Alumi-Weld test/review

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I went to Harbor Freight and picked up some of those aluminum repair rods.  Alumi-Weld, Alumi-Rod, what ever you want to call it.  We all know what it is, so I won't go into those details.  I tried to mimick some of the example videos on YouTube.  That guy makes it look so easy.  If you get some, get 2 packages of it.  You will quickly burn up 1 package learning with it.  Mine was around $13 I think and it contained 8 sticks about 18" long.  I used MAPP for this test.  I think it is too hot though.  I will try propane tomorrow.  I want to try to join 2 coke cans.  I did manage to fill in the hole in the top though!Sorry for the poor photos.  My camera isn't good at close ups.  Later on my sister showed up with her D80.Photo set one:  This is a 5/16 hole drilled through the aluminum (1/8").  It filled it very easily with no drip through.  Later, I tried to redrill the hole.  It was like drilling mild steel.Photo set two:  This is a butt weld of the same 1/8" thick pieces.  Heat it, scrape the rod on it to test "hotness".  Apply, the wipe off with a STAINLESS STEEL BRUSH, that is very important because this stuff won't stick to SS.  Then heat again and apply more.  I bent it nearly in half and it never broke.Impression:  Pretty cool stuff.  Has a purpose.  Just don't try anything structural with it.  Might be good for repairing a cracked small engine block, or a cracked intake manifold.  It claims it will join any NON ferrous metal, even if dissimilar.  Next I want to try to make a thread repair like they do on the video. Attached Images
Reply:Thanks for doin that,  I had been wondering about that stuff to connect alum automotive air conditioning fittings to aluminum tubing.  I will go to HF and get some to try,  I have a tig but my alum welding really sucks, need practice and lessons from my master welder buddy.Miller Synchro250 bought new 1997Millermatic200Miller Bluestar 2E . AC/DC 16hpBluestar 2E , DC Miller Thunderbolt225 AC/DC ArcLongevity 60 plasma
Reply:Well, get to boxes.  and practice before working on the good stuff.  Good luck!
Reply:Are you saying that you have to apply it twice? Apply and brush off then apply again or it wont stick?    Does this use any flux?Miller Synchro250 bought new 1997Millermatic200Miller Bluestar 2E . AC/DC 16hpBluestar 2E , DC Miller Thunderbolt225 AC/DC ArcLongevity 60 plasma
Reply:Watch these videos.  Not the same product, but works the same.  Look over to the right and watch all the videos in the "Related Videos" section.[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jijW310xvp4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jijW310xvp4[/ame]
Reply:I would even suggest practicing with the stuff from Harbor Freight.  Once you get the technique down, then order some from Durafix.
Reply:I used some of the stuff to fix a john boat that a friend fished out of the river.   It had washed up nera his home & was warped to what I thought was beyond all hope.  Anyway he drilled out several rivets & began straightening it however he could, hammers, pry bars come along etc.   Replaced what rivets he could get back in & bought some of this rod at a local flea market.I had tried a few times in the past to weld alum. with ox/acet & regular Al welding rod & always ended up with a puddle of molten al.This stuff did work quite well. I used a very small ox/acet welding tip rather than propane.  I couldn't get it to flow as easily as the videos above but I did make several patches.  ( I wouldn't have gave a nickel for any of the repairs holding once the boat hit the water)    My friend used the boat about half that summer & none of the welds failed.  I was amazed.IF IT WORKS, DON'T FIX IT2 Lincoln CV-300 / LN-7 GMALinde-VI 253,400 & 450 w/MIG35 feedersCNC Table with Oxweld O/A & Hypertherm 1250G3Lincoln Ranger GXT 250Hobart-MicroWire 300ESAB Heliarc 161ESAB-Mobilemaster 2 CC/CV Feeders& more
Reply:Very interesting.  Brings up a whole bunch of questions.  I was going to have a rear bumper fabricated out of aluminum to match an steel bumper.  (See my truck project in my shaving bumper link).  Would this stuff work?  I was going to cut a piece of U channel, cut out the curve, bend the U-Channel to match the curve, and have it welded.  IF this stuff would fill that gap and allow an aluminum bracket to be "welded" I could do that myself.
Reply:All I did is test it and gave my findings.  I WILL NOT give advice as to it's use.  I highly suggest that you test it for yourself, perform your own strength tests, and judge for yourself.  I do know that it fills hole very well.
Reply:I agree with JC's     I'd have to do some more extensive testing before I used it on a real world project.  I didn't think I would even be able to get it to blend/bond with the parent Al.   It did give me some problems in places. Probably due to lack of proper cleaning.  However it did show promice.IF IT WORKS, DON'T FIX IT2 Lincoln CV-300 / LN-7 GMALinde-VI 253,400 & 450 w/MIG35 feedersCNC Table with Oxweld O/A & Hypertherm 1250G3Lincoln Ranger GXT 250Hobart-MicroWire 300ESAB Heliarc 161ESAB-Mobilemaster 2 CC/CV Feeders& more
Reply:As the Aussies say" No Worries, Eh"  Sound like it will work for filling the cuts, but I need to get some and test its strength.
Reply:Look at HTS-2000 at the following site. It is supposed to have three times the elongation strength of Durafix, Alumaweld, etc. and melts at approx. the same temp.http://www.aluminumrepair.com/faqs.asp
Reply:If it's as good as the video ...it might be worth the $65 a pound price tag..http://www.aluminumrepair.com/video_new.aspI could see a good use would be fancy aluminum wheel repairs...or stripped out holes in aluminum...or broken off flanges....The brazing rod they have might be an interesting product to research as well.Has anyone used these products? The video of the coke can hole repair looks just like another repair using the less expensive durafix rods in the above post earlier in this thread...Who stole the others video?Last edited by mudbugone; 06-04-2009 at 10:35 AM.
Reply:That was a video I pulled of YouTube to show the technique being used.  I mimicked all the tested done in that video to see if they were true.  And they were.
Reply:A note of caution.Don't even think about using these "miracle" rods anywhere near something that may eventually have to be "welded correctly" to effect a proper repair.They WILL screw up the workpiece.  Believe me, I've tried it.I've actually found that some of the epoxy fillers work just as well and are much easier to use.  Advertisement video's always make a product "easy to use".  If not, they wouldn't be used as a selling tool.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by hp246Very interesting.  Brings up a whole bunch of questions.  I was going to have a rear bumper fabricated out of aluminum to match an steel bumper.  (See my truck project in my shaving bumper link).  Would this stuff work?  I was going to cut a piece of U channel, cut out the curve, bend the U-Channel to match the curve, and have it welded.  IF this stuff would fill that gap and allow an aluminum bracket to be "welded" I could do that myself.
Reply:Originally Posted by JC'sWeldingThat was a video I pulled of YouTube to show the technique being used.  I mimicked all the tested done in that video to see if they were true.  And they were.
Reply:I do the hole in the can too i just had to try it. So now i know if i am hiking i can fix my drink cans LOL. Someone hold my pop i have to weld my can....BobBob WrightSalem, Ohio  Birthplace of the Silver & Deming Drillhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbend10k/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawking/1999 Miller MM185 w/ Miller 185 Spoolmate spoolgun
Reply:Bob...Which one of these products are you using? The cheap stuff ($15#) or the expensive ($65#) one?That was my point about the two videos...The results look the same for the coke can repairs.
Reply:I was using Crown Alloys Royal Kirkrod. http://www.crownalloys.com/page87.pdfIts like 15 bucks a tube at my LWS. I just fixed some pot metal/zinc pulleys for a guy that had hammer marks on them and the rod was perfect for that. Marks are gone and i made a few bucks. So for stuff like that its perfect but i wouldn't get carried away fixing heavier alum that should be properly welded...BobBob WrightSalem, Ohio  Birthplace of the Silver & Deming Drillhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbend10k/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawking/1999 Miller MM185 w/ Miller 185 Spoolmate spoolgun
Reply:Im really interested in learning how to weld aluminum.  All I have is an oxy acetalene torch.  But we dont use acytalene we use propane instead.  Ive never welded aluminum before.  Would my oxy propane set up work for this?ThanksTom
Reply:Oxy/Hydrogen is the perferred setup for alum. I doubt if Propane would work. There are some good vids of oxy/act alum welding out there. I will find a link. The goggles that should be worn while doing that are big bucks and you don't want to screw up your eyes...Bobhttp://metalshapers.org/tips/white/a...ding/index.htmLast edited by aametalmaster; 06-04-2009 at 04:43 PM.Reason: linkBob WrightSalem, Ohio  Birthplace of the Silver & Deming Drillhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbend10k/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawking/1999 Miller MM185 w/ Miller 185 Spoolmate spoolgun
Reply:Try this site for Al welding with OA:http://www.tinmantech.com/
Reply:I was using the cheap stuff from HF.  I as using it to learn the technique.  If I was going to use it for real, I think I'll go with the HTS-2000 or equivalent.
Reply:Thanks guys.  How hot does it have to me? Isnt the MAPP gas you guys reffering to the little yellow bottles?You have to get your base metal above 730 deg. so, if the piece is small enough, just about anything will do.  However if the piece is large, you will need more energy like O/A.
Reply:so for just small plates of aluminum like 1/8 to 3/16 MAPP gas would work?  Sorry for all the questions.  I dont know a thing about aluminum welding
Reply:I bought some durafix before I knew harbor freight had some.  Tried them both. Can't tell a difference between the two, They might have different alloy composition. did a few tests and they both performed the same.  The ones I got from harbor freight were only 5 bucks, the ones from durafix were about 50,Miller Bobcat 225Miller Syncrowave 200Lincoln SP 175 PlusThermal Dynamics Econo Pac 25Victor O/A
Reply:Since this topic was introduced I have done a bit of reading.   Most of it the propaganda from the different mfg. web sites.    Some claim more "SECRET" ingredients than others.  Of course the price goes up & up.One of my employees brought in a pack of Alumi-Pro by BAC Industries.   I'm going to give it a whirl sometime in the next few days.   The real problem I see is being able to test the stuff on an even playing field.In real world fixes I'd guess that vibration in working parts is the killer culprit of most repairs. But how do you test without taking months of time?IF IT WORKS, DON'T FIX IT2 Lincoln CV-300 / LN-7 GMALinde-VI 253,400 & 450 w/MIG35 feedersCNC Table with Oxweld O/A & Hypertherm 1250G3Lincoln Ranger GXT 250Hobart-MicroWire 300ESAB Heliarc 161ESAB-Mobilemaster 2 CC/CV Feeders& more
Reply:Originally Posted by 99trxriderso for just small plates of aluminum like 1/8 to 3/16 MAPP gas would work?  Sorry for all the questions.  I dont know a thing about aluminum welding
Reply:Originally Posted by millman52Since this topic was introduced I have done a bit of reading.   Most of it the propaganda from the different mfg. web sites.    Some claim more "SECRET" ingredients than others.  Of course the price goes up & up.One of my employees brought in a pack of Alumi-Pro by BAC Industries.   I'm going to give it a whirl sometime in the next few days.   The real problem I see is being able to test the stuff on an even playing field.In real world fixes I'd guess that vibration in working parts is the killer culprit of most repairs. But how do you test without taking months of time?
Reply:GerryR..  LMAO at the sawmill comment.   A long time friend & very old school garage mechanic once told me. "Give all your enemys either a sawmill or a thrashing machine...... They'd either go crazy or spend all their time trying to fix them & wouldn't have time to bother you anymore".IF IT WORKS, DON'T FIX IT2 Lincoln CV-300 / LN-7 GMALinde-VI 253,400 & 450 w/MIG35 feedersCNC Table with Oxweld O/A & Hypertherm 1250G3Lincoln Ranger GXT 250Hobart-MicroWire 300ESAB Heliarc 161ESAB-Mobilemaster 2 CC/CV Feeders& more
Reply:I'm just now in the process of setting up for & learning to TIG.   I'm doing it mainly for the AL.   I do think this Al. solder,braze, whatever class it fits into probably has it's place.  I don't think it's a cure all.    Just like most other things I'm really curious to do it myself & form my own opinions of what & where to use it.IF IT WORKS, DON'T FIX IT2 Lincoln CV-300 / LN-7 GMALinde-VI 253,400 & 450 w/MIG35 feedersCNC Table with Oxweld O/A & Hypertherm 1250G3Lincoln Ranger GXT 250Hobart-MicroWire 300ESAB Heliarc 161ESAB-Mobilemaster 2 CC/CV Feeders& more
Reply:millman52:"GerryR.. LMAO at the sawmill comment. A long time friend & very old school garage mechanic once told me. "Give all your enemys either a sawmill or a thrashing machine...... They'd either go crazy or spend all their time trying to fix them & wouldn't have time to bother you anymore". So that's what's wrong with me!"I'm just now in the process of setting up for & learning to TIG. I'm doing it mainly for the AL."You won't have much of a problem learning TIG with the ESAB 161; that is a nice piece of equipment.  If things seem to be going too easy while you're learning on the ESAB, let me know and I'll swap my miller Synchro 180 with you for awhile; that will get the hairs up on the back of your neck when doing Al!
Reply:I do some repair work for a couple of local sawmills.  They are really pretty modern as far as sawing lumber goes.   The one I work for most only squares cants with the head saw with 3 gang edger.  From there they go down line & through a recirculating conveyor, band resaw where a second sawyer can roll the cants to get the best possible grade from the cants.I sold a Lincoln DC-600 multiprocess welding machine I could have added a pedal & HF box & had pretty much a MEGA-Tig machine.     Used the money to purchase the ESAB 161.   I really don't need the tig for anything I  run production in my shop.  I just had an itch to learn tig & am trying to scratch it.IF IT WORKS, DON'T FIX IT2 Lincoln CV-300 / LN-7 GMALinde-VI 253,400 & 450 w/MIG35 feedersCNC Table with Oxweld O/A & Hypertherm 1250G3Lincoln Ranger GXT 250Hobart-MicroWire 300ESAB Heliarc 161ESAB-Mobilemaster 2 CC/CV Feeders& more
Reply:So I guess ill just go get some mapp gas.  Im not looking for the strongest weld possible.  I just want to learn the technique.  Will the cheaper rods work just like that more expensive ones.  I just want to learn the basics of it.  Thanks guys.  This has helped alot
Reply:Originally Posted by 99trxriderSo I guess ill just go get some mapp gas.  Im not looking for the strongest weld possible.  I just want to learn the technique.  Will the cheaper rods work just like that more expensive ones.  I just want to learn the basics of it.  Thanks guys.  This has helped alot
Reply:thanks
Reply:Guys,The stuff might be called "Aluma-Weld" or whatever but it's not welding.Solder would be a more correct description.Welding aluminum involves "melting" the base metal.  You are not melting the base metal when using this stuff.As I said before, do not use this product as a substitute for a proper aluminum weld.  It will make the aluminum almost impossible to weld properly when the aluma-weld fails.  This stuff has an affinity for tungsten.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:SundownIII, I look at this material as another "tool" that has specific applications, not as a substitute for welding as it really should be referred to as aluminum brazing or soldering as it is not above the temp to be even considered brazing.  This material doesn't even draw into a heated joint like when soldering. It has to be pushed into the joint.   But, having used some of the cheaper material it does have a place.  It is a good hole filler (why I bought some to begin with) and is good for sealing over leaky rivets on boats and there are various other applications.  Your point is well taken about not using it where you might want to later weld.  It's just like brazing steel and then wanting to weld it later because the brazing didn't hold or whatever the reason.  Everything has to be thoroughly cleaned down to the base metal to effect a good weld.   But, like just about everything, it does have it's place.
Reply:GerryR,Your point's well taken.  The stuff does have a place.  Just be careful where you try to use it.  I personally would not trust it for structural applications.I've had enough owner's bring me their marine applications which they tried to "repair" themselves with this stuff.  Then they want me to weld it up properly.  When I tell them it will be $20 for the weld, and $50 to grind/cut all that "aluma-weld" out, they go balistic.I probably have a dozen or so sticks of the stuff on the shelf, but with two tig welders in the shop, that's probably where they'll stay for the forseeable future.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.