weld aluminum to steel?!?!?!

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I'm pretty sure I already know the answer, but as I have no formal training, here goes...A fella who works on my crew claims that he used to work in a fab shop where he used an unknown mystey stick electrode to "weld aluminum to steel." I asked if he meant braze, and he said no. I told him he was full of B.S. and I didn't believe him.A search of the topic pulled up too many unrelated hits.Has he been smokin' crack or what?
Reply:OK...There are some specialty welding filler metal companies like WELDCO. But they do not have and electrode to do that. HOWEVER... There is one welding process where aluminum blocks are attached to steel plate,  done by friction welding where the aluminum is rammed very hard against the steel and attaches itself in kind of a molecular bond. This is done in the shipbuilding business sometimes to attach an aluminum deckhouse to a steel boat hull. The deckhouse is attached to the aluminum blocks. That keeps the weight down above the waterline.Aluminum and steel get along with each other galvanically. So your friend is partly right possibly, because of the 26 or so welding processes, friction welding is one of them but a welding electrode for that purpose i have never seen or heard of.. If I find one listed I will let you know.So for now I would just let the claim slide. That is untill we find out otherwise. But i am 59 and i have been welding since i have been 16,and i have not seen or heard of it but i will check.I just realized that your friend may have seen the blocks 1/2 steel and 1/2 aluminum havine the shiney steel being welded to the steel deck and THOUGHT or tricked into thinking it was aluminum being welded to steel when in fact the bi metal block looked like all aluminum.My favorite dock story is where the commercial fisheman shows a huge fish to kids at the dock, and tells the kids he caught the fish right on the dock. Then the kids RUN to go home and get their fishing poles. Very cruel.Last edited by Donald Branscom; 08-22-2008 at 08:01 PM.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:Nope as to welding aluminum to steel with an electrode.Yup to welding them together via friction welding or explosive welding.  Those 'jam' the two materials together at a molecular level (mostly).So the answer is yes and no.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:One example: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4193529.htmlAWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:The boffins are getting closer, Fronius have their 'cold metal transfer' and i believe EWM also have something similar. AFAIK both take advantage of extremely fast switching inverter technology to GMAW Al to steel. Restricted to automated kit and thin sections only at the moment i believe.As a point of interest i've heard of it being done with 'regular' kit by buttering the Al with various deposits to make the transition. Something like aluminium bronze, copper, CuNi followed by nickel . Fantasy or not, hardly practical
Reply:ex-plosive welding actually forms a very complex mechanical not molecular bond with the two materials. it is used for a lot of different materials. when cut and polished in cross section the bond looks like little hooks into each other.insert thoughtful quote from someone else2000 Thermal Arc 300GTSW 3.5 hours1946 Monarch 20 x 54 Lathe1998 Supermax 10x54 Mill2004 Haco Atlantic 1/2" Capacity Lasernot mine but i get to play with it
Reply:Originally Posted by chenryex-plosive welding actually forms a very complex mechanical not molecular bond with the two materials. it is used for a lot of different materials. when cut and polished in cross section the bond looks like little hooks into each other.
Reply:By rights it cant really be welded in the common sense, the only means are by molecular adhesion, or mechanical welding means. Aluminum and steel are commonly brazed together using multi step processes, actually one of them is easy to do at home for those good with a torch.