Hello friends! I will show you how to weld aluminum without argon, using a regular inverter. The entire process will be completely identical to that of electric arc welding of steel, with the exception of one small change. Using this method, you can easily repair aluminum parts or components at home, without expensive equipment for argon welding.
Will need
- DC inverter capable of delivering 120A.
- Special electrode for aluminum welding - http://alii.pub/5nyy46
With the welding machine, I think everything is clear, but I need to explain about the electrode. It turns out that not so long ago, specialized electrodes for welding aluminum using conventional welding without an argon environment appeared on sale.
Brands may vary, so ask in stores. In any case, they can be purchased online without any problems.
They have the same structure as an electrode for steel: a core with a thick coating. Everything is the same here, only the electrode has a different color palette: the core is shiny, as it consists mainly of aluminum, the coating is white.
Such electrodes are intended not only for aluminum, but also for its alloys: silumin, duralumin.Therefore, you can cook them without difficulty.
What do you need to know to make a quality seam?
Although the method is almost no different from conventional arc welding, you need to consider the following:
- Welding current should be about 70-100 A
- Welding is carried out with a short arc.
- The electrode angle when welding should be 90 degrees.
- The electrode burns out three times faster than with conventional steel welding.
Cooking aluminum is much more difficult, so if you have never done this before, I advise you to definitely practice, which is what I will do.
We weld aluminum with a conventional inverter without argon
My first experience welding this metal in an argon-free environment. I will weld thick plates. We secure the parts with clamps. We connect the negative to the bottom plate. Plus to the electrode.
Initially, I recommend setting the current to 100 A and trying it.
We cook everything on a short arc, since due to the rapid melting of the electrode it is very difficult to catch, especially if you are not used to it.
Once you get used to it, you can already hold the arc stably.
As after regular welding, we beat off the scale with a hammer.
And clean it with a brush.
Don't judge strictly, for the first training time, I think this is a good result.
Especially considering how labor-intensive and unusual this is after ordinary steel welding.
Recommendations for quality welding
- Brush the weld area with a metal brush to remove oxide from the surface.
- If possible, heat the parts with a gas burner to 150-200 degrees Celsius, this will simplify the task of obtaining a high-quality seam.
- When welding, move the electrode faster, as it burns out about 3 times faster.
Summarizing
With this method you can:- - cook sheet aluminum;
- - aluminum profile;
- - repair engine boats or any blocks made of duralumin or silumin;
- - any welding work on barrels or tanks;
- - weld conductive busbars;
- - and much more.
The strength of the seam is no worse than that of argon welding.
Of course, it’s a bit of a labor-intensive process, but you just have to get used to it and everything will go like clockwork. Among the shortcomings, I would like to note the slight high cost of electrodes compared to conventional ones. But when compared with argon welding, a centimeter of seam is much cheaper, so the method still wins.
Watch the video
Be sure to watch the video to see how difficult it is to do this the first time.
