Alluminium Mig Welding

[kontiki]

Please can somebody help I have a cultivator/Rotavator that has a aluminium section that holds the internal gears. Now this case has a crack in the case, now I no nothing about aluminium welding or indeed what type of alloy it is made with. I have friend that will do the work but I need to purchase the correct wire for this job.

 

[Big Pete]

I think you'll need to get that Tigged, IME mig is likely to blow the casting away. Thats going to be a tricky job.

 

[julieanncharters]

Aluminum castings are usually welded with 4043 wire.
i.m not a fan of mig for the job.
lots of tig passes and cleaning to boil crap out of the cast before doin a final weld pass on clean metal.

 

[kontiki]

Aluminum castings are usually welded with 4043 wire.
i.m not a fan of mig for the job.
lots of tig passes and cleaning to boil crap out of the cast before doin a final weld pass on clean metal.

What is tig passes am not understanding that term.

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

Welding with tig and going over it multiple times.

 

[backpurge]

Agree with all the above deffo needs TIG welding

 

[aametalmaster]

If it was in my shop it would be mig welded with 4043. Just my thoughts...Bob

 

[kontiki]

I found out that a new casing is $460 so pretty expensive, but finding a Tig welder in these parts is going to be very hard god they are not even up on MIG yet. But I thank those that have given advise.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Can the offending part be removed from the assembly easily enough?
If so then it wouldn't cost that much to post it to the UK, there's plenty of good tig welders on here who'd do it for you and I guarantee it would be cheaper than buying a new one.

 

[kontiki]

Have to look into that.

 

[kontiki]

What sort of price would be charged for this welding job ?

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

If it's a mate just 20 beer tokes as a part favour but done properly by a welding fab co could be up to £100 or more depending on prep and finishing ect.

 

[johnny max]

If it's a mate just 20 beer tokes as a part favour but done properly by a welding fab co could be up to £100 or more depending on prep and finishing ect.

It.s wine in france not beers
Can you find a training centre near you

 

[kontiki]

It.s wine in france not beers
Can you find a training centre near you

in our region, when I was looking for some MIG wire I asked at the local store about the size of Wicks. The answer was well we stock the machine but not the wire, at which I asked what's the point in stocking the machine but not the wire. I got the French shrug and that's why they never have customer relations divisions.

So to find a welding training centre could be difficult, but it's another avenue, I'll ask the local history teacher as they do night classes at the college where he works.

 

[KemppiFrog]

Hi Kontiki
I bought some SS Mig wire off Cata Outile, now shop-prix, IIRR they had ally too. It was a pysical store, just S. of Saintes, not the web or a van.
KF

Ed: If you have gas, I can send a few ally brazing rods. Friend who used to make drones for BAC left me a nice stash of a/c quality hardware and materials.

 

[kontiki]

I have a friend in the village who is good at brazing and has gas of course, is that similar to the type of soldering they do in French plumbing ?

Mig wire. In the end I got some at a good price from ebay in Germany.

 

[KemppiFrog]

Just had a look at the box. It says oxy/acet or oxy/hydrogen and a temp of 1070 deg F., so pretty low. Made by Westeels USA. and called 'Eutectic Welding Alloys'. Instructions are on the box, doesn't sound too complicated if you are used to gas.
KF

 

[aametalmaster]

Can the offending part be removed from the assembly easily enough?

I wouldn't even attempt to weld it tig or mig unless it was apart. Looks like grease inside and thats going to boil thru the crack as soon as some heat hits it. Just my thoughts. Hey you could always sent it to the US and have it done ...Bob

 

[kontiki]

I wouldn't even attempt to weld it tig or mig unless it was apart. Looks like grease inside and that's going to boil thru the crack as soon as some heat hits it. Just my thoughts. Hey you could always sent it to the US and have it done ...Bob

Yes of course this holds the oil so the cracks would have oil in them, but the parts inside do come out so I could just give the case, but would have to be sure that not too much weld came through as this could effect the weld. this model is a grey export from the states I believe.

 

[aametalmaster]

this model is a grey export from the states I believe.

How about a pic of the whole machine, make and model. Maybe i can find a part over here. There are a few junk yards that deal in outdoor machines around me...Bob