message -----
From <IfixMGs at aol.com>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 8:03 PM
Subject: Re: aluminum soldering/welding.
> Larry,
> The best stuff I've found on the market is "Alumaloy" but it's fairly
> expensive. Northern and Harbor Fr8 both carry a pretty good rod/flux/brush
> kit. The trick is to get the work as clean as it can get, use a Mapp torch
(a
> regular propane torch head works but not as good as the one designed for
Mapp
> bottle) and keep the work a few degrees above the melting point of the
> alloy which is about 730. You will mostly find that the connection falls
in
> the realm of true soldering (below 780f as I recall from my now 30 year
old
> metalurgy classes...) but some actual weldments will form at the
periphery
> of the puddle surface and the material. The welds are grainy and porus,
and
> don't add much strength, so I simply fill them in with more puddled rod.
> I've repaired my ladder, a couple of Weber intakes and fabricated a door
> striker latch for a 58 MGA out of the stuff. I also had good luck using
> 1/8" 4043 aluminum rod with the Alumaloy flux and an oxyacetylene torch to
> repair a tear in the door.
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