scotch brite Aluminum prep for tig ok?

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i know that a SS wire brush is a good thing to use and sand paper will cause you problems some time so how about using a scotch brite pad to clean the alum b4 welding
Reply:Personally I feel Scotchbrite the best preparation material for ally bar none.I will add though whilst I would never discourage pre tig cleaning I seem to have good results without the intense cleaning others on this site swear by, and some who advocate almost medical sterile conditions are better and more experienced than myself. A few notes on that is I don't have to weld anodized stock, it is always new stock and I have the luxury of a factory so its always stored inside.Often if the prep is a Vee joint , I wont clean but if the fitments have been drilled, tapped or had other processes , yes I'll give it a linish.One of the most used tools we have is an old (read VERY old circa 1940's) 3 phase grinder/linisher that takes 1520x100 (60"x4") belts with a Brown scotchbrite belt. We also have drum sanders with pump up drums 100mm dia ,and pipe linishersOver here the grades of Scotchbrite from course to fine go Brown,Red ,Green,Blue then White we get brown as it will really rip old contaminantes off and a worn Brown is a Red etc .Be careful not to cross contaminate when used on Ally to stainless , Stainless to Ally doesn't seem a drama.BrettLast edited by Brett; 12-19-2010 at 04:37 PM.A good guess is better than a bad measurement
Reply:Yes, scotch brite works VERY well to remove all contaminants, including the "invisible" aluminum oxide layer, off the surface of aluminum for weld preparation.  This is very important for oxy-fuel alumium welding, IMO, and although not as critical for TIG preparation IMO, it certainly doesn't hurt.I always solvent wash aluminum after scotchbriting before welding (such as wiping surface with a solvent-drenched paper towel).  Repeat application until the paper towel comes back clean.  Soap and water works well to clean the residue off after scotchrbite scrubbing, but then you must completely dry the surface before welding, which can be a problem.  So I prefer a quick evaporating solvent.For hand scrubbing aluminum, I prefer the red scotchbrite pads, 3M brand.  The green are not aggressive enough, and the brown seems to be as effective as red, but seems to break down/disintegrate more rapidly.  Machine powered scotch brite pads in a variety of courseness/colors works very well.  I often use 2" and 3" scotch brite discs on a air powered die grinder.  They are good (with a bit more elbow grease) for cleaning stainless steel too, however don't mix pads used previously to clean aluminum with those used to clean stainless.There are also plastic brushes with aluminum oxide grit impgrenated into the bristles, which work VERY well for cleaning aluminum, and the flexible bristles conform better than even a scotchbrite pad to super-irregular surfaces.  The plastic bristles also don't seem to "load up" with metal and dirt particles like scotchbrite pads can.  I've used them with air powered die grinder and I've seen them for 4" angle grinder also.  (Good for cleaning curved surfaces, reaching down into crevices, etc)Just don't try using the plastic bristle brush cleaners on a still-hot, just welded workpiece.  The plastic bristles will melt if they touch a hot enough surface!
Reply:Stainless brush and Acetone.Keeps your fingers out of it also...Scotchbrite is for polishing afterwards......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:yea been using stainless brush and acetone for sometime now but i do a lot of but weld aluminum pipe and hate cleaning it with a brush