How to hide joint in aluminum frame

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I made a 30ft long aluminum pergola, there's a joint in the 1.5x3 tubing  that the customer doesn't want to see, the guys who installed it tried to bondo and paint it , but they said the bondo keeps cracking, maybe the frame where the aluminum is screwed together keeps flexing somehowAnyway, how can I fill in this joint if I can't use bondo?Jb weld? I really don't want to weld it, I think it'll cause warping on  site and I won't be able to correct it. Is there some sort of flexible bondo like substance that I can use? Any ideas Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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Reply:The JB work well. It sands and finishes very well.  In thick sections can run a couple sheet metal screws in, heads keep it from cracking etc.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:Aside from the mismatched paint, you can see the joint here that I'm referring to:

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Reply:Why is it cracking?  Movement or shrinkage?  Paintable caulk for flexibility.
Reply:Yea... If it's cracking, JB will likely crack as well. Short of welding and potentially burning a building down, paintable latex caulking might be your best bet. There is better quality products available to auto body suppliers than your average hardware store. Not sure if they still sell it under the same brand name, but 3M used to have a product called Drip Check that was used to fill seams in van panels.The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:I'm not sure caulking will hide the joint enough Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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Reply:

Originally Posted by tapwelder

Why is it cracking?  Movement or shrinkage?  Paintable caulk for flexibility.
Reply:Maybe highlight the joint instead of trying to conceal it. Something tasteful.  You may have a prob selling the idea to the client though.:
Reply:Automotive seam sealer!https://www.amazon.com/550-Permanent...005RNFBMC?th=1
Reply:I second the Auto seam sealer. Ive used AC Delco brand with you good results. No problem with paint, but it doesn't sand well. So you will have to get it nice and smooth before you let it cure.Airco Auto-Pak 130Forney 235AC/DC
Reply:Roert is right... the seam sealer was never intended to make a perfectly flat finish, you basically smooth it out the best you can much like caulking around a bathroom vanity. If you think back to the side panels on the 70's vans, the seam at the back where it joined the curved portion of the body around the tail lights was still visible, just smoother and more waterproof than an open joint. Geez, it's a door, not a woman's bikini...The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:6937T635That is a McMaster carr part number.I use this stuff as a structural sealant. This stuff never fully 100% dries and is flexible (depending on which one in the catagory you buy). I have never painted it do I dont know how that would go, but this stuff is holding 1/8 stainless diamond plate to the wall.Do not try to play with it. You need alchohol wipes to clean it off. Acetone and MS dont do anything. Very, very strong stuff. The good stuff is only available in sausage packs. If it dries and you need to remove it, a multi tool with a very cheap blade works best, but it wont remove it all.
Reply:i play around experminting w/ stuff sometimes, and permatex gasket sealer, is good stuff.     ive cleaned off my finger of permatex high temp copper, on outside of painted truck fender, on air cleaner, used it to plug vaccum lines, or carb vacc ports, rubberd it on outside of ex hant, air cleaners, etc, the **** is dynamite, and lasts for a decade+ (im not exaggerating.      i think its red now, instead of copper.   but probaably the black, and ultra blue are good tooo.     i even used it to hold head lamps to my welding hoodLast edited by 123weld; 2 Weeks Ago at 08:43 PM.
Reply:

Originally Posted by 123weld

i play around experminting w/ stuff sometimes, and permatex gasket sealer, is good stuff.     ive cleaned off my finger of permatex high temp copper, on outside of painted truck fender, on air cleaner, used it to plug vaccum lines, or carb vacc ports, rubberd it on outside of ex hant, air cleaners, etc, the **** is dynamite, and lasts for a decade+ (im not exaggerating.      i think its red now, instead of copper.   but probaably the black, and ultra blue are good tooo.     i even used it to hold head lamps to my welding hood
Reply:You could also brake a piece of vinyl coated aluminum "construction metal" and wrap it with that. Paint it to match and as long as you do clean cuts on the edges (we score with a knifeand bend to break it) it won't stand out. Can't seem to upload pictures right now... Either way, if you know how to bend metal, construction metal can do some amazing stuff. I was going to post some pictures of some windows we dressed up on a 70's Cape Cod. Meh, whatever.
Reply:Suppose you cut a piece of smooth, flat wood just the width of the groove between the ribs and 8 or 10 inches long, cut some aluminum foil the same width or slightly wider and whatever length seems reasonable, then apply the cited sealant to the area (smoothing it as best as you can while applying, perhaps with a wide putty knife), then cover it with the foil, and finally use slow pressure and maybe slight oscillation) to flatten the foil/sealer underneath it. Remove any sealant that squeezed out at the top or the sides without depressing or tearing the foil. Once cured and painted, it should all look the same and last for years. The panel appears to already be painted; I'd first remove that paint in the area I was modifying, so the surface would be flatter and the paint applied later would  blend in better.
Reply:

Originally Posted by whtbaron

They are excellent products, but paint won't adhere to the silicone based ones and they are all the wrong color for what he wants...
Reply:I bet the JB doesnt crack.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:

Originally Posted by whtbaron

They are excellent products, but paint won't adhere to the silicone based ones and they are all the wrong color for what he wants...
Reply:If you're worried about welding it because of the warping have you considered possibly Brazing or soldering the joint and then working it to a smooth finish with abrasives.
Reply:

Originally Posted by 123weld

how about hot glue gun it
Reply:

Originally Posted by Weld_

If you're worried about welding it because of the warping have you considered possibly Brazing or soldering the joint and then working it to a smooth finish with abrasives.
Reply:

Originally Posted by MetalMan23

Will powder coating withstand brazing Temps? Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
Reply:

Originally Posted by MetalMan23

Will powder coating withstand brazing Temps? Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
Reply:I kept thinking that looked like a door, but rereading your original post it could be part of a wall or slatted roof? I still think the original mistake was adding bondo into the equation. Should have just left it as constructed. Like I said, it's not a bikini, it really doesn't matter if a little crack shows...The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes

Originally Posted by whtbaron

Hmmm.... I'm not sure, I've never tried to paint over a repair. Any primer made for plastics "should" work... although there are different formulations fore different plastics to consider. Might be an interesting experiment...
Reply:Does the client not like the fact that there is a joint and it is visible? Or the appearance of a joint running from top to bottom on the railing?  Can you hide it by splicing a piece of flat bar across it and having 2 weldments distant from the obvious joint
Reply:They don't want a visible joint Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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Reply:Doesn't bother me...

The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:

Originally Posted by MetalMan23

Will powder coating withstand brazing Temps? Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
Reply:I believe powder coating can withstand 800 degrees Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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Reply:

Originally Posted by MetalMan23

I believe powder coating can withstand 800 degrees Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
Reply:Hey it could be me who's way off, you never knowSent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

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Reply:What the coating can stand is somewhat irrelevant... you need to solder or braze onto the metal, and I will add that I have done neither on aluminum...The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:

Originally Posted by whtbaron

What the coating can stand is somewhat irrelevant... you need to solder or braze onto the metal, and I will add that I have done neither on aluminum...
Reply:  Originally Posted by whtbaron  What the coating can stand is somewhat irrelevant... you need to solder or braze onto the metal, and I will add that I have done neither on aluminum...
Reply:

Originally Posted by Oldiron2

This is a cosmetic "repair", not something to improve or correct structural problems. Simpler, probably cheaper and undoubtedly easier solutions than welding/brazing/soldering were mention early on, and I don't understand why the OP isn't discussing/considering them instead of worrying about the heat resistance of the coating and its being damaged by one of those processes. The only concern I can see that deals with the coating is about reapplying it once finished with a suitable repair, and perhaps whether a good epoxy paint might be better or at least good enough.
Reply:Aside from the cracking?  Do they really want a invisible seam or better appearance?  It may be a simple as lightly sanding.  A powder coater told me making a slurry of Powder with MEK will workFor touchup.  I have never tried it.I have seen portable powder coating units advertised.  They were for this stuff.
Reply:

Originally Posted by 52 Ford

I only mentioned it because he did. Plus I've had beer and I like to post rambles when I've had beer... Happy Labor Day Weekend, by the way!If it was MY job, my first attempt at hiding the seam would be roughing up the surface with a coarse sanding pad on a DA sander or maybe a grinder, then going automotive seam sealer (as suggested by Lis). Then epoxy paint. Now, I'm not well versed on epoxy coatings. I'd probably have to call in an expert to tell me what to use for paint.Also - I wonder if on-site powder coating is a thing. Stick the powder to the steel (electrostatically or with some magical binder) then melt it on with a heat gun?Sent from my Lincoln Buzzbox using Tapatalk
Reply:I understand, but the finish emphasizes the issue.  Could freezing water be causing an issue from top.  There is a product called Lab Metal.  I have used it. Expensive. kinda messy.Or Cover the entire part with a finished facia.
Reply:

Originally Posted by MetalMan23

They don't want a visible joint Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk