Low Temp Aluminium Welding Repair Wire ID Help

[Nick Hulme]

About 4 years ago I bought a coil of wire from a Scandiweigan gentleman at Harrogate Show, he was carrying out very impressive demonstrations and I was tempted. It was the usual "That'll come in handy" kind of show purchase and the wire sat in my drawer of short miscellaneous brazing/repair rods until this week.

Today I used the wire for the first time to repair and rebuild a small cast Zinc part (1.5mm max thickness, 3mm max width) with a 1mm thick, 3mm wide, 5mm long part missing.

It was sold by length without commercial packaging, if anyone can tell me what the brand was or has any contact details for the seller/company I'd appreciate it as I want to buy a load more of the stuff,

Regards & TIA,
Nick

 

[goldstar31]

I've just taken delivery of a possible substitute.

Tomorrow, I have to attend the funeral of one of my old Goldstars who oddly married my audio typist.

I have an aluminium soldering job to do on my ML10 when I get back.

I have already had to back out of a rather important Chinese meeting.

Gung Hay Fat Chow

N

 

[bazmak]

As an apprentice I remember alum soldering was using low temp rods with flux
Parts could be joined or built up without melting the parent metal.Not as strong as an ally weld but often served its purpose.Taken over by mig now I suppose

 

[goldstar31]

As an apprentice I remember alum soldering was using low temp rods with flux
Parts could be joined or built up without melting the parent metal.Not as strong as an ally weld but often served its purpose.Taken over by mig now I suppose

This is claimed not to need a flux and will be stronger than the aluminium.

I suppose that I should be looking East. I missed the last lot of miracles.:hDe:

Cheers

Norm

 

[goldstar31]

Having looked East, I did get some Durafix Easyweld sticks( from ChronosTools)

Time will tell( get it) but I got fusion( not fission) on a bit of aluminium.

My task is a lot, lot more difficult- I have a break in an alli bracket that holds the tumbler reverse in a ML10. I know how to centrifugal cast- my late wife taught me- but so far I have no idea what sort of metal, I've got

Probably Mig-ing up a little coffer dam to enclose the replacement metal which has to be tapped to take the detent.

Should be fun:wall:

Norm

 

[HeJ]

I can find the adresse for you tomorrow

 

[Rndmann9]

Alumalloy. Can buy it all day long at hf or most fastenals. It's basically aluminum brazing rods. Can use a propane torch.

 

[Jasonb]

The guy sells "alutight" and usually on the stand with the perma-grit abrasives.

I have some down in the workshop will see if his details are on that.


EDIT

Bjorn Ivholt +4670 6276572

[email protected]

Intertesting thing is that on teh paperwork it says it costs £50 per meter!

 

[goldstar31]

Whilst others might differ, my ability to obtain a small supply of suitable material would entail both waiting for a suitable date and then travelling to one of three venues, the nearest of which is Harrogate, the next is some God forsaken place in the Midlands and the most recent one- which evokes a return to memories of secret places- which after a million years are still not really talked about.

Somewhat rudely, the last time was 'under duress'. Sorry, but I've just seen all but one of my mates from those days cremated.

So you'll have to forgive me- if my priorities do not correspond.

Norman

 

[steve-de24]

Would Techno-Weld be the same stuff?

http://www.cupalloys.co.uk/other-silver-solder/index.asp

Steve

 

[goldstar31]

When I penned my reply, I was cognisant that the OP posses two Smashweld 180A Migs and had argon gas to work his aluminium welding wire.

His posting on 19th July affirms this. I would safely assume that he was fully aware of normal aluminium welding and that he wanted something which was necessary for lower temperatures. than that able to come from his existing tooling mentioned.

I'm taking a break

Norman

 

[Nick Hulme]

Many thanks for the info gentlemen!

When I penned my reply, I was cognisant that the OP posses two Smashweld 180A Migs and had argon gas to work his aluminium welding wire.

His posting on 19th July affirms this. I would safely assume that he was fully aware of normal aluminium welding and that he wanted something which was necessary for lower temperatures. than that able to come from his existing tooling mentioned.

I'm taking a break

Norman

Well spotted Norman, you are 100% correct.
I've tried a few different varieties and the round wire sold by length that I bought at Harrogate several years ago is the easiest to use that I've tried so far for Zinc casting repair.

About half an inch of the wire repaired and rebuilt an unobtainable Zinc part with remarkable ease and I want to get a "lifetime supply" of exactly the same thing in stock,
Regards,
Nick

 

[goldstar31]

It was 'logical'. I'm restoring an old ML10 which has a non standard tumbler reverse which broke at the detent. OK it was one of those delightful lathes with the first incumbent doing all sorts of proper improvements but what appears to have happened is that someone was a 'cardiac arrest' and with two accidents sold the thing.

The gear bracket is wrongly brazed whilst the tumbler reverse was a mystery metal until tonight. Obviously it is aluminium but I could get a 'tinning' which having dummy run another part , my difficulties were down to fretting and resultant oil contamination.

For the information of others, I did TWO dummy tests, one on a known piece of alli and now the test on the bit that needs a mend.

Suffice to say, I did it in true engineering fashion- on the gas cooker!

Regards and thanks for your unwitting part in my little difficulty

Norman

Later, the bracket is mended, using a dam made from milling a slot in a spare bit of aluminium