OT--Magnesium welding.

J

Jiles

Well-known Member

• Feb 19, 2016

• #1

My so has a mig welder and has been welding some aluminum.
He asked me if magnesium can be welded in the same manner.

 

B

Batel

Member

• Feb 19, 2016

• #1

No. Emphatic no. As far as I have been told magnesium will burn in a self sustaining fire if ignited, and welding would do it. The crankcases were magnesium on some large radial engines years ago and I remember the pilots manual explaining how to tell a magnesium fire from the smoke, the next entry under remedy was always, Bail Out.

 

tn terry t

Well-known Member

• Feb 19, 2016

• #1

dummies where I work decided to cut some mag rods with a abrasive chop saw started a heck of a fire. they then decided to hit it with water just made the fire bigger . I got there with purple k and put the fire out. give them all a good chewing out because they all knew better

 

Janicholson

Well-known Member

• Feb 19, 2016

• #1

The only way to weld magnesium is to use a inert gas enclosure. It is seriously only very expensive components that deserve the cost of the process. It is usually Tungsten Inert Gas welded, but in a purged inert cabinet. Not reasonable to try any other way. Jim

 

jon f mn

Well-known Member

• Feb 19, 2016

• #1

I always use tig to weld magnesium, still have some rod left. I've never heard of anyone welding it with
mig. It's very expensive to weld.

 

D

Dick2

Well-known Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

Don't know. The nurse told me last weekend when I was in the hospital that my lab test said that I was low on magnesium, so she added some to my water and that took care of the shortage.

 

I

Ian Beale

Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

IIRC you can with these

http://www.cutlikeplasma.com/history.htm

 

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

YT, just like all internet , people say, repeat "stuff" with no basis in fact. If they don't KNOW, why not simply remain silent?! jon f mn & Dick2 are the only two intelligent posts in this thread.

 

F

flambeauone

Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

Dont try it. Like the other posters have
said inert gas enclosure.

 

Welding man

Well-known Member

Location

West Virginia

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

The worst case of welding flash I ever had was when I was in welding school at Hobart.
Someone brought in a magnesium dockboard to be welded. My instructor recruited another
student and myself to preheat with rosebud tips while he MIG welded it. We were wearing
dark glasses but the flash off the walls was so bright it burned both our eyes. They had to
pay to send both of us to the doctor. Haven't been too eager to try any more.

 

OP

OP

J

Jiles

Well-known Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

Being a retired Tool&Die Maker, I have machined lots of magnesium and know about the dangers.
I told my so that I was sure it could be welded but had to be done with a much more controlled procedure.
What is a good way to determine if material is magnesium or aluminum, without machining?

 

jon f mn

Well-known Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

Strike an arc with a tig machine, if the flame is green it's magnesium.

 

A

AlinArk

Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

use a sharp metal tool.take a scraping off of material and place on a metal surface and use a small torch to heat the aluminum will melt and puddle, the magnesium will burn or flash

 

OP

OP

J

Jiles

Well-known Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

(quoted from post at 17:18:26 02/20/16) use a sharp metal tool.take a scraping off of material and place on a metal surface and use a small torch to heat the aluminum will melt and puddle, the magnesium will burn or flash

Click to expand...

Thanks--On another web forum, It was said that regular household vinegar would react to magnesium but not aluminum.
I will try both methods.

 

Janicholson

Well-known Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

My statement about the danger is valid for several reasons. The first is that the process is not for a novice. It is also not a MIG process. the third is that
castings and thick sections are much less prone to fire due to the quenching effect of the thicker material. Thin sections can also be easily over heated and
fall/splash onto floors and under benches causing fires. So many alloys are found (some of which act much differently) that casual efforts are often assumed to
be sound when they are internally fractured and bogus, Look up hot shortness in Magnesium). Controlled phase AC double frequency TIG systems are the choice. I
stand on my recommendation. Jim

 

jon f mn

Well-known Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

Acording to this you can do it, but I suspect the cost of a roll of wire will require a second mortgage.
And if its an engine or trany casting and oil soaked you will need to tig it to cookthe contaminates
out.

 

O

ObsoElitist

Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

(quoted from post at 22:33:38 02/19/16) I always use tig to weld magnesium, still have some rod left. I've never heard of anyone welding it with
mig. It's very expensive to weld.

Click to expand...

Me too. I used to build parts for vintage race cars. Machine it, weld it, no problem if you do the research and do it right.

There was probably once a few guys who said you could NEVER replace horses with tractors.

 

T

travis miranowski

Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

I have always wondered what the advantages of magnesium are over aluminum?? At least aluminum you have a chance to repair if something happens.

 

jon f mn

Well-known Member

• Feb 20, 2016

• #1

Magnesium is both stronger and lighter than aluminum. It can be welded similar to aluminum as well. Most of the repairs I've done on it were chainsaw and motor cycle parts.