Stick welding aluminum

[mikefromnh]

I'm thinking the OP was just stating that for a small aluminum repair, aluminum stick is a cheap good fix.

Yeah, I had always heard that it was hard to do and not really worth trying for a newbie. But I saw it mentioned in another thread here and figured I had the perfect project to try it out on.

I'm happy enough with the results. Not pretty like tig but seems solid and cant be much worse structurally then the original welds that failed.

I've got to stop reading on here though... Pulsed mig with a push/pull spool gun sounds expensive ������

 

[Oldpath05]

"I've got to stop reading on here though... Pulsed mig with a push/pull spool gun sounds expensive"

Well, it does cost a little more then I want to pay for a quick fix, then there's the extra tank of gas. 15 years ago when I did some aluminum mig welding the extra tank was $40.00, plus the rent a weekend fee, forgot how much that was.

 

[Oldpath05]

I have used them in the past.
The learning curve is straight up!
KEEP the rods in a container! If you lay the rods down they will become wet in minutes!

Glad you mention that, didn't know. The last time I use them, had a few left over, but then every time I was done stick welding I always put the rods back in an old fridge I had, it was hooked up so a 40 watt bulb was always on to keep my electrodes dry. the only rods I didn't worry about was 6011, I put them back when ever I got to it.

 

[Oldpath05]

That's no joke. I did a repair and left the remaining rods in the plastic container they came in. Next morning I had some overpriced short pieces of aluminum wire.

Good to know.

 

[yomax4]

Good to know.

A good rule of thumb for stick welding aluminum ( with Alum Stick Rods ) Pre heat to 500 degrees. Best way to do that is to turn on your acetylene only and blacken the area you will weld. Turn on O2 and start to heat that zone. When the black soot goes away, That's 500 degrees. Now. Run your stick rod at a 90 degree angle. Straight up and down. If not it will blow out all over and look like crap. You will lay a bead in hyper speed. The Alum rods burn quick so be comfortable. Worst case, Use it as a brazing rod. Aluminum stick rods make wonderful flux coated brazing rods. Just be careful because as you know, Alum goes away in a split second once it gets up to melting temp and shows no signs before that happens. It's a blast try it and have fun.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I've done a little. Haven't had too much of an issue, though it is a little like holding a tiger by the tale. Here's an Everlast video on how to I did a while back.
Stick Welding Aluminum with an Everlast DC inverter PowerArc 3 - YouTube

 

[sd455dan]

"I've got to stop reading on here though... Pulsed mig with a push/pull spool gun sounds expensive"

Well, it does cost a little more then I want to pay for a quick fix, then there's the extra tank of gas. 15 years ago when I did some aluminum mig welding the extra tank was $40.00, plus the rent a weekend fee, forgot how much that was.

I just bought an 83cf tank of argon and believe it was about $170 for a full tank. i exchanged it a couple weeks back and it was about $45 Now regret not going up to the 125 cu tank or even larger.
Argon sure doesn't last like running Co2 for the mig...

 

[nybirdman]

I was a pipe welder for 40+ years;the absolute most difficult welding I did was stick aluminum.I had to finish a weld another fellow got so frustrated with that he walked away.It was a aluminum breeching(large duct) under vacuum and couldn't be shut off,over head stab in,at night ,20ft. in the air out of a man-lift.Did I mention I hate welding aluminum;TIG isn't a whole lot better or easier IMHO.

 

[Oldpath05]

I just bought an 83cf tank of argon and believe it was about $170 for a full tank. i exchanged it a couple weeks back and it was about $45 Now regret not going up to the 125 cu tank or even larger.
Argon sure doesn't last like running Co2 for the mig...

The place where I get welding supplies doesn't carry 95/5 welding gas, so 15-20 years ago if I remember right, I also use argon gas for welding thin SS, with .030 SS mig wire because of the (and or problem) with 75/25 welding gas, it seam to spattery on low heat, and or burnt through to easy, and or made the weld look sugary on the back side. Anyone else tried argon on SS welding?
At work SS welding is done with 95/5 with solid SS wire, with flux core SS wire, 75/25 is used, argon for aluminum welding.

 

[Oldpath05]

I was a pipe welder for 40+ years;the absolute most difficult welding I did was stick aluminum.I had to finish a weld another fellow got so frustrated with that he walked away.It was a aluminum breeching(large duct) under vacuum and couldn't be shut off,over head stab in,at night ,20ft. in the air out of a man-lift.Did I mention I hate welding aluminum;TIG isn't a whole lot better or easier IMHO.

But it doesn't get real hard until you have to start welding with mirrors, that's where the fun begins.

 

[Oldpath05]

I've done a little. Haven't had too much of an issue, though it is a little like holding a tiger by the tale. Here's an Everlast video on how to I did a while back.
Stick Welding Aluminum with an Everlast DC inverter PowerArc 3 - YouTube

That looks like an excellent weld with an aluminum rod to me.
I'm giving that Power Arc 300 a serous look, will there be any issue of using 3/16 carbons for carbon arc gouging, like will it void the warranty?
The stick welder Century 250 amp AC/DC I use to have would run 3/16 carbon on 220-240 amps with no problems, and it was only 20%/250 amp. I could also run 3/16, 7014 stick all day long at 240 amps, there for, at 300 amps in my mind there shouldn't be a problem, 300 amps should melt a 3/16 carbon, it does at work where we have the expensive XMT 350 Miller's, combo stick and pulse/mig inverters.

 

[Aussiebushman]

I know this is a pretty old thread but the comment about "filling a hole" is exactly my problem. When a thread was stripped in an aluminium engine block, I tried to drill it out for a larger bolt - inevitably, the drill wandered off-center and went through the outside of the casting so now it leaks coolant. The engine is still in the vehicle and I live 40 miles from the nearest repair shop so a DIY fix is the only answer

I made an aluminium plug in the lathe and it fits OK but brazing was hopeless - just can't get enough heat in to to make the aluminium rod flow into the joint. My current plan is to bond the plug in with dynagrip - a high temperature bog - necessary because the hole is right above the exhaust manifold and I doubt "ordinary" thickened epoxy will withstand the heat.

Can anyone suggest whether putting a shorter plug into the hole then filling to the top with the stick welder might be better?

 

[Ed of all trades]

If I were to try it I would have the plug close to flush with the top of the hole and just fill the crack. It could work but stick welding aluminum is a bit of a trick in the best of setups. Trying to weld an engine block in the car could be tricky. Is there anyone in the area that has an AC tig? That would be an easier answer. Ed

 

[jwmorris]

I made an aluminium plug in the lathe and it fits OK but brazing was hopeless -

Why not thread the hole for an NPT plug like every other plugged hole in the coolant system and use Teflon paste or tape?


I don't care what method your using to weld aluminum but if that engine is important to you, you don't want to learn on it. Your project already snowballed from a simple stripped thread, I would go simple fix myself.

Your plug and something like Devcon would likely work too.

 

[Oldpath05]

If I had a hole in aluminum that is 1/2" wide 1" deep or 3/4" wide 1-1/2" deep, I'd go with aluminum mig welding and probably stop and start 3 times when filling the up hole, no stick for filling holes.

 

[Aussiebushman]

Thanks guys - good advice as usual

The picture shows the extent of the damage and I agree that welding in-situ is going to be a major problem and even though this is an old vehicle, it IS important to keep it going. This problem started with a stripped thread when I reinstalled the head and foolishly, I thought the head itself would act as a guide to drill the hole deeper to take a longer bolt - Big mistake.

As inferred previously, I'm a long way from any pro-shop and do not own MIG or TIG - only a stick welder. The best option seems to be to insert the turned aluminium plug I made into the hole all the way down and seal it in with the Dynagrip. (Sure I could use a 7/16 UNC bolt (the same as all the other head bolts) but I'd still have to tap it first into the off-center hole and in any case, only HT steel bolts are available. Once set into place, the aluminium plug can be center-punched, a pilot hole drilled then opened up and tapped for a new HT bolt. With the head now off. it will be easier to get the new one in square to the surface of the block. I'll go up 1/16 to a 1/2" UNC for which I now have the right taps

What do you think??

Alan

 

[jwmorris]

I think the plug by itself has a lot better chance of working than using it as a mounting point for something. If you have to bolt something there I would make the long trip to someone that can weld it now vs when it is even further from fixable.

Kind of like if you had the proper helicoil to repair the original threads your hole wouldn't have been able to go off center.

 

[Aussiebushman]

Actually, by working on the time-proven practice of never throwing anything out that might be useful, I found some LOCTITE cold weld compound on the shelf here and using that and the aluminium plug I had made, got a very secure insert bonded into the hole. When the Dynagrip arrives I'll bog around the outside of the repair to reinforce it.

Regarding re-drilling for the bolt, with the head now removed, I'll make up a jig held in place with the other head bolts and by pilot drilling, it should be OK in terms of alignment.

Thanks and regards

Alan

 

[jwmorris]

For alignment it would be hard to beat the head itself with a drill bushing installed, even if you have to machine that part too.

I have done that several times, along with left hand drills to remove broken off bolts/studs from blocks. There are some blocks, Mercedes are the ones I have see most often, where the stud is actually threaded in a counter bored hole in the block more than an inch below flush. The method above is the only way I have ever removed them, that deep.

 

[Aussiebushman]

Yes, I actually have a spare (undamaged) head off another identical engine. By putting one onto the block, then making a simple jig fastened to the adjacent head bolts it should give me pretty good alignment, Worth a try