Cleanliness is crucial in the repair process to maintain a safe work environment and prevent cross-contamination, which is essential for producing quality repairs. In the vehicle industry, galvanic corrosion results when steel is trapped in contact with aluminum and an electrolyte. OEM network structural aluminum repair facilities require clean rooms to ensure a clean work environment.
An aluminum clean room is a quarantined area of the shop dedicated for aluminum work, fully separated from other types of work. Technicians must perform all welding, bonding, riveting, and other tasks in this area. A strong enforced policy to keep the shop clean is necessary for aluminum repairs. Essential tools and equipment needed for aluminum repair include welders, dent repair stations, dust extractors, and isolation stations.
The increased use of aluminum is due to government-mandated emissions requirements and fuel economy. The cleanroom’s classification dictates the rigor of maintenance protocols required to maintain environmental control. Installing an aluminum repair isolation work station allows workers to perform all necessary operations in a safe and healthy environment.
Isolating aluminum repairs is essential for maintaining the uniformity and quality of goods made from aluminum extrusion. Aluminum repair and steel metal repairs must be held in split bays to prevent cross-contamination. Aluminum flooring is non-porous and smooth, making it easy to clean and resistant to bacteria, fungi, and mold growth.
The dust generated during aluminum repair has the potential to be explosive. To ensure a clean work environment, it is essential to integrate cleanliness into the repair process and hold aluminum repair and steel metal repairs in separate bays.
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wire wheels tend to overheat the aluminum and can embed contaminants under the surface of the aluminum, making it uncleanable with solvents or significant sanding. its better to initially wipe the aluminum down thoroughly with acetone to wash all loose contaminants off of the surface, followed by prepping the weld joint with a light abrasive (scotch-brite abrasives, fine-grit sanding disks, a stainless steel wire brush, etc). finish by again cleaning with acetone and drying thoroughly before welding or brazing. this should allow for a smoother and higher quality weld to be made, with desirable aesthetics as well. not trying to be an ass but steps like these can greatly enhance the quality of your work as well as assisting in smoother operation of welding equipment- the old timers taught me this stuff hope it helps
Great article. You are spot-on…the secret for them to work, is to prep the surfaces. If you do not, the weld will not hold beyond a casual tap. The first time I used these, I was in a hurry and thought the two parts looked clean enough….Fail. They are pretty amazing though. You can even use them to patch an aluminum boat that has a hole in it. As a practice, I punch a hole (dime size) in the bottom of an aluminum can, and use the rod in circles around the hole. It gradually fills in and closes the hole. (It also teaches you on the heat application of the base metal….too hot and the aluminum will melt down, especially if it is really thin.) Thanks
I have no experience with this, used a butane (kitchen type) torch and aluminum rod to solder two stainless steel M14 washers together, it held well. It is unusually convenient and seems to be strong enough for light uses. I want to get my hands on some nickel silver rods, mapp torch to braze and re-test. Btw, I found out this random info while doing some research: If MAPP torch flame isn’t blue, (like yellow), the fuel isn’t burning 100% and probably producing carbon monoxide, deadly in areas with poor ventilation.
Yeah that’s more of a braze than weld, as it doesn’t melt the base metals. Quite strong result, though, likely due to good prep. For AC Tig aluminum welding it is critical to brush through the aluminum oxide, and not induce any contaminants. Stainless steel brush, cleaned either with isopropyl alcohol or acetone, and only used for prepping aluminum…
Hi, I’ve got a project where I’m trying to braze large pieces, about 4′ length. Every vid I see only shows about 2″ to 4″ of test. How long of an increment should I attempt at a time? I’m assuming I can’t heat the entire 4 feet without one end cooling down again. Also, should I be worried about reheating the parts that have existing braze weld? Thanks for the insight. I need it, trying this for the first time with zero welding experience
Hello I really enjoyed your article and expect to try it out sometime! But I just can’t help myself your little Jerry can really needs to vent and I thought you must be a really tough guy to be wearing flip flops 😂😂But I was very impressed with how steady your hands are I have tremors so I always have to find a way to rest my hands on something but anyway Well done 😀🇨🇦
Please reply, I’m a basic diy guy and I have built a bicycle with a 2 stroke motor on it and the bike is aluminum, being a thick aluminum do u think these would work if I cut the bike to put a bigger motor on it and reweld the frame support with like aluminum sticks is doable and durable to hold up to daily riding….with out wrecking and impacts of course
So I googled how to weld aluminum without a tig welder, and discovered this method. A quick search on Youtube brought me to this vid. Very informative and to the point. What I am interested in welding is the joints in electronics chassis made of .08 aluminium sheet, if anybody has any thoughts on doing this would love to hear them.