Welding aluminium - without a welder!?

[Ratty]

Anyone come across this HTS-2000 before? Short video here:-

http://aluminumrepair.com/login/Video_Brochure/newflash.html

and being sold on Ebay..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=190098584942&rd=1&rd=1

Sounds too good to be true so it probably is.. but I'd be interested in views if anyone has tried it.

 

[rtbcomp]

It's brazing rather than welding as the metals to be joined aren't melted.

There's over 35,00 hits on Google on HTS-2000

 

[Ratty]

So I just discovered! (the brazing and the google hits), the video looks impressive tho' and it could be handy for me for the occasional bit of ally scrap I use.
Just found this place selling it too http://www.aluminiumrepair.co.uk/index.html
- and MUCH cheaper than ebay - almost half the cost inc postage (what a cowboy seems as if lots have bought it from him-don't these people research at all??). I'm tempted to try it. They also do a rod for st/st and cast iron. Lots of claims made for it so maybe it IS a good thing. I love playing with new technology (and trying to get it to do things it wasn't designed for)

 

[weldequip]

(what a cowboy seems as if lots have bought it from him-don't these people research at all??)

That's not fair Ratty. The dealer on eBay is simply trying to make a few quid & that other 'dealer' is the manufacturer selling direct!!
weldequip

 

[Ratty]

Well I know we all want to make a living but nearly 50% mark up? and anyway I thought it was manufactured in Texas or anyway somewhere in US, if you look at the site it says "BrazeTech supplies the best second generation brazing rods from New Technology Products of the USA ..
All our products *apart from the brazing rods* are UK sourced."

So it's prob much more than 50% as the other dealer must be making a few quid too

Of course it's fair to moan about rip off merchants!

Hmmmmm...is he a mate of yours?

Anyway - I wanted feedback from them who've tried it...hasn't anybody????

 

[shenion]

I have used AlumiWeld and Berz-a-matic Al brazing rods. Both work well but the Alumiweld does seem to be stronger and flow better.

Both fail miserably if not done properly. You can lay a bead and it will look great. Then it will just crack off. You need to clean with a SS brush first, lay a bead and then stir it to break through the oxidation that just formed.

They flow like water, so you need to do things flat or it will just drip off.

I was hesitant on using AlumiWeld, but heard many people raving about it repairing R/C engines (basically chainsaw engines.) They had a TV infomercial that hyped it like crazy.

I got 2lbs of rods and did not know what to expect. It came with a SS brush and a video. I figured the video was just another copy of the glossy infomercial and hype. It was just the opposite. Was low-tech and showed how it worked, common uses (brazing, filling casting) and even how it fails miserably when not done right.

I have cast a new bolt hole on a alternator bracket (an "ear" broke off.) Repaired several small engines, and fab'ed up half a dozen mufflers for R/C engines. I have filled bolt holes and drilled/tapped new threads many times. It works well and I just bought another 2 lbs (was just under $20/lb if I remember right).

I suspect the BrazeTech/New Tech Products are either copiers, resellers or something. AlumiWeld has been around a long time. It has near a cult following

Now that I have a MIG, I will use it whenever possible. Brazing is good for small stuff, especially repairing stripped threads (fill, drill, tap). The MIG has proven better for fabrication. The brazing is a lot of work with fiddling with the weld pool, getting it level so it does not just run off, and redoing it if it does not look right.

The Al MIG wire costs about the same and you waste little of it. You do need Argon gas for the MIG, but I already have it.

 

[malcolm]

I have some from Easyweld (Aluminium Welding). Shenion covered using the stuff well. A backer made from an old tin can works well to stop if flowing away through the joint - it is very runny.

Tried some strength tests too by making a V in the edges of two sheets of aluminium and brazing them together with easyweld. Fatiged it off in a vice and the parent aluminium broke first. That was a good joint though - went through a lot of bad joints during practice.

Useful for dis-similar metals too. They say it will stick to anything non-ferrous. Handy to have for the price.

Here's a photo of a bit I made with it.

 

[Hitch]

I tested an Easyweld set for the Ultimate Handyman, and there is also a brief section on the website which Ultimate Handyman did himself.

Theres a forum there with a competition, feel free to join in people.

 

[Ratty]

Thats really useful and clear info Shenion, thank you!! I'd not thought about it dripping off and was also wondering whether to get a 'starter kit' with video or just a pack of rods. After your experience I will get a kit first - unless I can find an equivalent video on line.
Interestingly I have just done another google and found a site http://www.aluminumrepair.com/more_info.asp that says "Not to be confused with Alumaloy, Alumaweld, Alumarod, Durafix, Aladdin 3 in 1, or any other first generation rods most of them consisting of 3 alloys..." HTS 2000 apparently is made up of 9 alloys and is 2nd generation. It's supposed to be superior.
I am about to get a mig but don't think I can run to argon AND CO2 mix given what BOC charge especially as I don't think I will do very much ally work so I think it's worth giving it a try.
Your piece looks pretty neat malc, thanks for that and thanks all for the very helpful feedback - what a great site this is!! ..gonna buy some now!

 

[Falcon]

Interesting. I bought some sort of rod a few yrs ago. It was being demostrated at a show. It seemed to work great on tin cans and small peices of material.

The problem i found was getting enough heat into anything of size. I was trying to repair a mower base and only had a LP gas touch and couldnt get the repair area hot enough. The other issue was cleaning it i think.

I see that this new stuff doesnt need a S/S brush to clean so would be intereted is trying it out. Not should if available in Oz tho.

 

[shenion]

I used MAP gas instead of propane for heavy stuff.

Would like to play with the newer "2nd generation" brazing rods. But I am setting up my TIG so the whole thing is moot.

Wonder if you can use the tig and the alumiweld. I still have a pound sitting around. Could be interesting, eliminate the need to stir through the oxidation. Might be useful when you don't really want to melt through the base metal (those crappy small-engine Al cases come to mind.)

 

[Ceraphim]

I came across the easyweld stuff yesterday (whilst avoiding doing any work of course...lol) seems like a pretty good option for me to go for seeing as learning to weld has to go on the back burner for a while...

so two questions:

will it be any good joining curvy tube to other curvy tube at weird angles? (art farty stuff you see...)

and does it, in any way, compare to controlling a weld pool? (if it does it will be useful to play around with now, in time for when i actually get a welder...)

Ceraphim

 

[Moseph]

and does it, in any way, compare to controlling a weld pool? (if it does it will be useful to play around with now, in time for when i actually get a welder...)

Ceraphim

I'm assuming you're planning to get a mig welder of sorts.

Although I'm predominantly a gas welder, I was also trained as a mig welder at the time and I don't think there is a great deal of comparison. Gas welding is a slow and steady process where you quietly progress and almost 'paint' two intricate pieces of metal together, with a huge focus on controlling the weld pool to ensure a good quality weld.

The way I was taught to mig weld seemed to be more of a case of try it on a comparable piece of dummy metal and keep adjusting the equipment until it's a good weld and then repeat on the real thing, eventually getting a feel for the settings of the particular welder.

If you're planning to weld with mig, then I don't really think this psuedo braze material is much to compare to mig welding, although I guess it is similar to gas - producing a good gas weld is much harder than brazing it though.

 

[Ceraphim]

Well i'm looking to learn gas eventually but i'm finding it hard to find anywhere with a course or someone to teach me... lol

so i'll be starting with mig when i do a course with the local college, but gas is definately what i'm aiming for now.

either way this should be useful for the applications i want to start off with...

and its relatively cheap

Ceraphim

 

[MigTig]

Why Gas?

I really enjoyed Gas welding, but the bottles are expensive, and a fairly high hazard to shift about and work with. You really need propper training and kit to avoid serious problems. It was only then that I became familiar with TIG welding, not only will it weld alloys, and stainless, its also portable.
You also have less heat distortion problems!



I just bought some HTS 2000 rods, I will practice the brazing methods when I get time But that isnt going to be too soon.

 

[Ceraphim]

gas purely for glamour

its just seems that little bit funkier... in all honesty i'll probably use MIG or TIG on practical applications, and use gas as simply another facet of the skill that i can play around with...


plus the goggles look cooler....

Ceraphim