How To Solder Aluminium

Hi All

Please Explain How To Solder Aluminium

Aluminium Soldering

I think, You should use gas welding method.

Aluminium Soldering

Alluminium will require high temperature and require different flux. You'll have to use gas welding as "pico" suggested.
Cheers

Re: Aluminium Soldering

Try a drop or cooking/motor oil at the spot where you want to solder and then solder. I have tried it on aluminium foil and it works.

If its a thick metal it might dissipate heat too quickly for it to allow soldering. Then welding is the only option.

Aluminium Soldering

so did it work? you have thanked me but if you post the result everyone will be able to use it. Thanks.

Aluminium Soldering

According to my experience, a clean aluminium surface can be tinned with SnPb (or most likely pure Sn) soft solder, scratching the surface with the solder iron tip. I didn't notice that oil application changes much, but the effect may depend on the exact chemical composition.

With special flux or flux-filled solder, even oxidized aluminium can be soft soldered. There are also special ultrasonic solder tools, that allow perfect alumiunium soldering without flux.

Soft solder has a low melting point of 196 °C (SnPb) respectively 220-230 °C (Sn), in so far, you don't need more power than for copper parts.

There are aluminum alloy solders and fluxes specifically designed for this. You will most likely need a torch (like accetylene) unless the aluminum is very thin. The key is to clean the surface well (sandpaper, wire brush), flux it up, heat it uniformly but not enough to melt the aluminum, and apply the solder. I do it all the time for microwave waveguide fabrication.

**broken link removed**

You can solder with MIG and adecuate gas, but you have to by an feeder for put aluminum bobine.
Watch here: Welding Video Review - Mig Welding aluminum

Aluminium is welded with TIG (Argon with Helium or just pure Argon). Current for welding aluminium is AC (not DC). On surface of aluminium is very fast formed oxide, that make difficult to weld, and AC HF current remove this oxide and make easier welding. Today this is only right and best way to weld aluminium. With proper current and frequencies you can weld aluminium with alu rods (adding material) or perform fusion welding of aluminium (without rods). You can even weld (fusion method) aluminum of beer can (very very thin material). With TIG AC HF you can repair head of car engine, guns-weapons, googles frame, ....

this is done by use of VDC arc welding m/c with high voltage diodes @ min of 6 and use of special alluminium weld rods argon gas is introduced to avoid oxidation on the surfaces

pmunie said:

this is done by use of VDC arc welding m/c with high voltage diodes @ min of 6 and use of special alluminium weld rods argon gas is introduced to avoid oxidation on the surfaces

Click to expand...

You suggest stick (MMA) welding of Al ?

With stick rods welding of Al is possible but its very bad, welding device must be HF to avoid sticking of rods. And because of DC current usage oxid must be removed from surface each time before starting. Finished job with this way looks like very bad, and cannot be considered as good welding.

I just had to do some soldering to aluminum foil (abusing cat5e STP for audio wiring ), and of course there's a thread for that. I first tried with some oil + scratching as suggested. Well that resulted mostly in scratching through the foil. Then with flux. Flux and scratching. Scratching and flux. Jumping up and down. Rubbing the wire + hot solder blob around. Then I noticed that where the wire strands fan out the most I would sometimes get it to hold.

Oh if only there was some sort of wire with regular wire strands! *grabs solder wick* Flux solder wick + let it soak up a nice bit of solder. Drop tiny bit of flux on it, and make sure the solder wick is flat on the aluminum foil. Roll the round tipped soldering iron over solder wick and we have a joint. Then solder the original wire to the other end of the solder wick and you're done. Oh yeah, this was with iron set to about 300 C.

There's probably better ways of doing this but it gave me a good enough result right now.

Incidentally, I've also read about using adhesive copper tape for it. Sticky copper tape to foil, then solder your wire to the copper tape. I would have done that, except I'm fresh out of copper tape right now.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh yeah, this was with boring old 60SN/40PB solder.

edit: RAAAWR!!! Turns out I spoke too soon. While the joint I did actually does hold it turns out that the above method involved more luck than anything else. So it's back to the drawing board for something reliable...

Re: Aluminium Soldering

pranam77 said:

Alluminium will require high temperature and require different flux. You'll have to use gas welding as "pico" suggested.
Cheers

Click to expand...

I don't believe this is true. The higher temperatures of Aluminum soldering are generally due to the products that are used to do the soldering. Products like the Aladdin rods mentioned below have a much higher melting range (in the 700F range?). If you are looking to solder at a lower temperature I would recommend a tin-zinc solder. In my garage I was able to bond aluminum pretty easily, but I have been doing it for years. The 91% Tin one is the one I use

Hope this helps you with what you're looking to do!

Should be distinguished easier repairs from real strong welding, because type of used material and method are different, which best shows strength and quality of that material.


You can see this DuraFix alu rods for repairing with propane gas (but this cannot be consider with real welding of aluminium construction material):

Melting point is at 388C.

http://durafix.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CJ42scaWFnw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2rlkfhhQs8



For real and sirious jobs use AC TIG HF with Argon or Argon-Helium mixture, with adding materials (rods) or with fusion (without rods). AC current will remove fast formed oxidation layer. Thise rods are different from previous described DuraFix rods.



Additional material:

Aluminum TIG Welding Frequency Effects
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqCCpzRj7OM

Aluminum Welding Adjusting AC Frequency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftL2NP3TCok

Aluminum Tig Weld Repair Tips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MyisViRncc


**broken link removed**

TIG welding electrodes are good low radioactive source for testing Geiger–Müller counter (This does not apply to Tungsten electrode green color code), but apply to Thoriated red color code, and Zirconiated brown color code - brown.



Important: Do not breathe toxic fumes during welding especially when welding colored metals such as Aluminium and Copper, despite these metals should be noted also and stainless steel - Inox, and zinc (zinc vapour showup, this is not toxic this is out of scale this is deadly. If you dont know what you are doing, NEVER weld Zinc). Use equipment for respiratory protection. All welding fumes are dangerous but this caused by welding colored metals and thise mentioned several other metals are more dangerous.

biff44 said:

There are aluminum alloy solders and fluxes specifically designed for this. You will most likely need a torch (like accetylene) unless the aluminum is very thin. The key is to clean the surface well (sandpaper, wire brush), flux it up, heat it uniformly but not enough to melt the aluminum, and apply the solder. I do it all the time for microwave waveguide fabrication.

**broken link removed**

Click to expand...

i do agree with biff44 that is exactly what i did when i was in school years back

If the joint will not be stressed, you might use an electrically conductive pen or epoxy.

Years ago Popular Mechanics and Popular Science ran ads for a kit that allows one to solder aluminum. The inventor claimed the secret was in the flux. The kit came with a stainless steel wire brush for cleaning the surface. Supposedly a plain steel brush (or steel wool) prevents a decent bond.

alluminium needs an acid flux to make the job. try internet

myfaithnka said:

alluminium needs an acid flux to make the job. try internet

Click to expand...

No need for that if TIG AC HF is used.

There is lots of other videos on this topic, just search :




Welding Alu Folie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqfv8wTDENQ




This is 2013 year, when we have trouble with tooth we go to dentist, we dont wire tooth with door catch, also alu, copper, and stainless steel are welded with TIG process.

BradtheRad said:

If the joint will not be stressed, you might use an electrically conductive pen or epoxy.

Years ago Popular Mechanics and Popular Science ran ads for a kit that allows one to solder aluminum. The inventor claimed the secret was in the flux. The kit came with a stainless steel wire brush for cleaning the surface. Supposedly a plain steel brush (or steel wool) prevents a decent bond.

Click to expand...

FvM said:

According to my experience, a clean aluminium surface can be tinned with SnPb (or most likely pure Sn) soft solder, scratching the surface with the solder iron tip. I didn't notice that oil application changes much, but the effect may depend on the exact chemical composition.

With special flux or flux-filled solder, even oxidized aluminium can be soft soldered. There are also special ultrasonic solder tools, that allow perfect alumiunium soldering without flux.

Soft solder has a low melting point of 196 °C (SnPb) respectively 220-230 °C (Sn), in so far, you don't need more power than for copper parts.

Click to expand...

If I may, I've made some test on our factory's lab.
I would to share.
Just a small video.

I hope this could help.