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PJH 12-12-2012 06:25:32 50.40.254.45 Report to Moderator	I took the adult ed classes at our local junior college, and the instructor demonstrated welding aluminum with oxy-acet torch. A beautiful weld. He stressed cleanliness - I remember him saying a wire brush would contaminate the weld area. He used a flux coated electrode for a filler rod. He gave us all some coupons so we could try it, but he forewarned us that we would ALL fail. He was right. . . The darn stuff does not change it's appearance as it heats up, like steel does. It's there one second, and gone the next. Holes and blobs all over my coupons. And then there's the old guy, now deceased, who ran a blacksmith shop in our little town. He saved worn out aluminum scoop shovels - he cut strips from the shovels and used the strips for filler rod. Cleanliness was not his forte, but he still made a functional weld. Based on my previous experience, I consider any attempt to weld aluminum, by me, to be a waste of fuel. [Reply]   [No Email]
Puddles 12-12-2012 06:39:03 24.113.77.208 Report to Moderator	Re: This is impressive! in reply to PJH, 12-12-2012 06:25:32   I've never been good with oxygen & acetylene welding, and not much of an aluminum weldor at all. But I'll stick with Tig when it comes to welding aluminum! [Reply]  [No Email]
PJH 12-12-2012 07:54:05 50.40.254.45 Report to Moderator	Re: This is impressive! in reply to Puddles, 12-12-2012 06:39:03   Puddles, I read everything that you put on this site. You've taught me some useful things that's improved my welding. You do some beautiful work, and can back up what you talk about with photos like the one above. I have to say that you remind me of my old welding instructor, and that is a compliment. I'll never be a really good welder - just adequate, and I know my limitations. Last week, I made a hydraulic tank, and decided to pressure test it before I painted it. It looked pretty sharp, but 20 psi and a squirt bottle of Windex later, and I had bubbles everywhere. I finally got it airtight, but it was no longer pretty, ha. Thanks for all of your informative posts! Paul [Reply]  [No Email]
Puddles 12-12-2012 08:46:41 24.113.77.208 Report to Moderator	Re: This is impressive! in reply to PJH, 12-12-2012 07:54:05   WOW Paul 20-psi! I hope that was a round tank with domed ends! Normally I only use 3 to 4 psi when testing square or rectangular tanks. And even then they bulge out really bad. [Reply]  [No Email]
PJH 12-12-2012 11:06:04 50.40.254.45 Report to Moderator	Re: This is impressive! in reply to Puddles, 12-12-2012 08:46:41   Rectangular tank - 1/4" material - 2 qt. volume - only 4" square by 9" long or thereabouts. I usually use a bicycle innertube cut in two, with the cut ends clamped on the openings, but my sacrificial tube was rotted. . . Sorry for straying the original post. [Reply]  [No Email]