Mark @ Everlast
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Are you using a Henrob on the Aluminum?
No gas welders?
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bplayer405
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No, a Smith HD torch. Quite heavy and cumbersome, but works well.
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I would think that a hand held propane torch would give you plenty of heat for that. If you really wanted to heat it fast, a Harbor Freight weed burner would do the trick but it would heat a large area. I would just use a Coleman with 1# bottle of propane. You can warm the whole area to drive out the moisture and then warm it more right where you are starting to weld. The heat from welding would do the rest of the area.
bplayer405
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I actually have to back way off with my oxy-acetylene torch once welding temp is achieved or I just melt everything. I just picked up a tradesman mapp gas hose/torch setup I may try welding aluminum with. For now I'm just using it to preheat for spool gun welding...
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Once preheat temp is reached, you dont need to keep heating. Put down the torch and pick up the MIG gun and get going. I would just heat till the water vapor goes away from the area to be welded then heat the start point of welding to 400F and then no more heating should be needed as long as you keep welding.
TheDreMeister
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I haven't checked this forum in a while but this thread stood out. I brought my Dad's oxy/acetylene set up home. He passed a few years back and I kept it at the farm for repair use, but never used it there so brought it home. I wanted to do some gas welding. I haven't done any since high school almost 40 years ago. Wanted to just play with it and see how I could do. Got some fire brick and some rods and scrap steel. Flat welds are pretty good, haven't lost my touch with that, but T fillet welds, not so good. Keep melting the steel away. Need more practice.
welding seabee
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Now that I live with a Pacemaker I will be doing more O/A welding. I can arc weld as long as I stay under 160A DC. Always have use O/A for thin materials like sheet metal and tubing. Ron
welding seabee
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Fillet welds and horizontal position are the hardest. Secrete is to get full penetration and still keep from undercutting the upper side. I use a figure 8 weave pattern with heat concentration on the lower but not so much it runs out the bottom. You are using the force of the flame to control the puddle' Too much heat compounds the problem. Most novices use too large a tip. A #2 is my go to tip size for average joints. Torch cutting is the same problem. Up to 1/4" I use a #0 or 00 cutting tip. Vertical, a slight weave and steady flicking the flame upward helps also, try weld downward (called "down-hand") I find it easier.. Try to avoid overhead, takes a lot of practice. Welding pipe butt joints there are two methods, most pros down-hand but up-hand is normally taught first, you are starting in the overhead from each side. LOL, Ron
It's a lost art. I enjoy all aspects of oxy-fuel welding and brazing. Not the best or fastest way to get things done but a great hobby. There are a lot of cool filler metals out there for the torch.
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I used to gas weld a lot of stuff that was too thin to weld with stick rod. Still do a bit of gas welding rather than hook up the TIG torch but now most of thin stuff I can weld with my MIG or FCAW machines. TIG made gas welding completely obsolete, now pulse MIG is making TIG obsolete in lots of instances.
welding seabee
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The automated computer operated orbital TIG gas pretty much taken over in the piping industry, especially for the exotic metals tubing. Used in both fab shops and field work. It is a pipe welders specialty for the UA and sure it is also in the non-union sector.
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There will always be some use for manual TIG on the construction jobsite due to limited visibility and work space where the machines wont fit. Most of those computer TIG is used in fab shop operations where they shine with perfect welds every time and proximity is not an issue.
MrCreosote
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Since you're welding 3/8" plate, sounds like you have a good torch that is not prone to popping. I have one scar in particular that resulted from that (!) Back in the 70's I was pretty adept at welding autobody and was developing a wicked skill of judging the right amount of preheat so that when everything cooled down, there was no distortion / residual stress.