Tig welding ali

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I have a small repair job coming up on a large ali launch.  What would be the best way of cleaning the salt contaminated ali before welding?
Reply:Is it heavily corroded or just dirty?I've never cleaned salt contaminated aluminum before, but I expect the usual cleaning protocol would be sufficient.  Use acetone to remove loose debris, then use a stainless brush that is used exclusively for aluminum cleaning and is itself clean and free of oil, or a use a scotchbrite pad to remove the oxide layer.  In either case, be gentle so as not to scrape the aluminum oxide into the surface of the clean aluminum below.  Then clean the aluminum again with acetone to remove the grinding dust, then weld.*DO NOT* use chlorinated (or otherwise) brake/electric cleaner.That... is the basic gist of cleaning aluminum.  I am sure if anyone disagrees or has anything to add, they will be along shortly to add it If you cannot find an ss brush that has fine wires, then try using an "ultra fine" scotchbrite pad.Last edited by razer; 05-29-2011 at 05:32 PM."Great spirits have always encountered violent oppostion from mediocre minds."  --  Albert Einstein
Reply:What razor said..... also(people might not agree with this method) if whatever your welding can spare a little, i just grind/sand it down to fresh material with a sanding disc on an angle grinder and skip all the brushing and acetone. Don't forget to use wax on the disc to keep it from clogging up with aluminum.www.performancealuminumfabrication.com
Reply:cool thanks guys for the pointers.