Gas Welding Birmabrite (Landrover Bodywork)?

[Jelly_Sheffield]

Ostensibly this is a straightforward process, according to LR's workshop manual...

Has anyone got any advice or experience with it?

I'm happy with gas welding in mild steel even down to thin sheet, but am mightily unconvinced that ability will transfer over to aluminium alloy smoothly?

I know I will need to source a scrap panel as a source of filler material, and figure I can also practice on it, but if the whole process is likely to be traumatic, I can live with the damage un-repaired, and avoid the expense.

 

[Bornfree]

My experience with gas welding aluminium is. Heat and little more heat and in milliseconds it's all laying on the floor in a puddle.

 

[OJCar]

I've done it many moons ago.
Need the right flux and Blue lens in eye protection.

Easier to mig/tig it these days

 

[Fazerruss]

Never tried gas welding Burmabrite but I reckon it will be just like welding Aluminium. I've repaired Burmabrite mudguards no problem with TIG. It was just like welding ally.

 

[hotponyshoes]

I've got some birmabrite tig filler rods if that's easier than cutting from a panel?

 

[Fazerruss]

Normal flavour 5356 works fine , its a very similar composition to Birmabrite. The mudguard I did was highly polished and the welds were invisible.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

No TIG gear (or great skill at, or enjoyment of TIG welding), so that's out.

Alu MIG is a possibility (but not one I would particularly relish).

Sourcing blue lenses and flux is about half the cost of a 6kg reel of 5356 wire and a PD size cylinder of argon...

Although by the time I've melted oodles of holes through perfectly good sheets of aluminium getting my eye in, it will probably even out!

Hmmm.

 

[Morris]

It's been 44 years since I last gas welded aluminium of any flavour. The only advice I can offer is to be prepared to move very quickly! I found that in 16 gauge shy welding down hill worked well.

 

[not done it yet]

I expect something like ‘Alutight’ would be useful for those that can’t manage to not melt it.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

I expect something like ‘Alutight’ would be useful for those that can’t manage to not melt it.

I have used that in the past, it's nifty stuff but getting (and keeping) sufficient heat into an aluminium part so that the solder reliably melts when you touch the rod to the part requires a surprisingly large amount of heat.

 

[finyuk2005]

My experience with gas welding aluminium is. Heat and little more heat and in milliseconds it's all laying on the floor in a puddle.

sounds like lead welding!!

 

[zzr1200]

I gas welded ali in college, because it was part of the course, a quick way to make lots of holes.

TIG is the way to go definitely......with a copper or stainless steel backing strip..........

 

[Smallfry]

For the filler material, use an old series panel, as I believe the later stuff, (end eighties onwards) is not the same material.

Most certainly any non genuine panels are not Birmabrite.

 

[Porkypine]

I've had loads of old land rovers but never even dreamt of attempting to weld birmabright, as @Bornfree says, it'd 100% end up as a melted mess on the deck

 

[not done it yet]

I've had loads of old land rovers but never even dreamt of attempting to weld birmabright, as @Bornfree says, it'd 100% end up as a melted mess on the deck

That, it seems to me, is a matter of concentrating the heat in one small area. Probably needs to be welded somewhat more slowly than, say, steel which will cool below melting point so much more quickly.

 

[Porkypine]

I'm sure it's doable with much trial and error, I've done lots of oxy-a welding but never fancied my chances with anything aluminium

 

[zzr1200]

I'm sure it's doable with much trial and error, I've done lots of oxy-a welding but never fancied my chances with anything aluminium

It's hard and messy to start with, but once mastered it can be rewarding, if only to say you have done it...many years ago for me.

I still prefer tig but just to beable to say you have gas welded alloy is nice.

Could I do it now probably not...

 

[Porkypine]

I like gas welding, it's the first welding I ever learned age 13 or 14... conversely I hated tig the few times I had a go and isn't something I'd want to bother with tbh.
You're right about it being a nice accomplishment being able to gas weld Ali though , I might have a try at some point just for a lark. I believe most important is to remove any oxidisation from the surface immediately before you weld with Ali, I seem to recall this being a thing, also a particular type of flux is supposed to be v. helpful, I must look the topic up now