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More from Frank Armao
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: An introduction to pulsed MIG power supplies
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 19, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: What’s the story behind pulsed gas metal arc welding (GMAW) aluminum? Some think it’s great, but others say it’s just a way for equipment makers to sell expensive power supplies. A: GMAW transfers metal in three ways. At low currents, you get short-circuit transfer, in which the molten...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: TIG welding and radio frequency interface
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 18, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: When I gas tungsten arc-weld aluminum using AC, my portable radio speakers buzz. Does the high frequency that stabilizes the arc cause this? Will it hurt the radio or other electrical equipment? Can I shield adjacent equipment or minimize the effects? A: The high frequency (HF) that...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Why 6061 filler metal doesn’t exist
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 15, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: The most common grade of aluminum I see is 6061-T6, but I’ve never seen 6061 filler metal. Why is this? Why does everyone seem to weld 6061-T6 with 4043 or 5356 filler metal? A: You never see 6061 filler metal because, if it existed, it would be an awful filler metal. Virtually every weld you...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: New wire brand may mean new parameters
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 12, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: When I run out of aluminum gas metal arc welding (GMAW) wire and buy a different brand, it doesn’t seem to weld as smoothly. Is there that much of a quality difference among brands? A: While there may be a difference in quality, you may be experiencing something else entirely. If you’ve...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Preheating aluminum
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 12, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: What preheat temperature should I use when welding aluminum? I’ve heard different numbers, and I know they can’t all be right. A: Let me begin with a bold statement: If you have the right equipment, you never need to preheat when welding aluminum. I have gas tungsten arc-welded (GTAW)...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Alloys for furniture fabrication
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 11, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: Which alloy would you recommend for cold bending aluminum tubing or fabricating aluminum law furniture? A: First consider alloy availability. Many alloys are available as round tubing, but not all are obtainable. Most small-diameter tubing is extruded because it’s relatively economical to...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Electrical current in TIG and MIG
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 11, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: When I gas tungsten arc weld (GTAW) aluminum, I always use alternating current (AC), but when I gas metal arc weld (GMAW) aluminum, I always use direct current electrode positive (DCEP). Why the difference? Does anyone GTAW aluminum using DC? Does anyone GMAW using AC? A: In both GTAW and GMAW,...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: How to Identify Aluminum Types
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 10, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Need to know how o identify aluminum? Learn about what different aluminum alloys are made of and which filler metal to use when welding. Find out more.
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Acceptable tensile sample failure
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 9, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: We are fabricating components from ½-in.-thick 5083-H131 armor plate using robotic GMAW and 5183 filler metal. The tensile samples are failing at 41 KSI during welding procedure qualification. My customer says this is unacceptable and that the tensile samples should fail at 46 KSI or higher....
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: A hotshot’s guide to hot short
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 8, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: A few months ago, you wrote that 6061 is “hot short.” I’m not familiar with this term. Can you explain it? A: Hot short is a standard metallurgical term, but I shouldn’t have assumed that everyone would be familiar with it. If a material is hot short, it means that the material is...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Clearing up oxide misconceptions
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 8, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: My company welds 6063 tubing using AC gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) with 4043 filler metal and pure argon shielding gas. Appearance is important. How can we eliminate, or at least minimize, the oxidized area on each side of the weld? A: We need to first clear up a misconception. The area you...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Matching colors after anodizing
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 5, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: I’m welding on 6061-T6 tubing which then gets anodized. I was advised to use 5356 filler metal to get a good color match between the tubing and the weld after anodizing. The color match is close, but the weld and the tubing are a slightly different color after anodizing. What can I do to get...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: To reheat, not to reheat T4 temper material
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 5, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: Three years ago I bought 6061-T4 extrusions for a project. My idea was to weld in the T4 temper and then to improve the strength of the weld by performing an aging treatment after welding. The project sat dormant until now. Will the T4 temper material need to be heat-treated again before...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Using 4043, 4643 when welding 6061-T6
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 4, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Q: Most 6061-T6 is welded using 4043 filler wire. If you heat-treat the weld, will the 4043 get stronger? What happens if I use 4643 filler instead of 4043? A: Is the weld heat-treatable? Well, yes and no. Remember, the first step to producing T6 temper is heat treating at around 1,050 degrees F...
- From The Welder
Aluminum Workshop: Tips for Aluminum Repair and Fixing Cracks
- By Frank Armao
- Dec 4, 2014
- Aluminum Welding
- Article
Find out our expert's answer to a question regarding aluminum repair and how to fix a crack in aluminum. Learn more here.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 04/16/2024
- Running Time:
- 63:29
In this episode of The Fabricator Podcast, Caleb Chamberlain, co-founder and CEO of OSH Cut, discusses his company’s...
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