Dealing with different types of welders such as TIG, MIG, or any other means you have to weld different materials as well. However, if you are working on a particular metal that is either thin or thick or has certain properties, you need the proper insight on how to weld it accordingly. Therefore, if your workpiece is aluminum, it becomes a demand to know how to weld aluminum. In today’s article, we shall take a step-by-step look at welding aluminum that will help you as a beginner welder.
How to Weld Aluminum
First of all, you need to be pretty careful while dealing with aluminum weld since it is one of the difficult and careful welding processes. It’s a common metal, it is lighter in weight but also its rust-free characteristic makes it an in-demand approach for many tasks, be it household or commercial.
You might be thinking why is that so? Well, the reason is aluminum is a super sensitive and soft material; it is easily insulated by the oxidized layer. So when aluminum is in a liquid state while welding, it is likely to let out either a weak weld or a porous one. But this does not mean you cannot weld aluminum at all. With the following methods, you can easily master the welding techniques. Here’s what you need to do
- While welding aluminum, make 100% sure that the workpiece i.e. aluminum is thoroughly cleaned. For its cleaning, you can use acetone or any light alkaline solution such as a strong soap to properly remove the oil, grease, and water vapor from the metal.
- Also, use the stainless steel wire brush that is mainly used for aluminum for the surface cleanliness of oxides. You can also opt for the strong alkaline or acid. However, whatever solution you use for aluminum cleaning make sure to dry and rinse it with the proper approach. Never let any part wet while you weld.
- Keep the workpiece away from dirt if you are not welding right after cleaning. Make sure aluminum doesn’t get contaminated.
- Before welding it the cleaned aluminum should be at room temperature and perfectly cleaned.
Aluminum Welding With a Stick Welder
If you are wondering if you can weld aluminum using a stick welder or not, the answer is yes you can. However, the process is so messy that you might not opt for it again. Therefore the best method is only TIG and MIG welders. Due to some pros and cons, stick welding is not a recommended approach to welding aluminum in the first place.
Conclusion
Aluminum welding is not a challenging welding process but the carefulness and the prerequisite somehow make the process vulnerable. Therefore, it is recommended that you should follow the safety guidelines fully and wear a protective kit including goggles, safety glasses, a welding helmet with the appropriate lens shade number to protect your eyesight, gloves, and leathers to protect yourself from sparks, etc. Welding is a careful process hence each and everything matters. And if you do not know anything about current dealing or welding handling, working under supervision is a must!