Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Aluminum Welding

I have an AC welder, and I used to weld aluminum (little bit) back in HS. In our shop class we built a dock. I don't know of any welding shops around here unfortunately, that was my first plan but couldn't find any.

I hadn't thought of arc welding it, I'll have to look more into that.

Thin material ?

......"Arc Welding" it is NOT a practical option.

GTC

I started typing that this morning and had to run out for a bit, I'll do a little more looking for someone who can weld it for me even if I have to drive a ways or I'll rivet it. I'm guessing I'll go the rivet route, how do I decide on what kind of rivets to use?

I wish the engineers as the nukes i work in would understand that. idiots spec out a 1/2 thick plate, on the side of a piece of triple strut that has a .1" thick piece of jap steel spot welded on the side, then want you to use an 1/8" 7018 on it. Sure i can do it, but id rather do a double mirror weld lol

No brag, just fact, I've been welding for 40 years +.
My take on this is about the size of the footprint of the attachment points.
With just a few small welds, the flexing of the hull will surely cause the welds (especially aluminum) to crack out, probably not the weld itself but along the edges. This could be minimized by welding the deck legs to a reinforcement plate to spread out the stress points.
If you do not do this to some degree, I would consider the rivet route. Think airplane and most boat construction seams.
If welding, I would choose TIG over MIG, but both would work.
As stated, contamination is an issue, as is the oxide layer.
Good luck with your project.

There assigned mission here in this plane of existence is to torment Millwrights and Welders.

Those old WW boys were GREAT to work with, ....they had actually spent time on tools,...

This new bunch ? .....doorknobs and lunch pails.

I would go TIG

The only thing I would add is invest the $8 in an aluminum grinding disc....and acetone and stainless wire brush for the nasty stuff. I have had very good luck with spool guns if the machine has the arse to push it. Aluminum in any thin gauges needs a close eye as the time it takes for your eye to see the over temp/penetration then brain to tell finger to abort is always just a weeee bit too long.

Aluminum is easy to gas weld.

I've always described welding aluminum like plastic welding two zip-lock bags full of water together. Do it right and you're the hero of your buddies. Do it wrong and the entire project is ruined.

You have a PM Ryan.