# Welder for aluminum angle



## Big John (Jan 4, 2008)

I would really like to build a few bridges and towers using aluminum angle. What kind of welder would I need to work on aluminum. I have never welded anything before so I am at a total loss on this subject. I was thinking of buying stock lengths of aluminum from Home Depot for this type of work. Is this something I could do or should I just forget it?

Big John


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I'd suggest mechanical connectors...nuts and bolts. 
I'm not a welder, but I think Aluminimium is starting in the deep end. 

John


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

You would want to use a TIG welder... a good one cost about $3,500 new....It would take about 1 year of welding with a tig rig to get really good at it. I would NOT pay material from Home Depote or Lowes but goto a metal supplier cause it is MUCH cheaper thier...I can buy 20 feet of 1/2 " angle steel for $12 buck and it woukld cost 2x or more than that at Home depote or lowes.


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Tig welding would be the best answer in this circumstance IMO. That said the welding technique is much like gas and or acetylene welding there are several ways to implement a TIG welder. Dedicated TIG’s are expensive and generally comprised of a power supply which in of itself is an AC/DC arc welder. Additionally a TIG torch and Argon gas bottle can be fitted to an existing power source and you’re off on welding… For your needs an Inverter type small DC welder would work nicely fitted with a TIG torch. Lincoln as well as others offer a complete portable unit for around $1,000.00. 

See Lincoln’s #INVERTEC V155-S (TIG Ready Pak) as an example, I saw it offered for $935.00. This unit works very well IMO. 

As far as learning how to weld, there are lots of demonstrations and how to’s available online and your local welding supplier likely can help and or point you in the right direction too. The aluminum angle mentioned would be great material to practice with again IMO. Any way its not rocket science and garnering some experience would be relatively easy. Perhaps you know someone that knows someone or the like that could assist with the learning curve. 

Regards, 
Michael


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

INVERTEC V155-S is for dc welding only which mean you can not weld Aluminum... you will need a ac voltage with HIGH Frequency to help clean the metal while you weld. Thats way it was for only onder $1000 bucks.....


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## livesteam53 (Jan 4, 2008)

TIG Welding is going to be very costly for you. 
Like John says Bolt & Nuts would be the easiest for you. 
If you want a welded bridge then think about using steel and MIG weld it. 
Wire feed welders are easy to use.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

You might try one of several stick welding products that use just a standard hardware store Propane torch. I have used both the TV advertised "Alumalloy" brand and a product I got at a vendor's tent at the Midwest Old Settler's and Thresher's Reunion (Mt. Pleasant, IA) called "EZ Products" (the vendor is from Kentucky).

There are MANY other brands and all claim their differing alloys to be better than the others, some claim to not have Bisimuth in the sticks which their claim is to be less hazardous to use. I always use it outdoors and stay up wind from the work and well away from any fumes that come off, just in case!

I have welded both bar and sheet goods with some success. 

My son tried welding some cast aluminium (snow-blower chassis) using Alumalloy and although the weld held the base metal gave way rather quickly and we don't know if it was because there was hidden damage from the accident that caused the need for repair, or because he damaged it further while heating it to make the repair. This was the first time we used it and learned to not do much re-heating or it will all just turn liquid and run off! Kind of shocking to decide to add some more and watch all that careful welding bead turn to water and pour on the floor!









I used it to fill a square hole (yes a SQUARE hole) I had drilled in the wrong place (silly me!







) in a 1.5x1 inch 10 inch long bar. I then re-drilled the hole where I intended it to be. I used the EZ brand and found that it shrank considerably in the 1/2 inch square by 3/4 inch deep hole. I noted the shrinkage long before it had cooled much so I just re-heated enough to shove the stick back in the hole (no worries about it running out since it was a blind hole) and added enough to build a mound on the top. When it cooled it ended up pretty flat with the original material. I found the EZ stuff was a bit harder than the Aluminium bar base material and it drilled a bit better than the original material... The new hole overlapped the patch about 1/3rd. I felt that the patched area was not as "grabby" at the drill and mill bits. You can see the patch area, but the two materials (base and EZ) seem to have integrated well with each other.

If I ever use up the pound of EZ stuff I'd buy more of it but the vendor does not have a web presence, only a phone number. I will say the stuff is rather expensive ($35.00/lb.), but it sure works slick.


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## flats (Jun 30, 2008)

The easy way is to drill holes and ribet it together. I built a nice bridge out 
of alum stock from home depot by this method around 10 years ago and 
still in great shape, in fact I can walk accross it. 

Ken owner of K&K the road to nowhere


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Posted By Daniel Peck on 11 Sep 2010 12:01 PM 
INVERTEC V155-S is for dc welding only which mean you can not weld Aluminum... you will need a ac voltage with HIGH Frequency to help clean the metal while you weld. Thats way it was for only onder $1000 bucks..... 




Daniel, 

While your thoughts are the generally accepted practice, you can use a DC TIG to weld aluminum adequately enough to pass x-ray scrutiny with the aforementioned 1/8” angle. 

Michael


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

AC is the way to go... you can try DC but you will find that ac work MUCH better....I use to teach Welding at a post secondary school for 5 years..... 

the only way to weld aluminum with dc is to use a mig spool gun with argon and it is more hassle than it is worth. Do not forget to use a .005 over size tip.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Big John 
I am a owner of a steel fab business, with lots of welding experience. steel and aluminum 
Mig Welder with a spool gun can be used, it is more difficult, if you are well experienced with a mig, a spool gun would give satisfactory results. Never welding before as you mentioned in the first post, I am a very optismistic type person, and believe a person can always do more than they think they can do. My suggestion, stick with regular steel or use fasteners. Or do what you do best and let someone else do the rest. 
Buy your needed bridge from someone who builds them like Eaglewings or someother mfg. Some times we have to realize we are not capable of doing it all. 
If you can do wood build a trestle 
Dennis


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Posted By Daniel Peck on 11 Sep 2010 07:28 PM 
AC is the way to go... you can try DC but you will find that ac work MUCH better....I use to teach Welding at a post secondary school for 5 years..... 

the only way to weld aluminum with dc is to use a mig spool gun with argon and it is more hassle than it is worth. Do not forget to use a .005 over size tip. 

Daniel,

I agree a MIG w/spool is an option with DC and works well on thick/heavy metal and robotic welding. Larger electrodes with balled tips work admirably. Lastly AC is best, but not the only option IMO. 

You are likely familiar with the term or word “Heliarc”... Aluminum TIG-DC welding requires Helium or a mix of Helium and Argon can be used. Electrode polarity is a factor too; the electrode must be DC positive in most circumstance. It really does work quite well, I did it in school many years ago fabricating a surface drive for a large RC boat I was rigging in High School. As I matured I have had the fortune to utilize and own several welders, to this day I/we use welders daily in our construction business and on our toys. Even been down the road with x-raying these welds as I alluded to previously… 

For those interested AC-TIG/TGAW welding of Aluminum/Magnesium affords a desirable result as compared to other materials where DC TIG is the preferred method. AC-Argon creates a surface cleaning action which removes oxides mitigating weld porosity while DC-Helium affords deeper penetration of the alloy and requires very clean material/alloy. 

Michael


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

I'd go with nuts/bolts or better yet, real peened over rivets. Nobody does rivets. They are authentic and look great. 

Don't get material from Home Depot/Lowes. Way too expensive. A local yard or any of the online metal suppliers have it for way cheaper. Check out Online Metals, Metal Express, Speedy Metals, McMaster Carr.


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## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

I do have a miller 250x with spool gun in the shop, Miller Dynasty 200 DX tig set up, and a Lincoln 175. You can spool .065 Aluminum I done for years but not every one can do it. As for the tig deal Pure tungsten with the ac or if you use alloy in it on ac it will make a deposit in the weld and make a spot in the weld. I use only argon with the aluminum welding. With the dyn 200 you can ajust the back ground frquency to make a deeper penetrating weld or in the use of thin metal adjust the pulsateing.dc positvie heats up the base metal, dc negative burns up the electrode " aka" uses to balls the end up for some aluminum welding. If you do not what to weld the Aluminum use lords adhesive http://www.lord.com/Products-and-Solutions/Adhesives.xml it will hold as long as the temputure is not around 300 degrees or more. just as strong as welding.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I used this, which I got at Home Depot











To make this.










And this










I too did not know how to weld but bought a welder and started welding. My welds were UGLY. Industrial strength UGLY.

But with the help of a bunch of guys here oh MLS my welding skills have inproved by 75 %.

I would suggest using steel in stead of aluminum. It is easier to work with and cheaper equipment wise.

JJ


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Can aluminum be "Braised" or welded witha torch? 

Thsese may be the wrong terms but I think you know what I mean/.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ, 

If I think back to a welding class I took in college about 47 years ago, I believe we had to weld aluminum plates together using a torch and aluminum rod. I DO remember it wasn't easy!!


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By John J on 12 Sep 2010 11:19 AM 
Can aluminum be "Braised" or welded witha torch? 

Thsese may be the wrong terms but I think you know what I mean/. 

Posted By Gary Armitstead on 12 Sep 2010 02:21 PM 
JJ, 

If I think back to a welding class I took in college about 47 years ago, I believe we had to weld aluminum plates together using a torch and aluminum rod. I DO remember it wasn't easy!! 

Ummm... did youse guys read my post back on: 11 Sep 2010 01:27 PM 

Here let me save you some scrolling time and repeat whut I said all them many, many minutes ago...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You might try one of several STICK welding products that use just a standard hardware store Propane TORCH. I have used both the TV advertised "Alumalloy" brand and a product I got at a vendor's tent at the Midwest Old Settler's and Thresher's Reunion (Mt. Pleasant, IA) called "EZ Products" (the vendor is from Kentucky).

There are MANY other brands and all claim their differing alloys to be better than the others, some claim to not have Bisimuth in the sticks which their claim is to be less hazardous to use. I always use it outdoors and stay up wind from the work and well away from any fumes that come off, just in case!

I have welded both bar and sheet goods with some success.

My son tried welding some cast aluminium (snow-blower chassis) using Alumalloy and although the weld held the base metal gave way rather quickly and we don't know if it was because there was hidden damage from the accident that caused the need for repair, or because he damaged it further while heating it to make the repair. This was the first time we used it and learned to not do much re-heating or it will all just turn liquid and run off! Kind of shocking to decide to add some more and watch all that careful welding bead turn to water and pour on the floor!









I used it to fill a square hole (yes a SQUARE hole) I had drilled in the wrong place (silly me!







) in a 1.5x1 inch 10 inch long bar. I then re-drilled the hole where I intended it to be. I used the EZ brand and found that it shrank considerably in the 1/2 inch square by 3/4 inch deep hole. I noted the shrinkage long before it had cooled much so I just re-heated enough to shove the stick back in the hole (no worries about it running out since it was a blind hole) and added enough to build a mound on the top. When it cooled it ended up pretty flat with the original material. I found the EZ stuff was a bit harder than the Aluminium bar base material and it drilled a bit better than the original material... The new hole overlapped the patch about 1/3rd. I felt that the patched area was not as "grabby" at the drill and mill bits. You can see the patch area, but the two materials (base and EZ) seem to have integrated well with each other.

If I ever use up the pound of EZ stuff I'd buy more of it but the vendor does not have a web presence, only a phone number. I will say the stuff is rather expensive ($35.00/lb.), but it sure works slick.


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## Chucks_Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

U.S. Forge sell aluminum welding rods that work with any dc welding machine. They'll work just fine for building a bridge out of aluminum but of course it will go easier if you already know how to weld. KISS engineering at it's finest.

Scroll down a bit for aluminum electrodes.

http://us-forge.com/Products/Welding/Electrodes.htm


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## bdp3wsy (Mar 14, 2008)

I have used this with great success. You can use a propane torch but find a mapp torch is better with better results. Watch the demo at the web site. Jake



http://www.durafix.com/


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

bdp, 

I couldn't see the video. Do you have a writeup or something on it? 

Dave


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## Big John (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks for all the suggestions. Welding aluminum sounds too complicated (and too expensive) for me to start out on. I think I am going to try riviting a bridge together from aluminum angle and flat strap lengths. I can probably cut out joiner plates from flat aluminum plate to make the joints look like they were rivited to the angle and strap pieces. My RR depictes the era 1890 to 1941 and a rivited bridge would probably be more likely the way they were built in that timeframe. I have built a number of wooden bridges and trestles so I thought it would be nice to have a metal bridge to add to the mix. 

Big John


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## bdp3wsy (Mar 14, 2008)

Big John, try the durafix its simple to use and is strong and learning curve is small. The 1lb package goes a long way. I did a 18"x 80"x3.5" car float using the stock angle aluminum and sheets from HD and after the first 15min with the mapp torch I was flying thru it. I used a dual saw to cut the stock and that was my only major puchase but I now use that saw almost daily for allot of different material cuts. Jake 

http://durafix.com/ 

http://www.dualsawtv.com/


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I'm actually doing a project with aluminum and have decided to go with MicroFastener hex bolts (train car and conveyor belt scratchbuild). I'm thinking of doing some riveting but the Harbor Freight rivetor I have (which ain't broke yet ;-) ) uses rivets that are pretty big, even for 7/8 scale. Does anyone have ideas for where to purchase rivets and rivetors that might work for work that is approximately 1:12?


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## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

My RR depictes the era 1890 to 1941 and a rivited bridge would probably be more likely the way they were built in that timeframe. 
Not "probably" - definitely. Good choice.


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## Mr Ron (Sep 23, 2009)

You might also try epoxy. There are many that are formulated for different metals.


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## Mr Ron (Sep 23, 2009)

The same micro fasteners co. has rivets with a 1/16" dia head in brass and 1/8" head in aluminum.


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