Forget stick welding aluminum. The selection of SMAW aluminum rods is very limited, don't work very well, and are only appropriate for materials 1/8" and thicker.
GTAW (tig) on the other hand, could easily make a "frame" like that shown. I'm not sure of the alloy used in cans, but a 5356 filler rod would be a good place to start experimenting.
GTAW (tig) on the other hand, could easily make a "frame" like that shown. I'm not sure of the alloy used in cans, but a 5356 filler rod would be a good place to start experimenting.
Easily? Are you crazy? Do you even realize how thin al cans are? Not to mention Al cans have this nasty plastic coating on the insides of them that totally mess up welds. I've tried, albeit only on a can bottom, never even considered welding to the walls of a can.
The guy who built the one in that pic has mad skills. Skills I could only dream of attaining.
Very fun.
I too have tried, with 5 amps & very little luck. Drank the contents of the cans first. I don't think the filler rod much matters in this application though!
I haven't done it yet, but here's how my attempt would go..... 1/16" filler rod added rapidly to act as a heat sink, 3/32" 2%thoriated tungsten run on DCRP pulse, also to reduce the heat input. I'd run a quick initial pass of the electrode over the can to help clean off any remaining contaminants, then proceed to add filler on the second pass.
I too have tried this - the lining on the cans makes it damn near impossible - all you get is black schmutz. I've heard of people treating the cans beforehand with something to remove the coating, but I'm not sure with what.
On a similar note, I've also heard that the ultimate thing to prove your mettle as a TIGger is to cut a can in half and weld it back together seamlessly. Doesn't really seem humanly possible though...
my friend could cut cans in half and weld them back together. But he was also a welder for a race team making prototype stuff. I on the other hand woudln't even come close to anything like that.
I can weld cans together at the bottoms, but haven't quite gotten the hang of in the middle. Bottoms are easy, just run a wire brush around them first. 1/16" 4043 rod, ac, 1/16" 2% ceriated tungsten with a point. No pulse. I run the balance a bit more towards the clean side than I would normally.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Mountain Bike Reviews Forum
15.4M posts
515.6K members
Since 1990
A forum community dedicated to Mountain Bike owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, trails, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!