How to Weld Thick Aluminum

Welding thick aluminum increases the usual challenges associated with welding aluminum, such as its tendency to rapidly conduct heat, often resulting in cracking, warping, and the weakening of the original metal. Thick aluminum often is so dense that it requires extreme amounts of heat to weld, amplifying the effects of excessive heat treatment. Fortunately, you can preheat your aluminum prior to welding, to make welding substantially easier. TIG (tungsten inert gas) welders, which offer a fine degree of control over relevant aspects of the welding process, are ideal for welding aluminum.

Things You'll Need

  • Oven
  • Copper or aluminum backing bars
  • Stainless steel cleaning brush
  • Welding tool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clean your aluminum with acetone, to remove surface grease. Rinse the aluminum thoroughly with water, to get rid of acetone residue, then scrub it with a stainless steel brush.

    • 2

      Clamp your aluminum to the backing bars, which will act as a heat sink and protect sections of the aluminum that are not being welded from warping during the welding process.

    • 3

      Preheat your aluminum, in an oven, to between 275 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Ask the manufacturer of your base metal for specific directives on welding temperatures.

    • 4

      Weld the aluminum in a straight line. If using a TIG welder, as recommended, set the welder's adjustable balance control to obtain a larger amount of penetration and a narrower weld bead, instead of a wider weld bead and shallower penetration. Set your TIG welder to focus more heavily on the "Electrode Negative" portion of the cycle, instead of the "Electrode Positive" portion.

    • 5

      Move as quickly as possible through the aluminum, to avoid an excessive heat-treated zone, but be sure to obtain a welding pool of the size recommended by your aluminum manufacturer. If recommended, add filler metal, of the same mechanical characteristics and appearance as the aluminum, to the weld. This will shield the welding pool from developing metal oxides, and will reduce undesirable side effects of welding, such as warping.

    • 6

      Allow the weld several minutes to cool.

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