[TheForge] Aluminum Gas Welding flux

[Cameron Stoker]

On Wed, Feb 06, 2002 at 05:40:39PM -0500, Dan Tull wrote:
> What flux do you use for aluminum forge welding in a gas forge?

This may or may not be related, but I have been hunting around for
aluminium Oxy-Fuel welding flux. This is the closest I have come (and a
pretty good source of information, too):

http://tinmantech.com

at the very bottom of this page there is info on welding flux:
http://tinmantech.com/html/aluminum_gas_welding__brazing_.html

I read alot of this site and was feeling inspired. I tried welding up
some 6061 with 5356 rod using some leftover anhydrous borax. I think it
would work great - I forgot that I had put wd-40 in my spraycan instead
of the alcohol I normaly keep it full of.  So my de-greasing of the
surfaces was really a greasing. Didn't get very good penetration.

But I have to say that I really like the idea of gas welding the 6061.
TIG is what I have been using on it, but it takes a long time to heat
up some bigger chunks, and the penetration is really hard to get just
right.

I had never tried gas welding Al ever since I tried to cut it once with
the cutting torch and just made a big puddle. I thought its transition
zone was too narrow to be reasonable to work with.

Anybody on the list have experiences gas welding Al?

Anybody know how long it takes 6061 to age harden at room temp from an
anneal/solutionizing heat?


-- 
        Cameron Stoker
         "May you run like a vicuna!"
        cameron@stoker.net
	www.stoker.net/cameron/pgp <- public key