The Welder November/December 2020

Simply put, cleaning and preparing aluminum for welding or repair of existing welds is the key to unlocking the best possible results.

As welders understand aluminum’s unique properties, pre- and postwelding practices, and equipment settings, it’s not much different than welding any other material.

Microwelding, much like other welding processes, requires precision, a steady hand, and knowledge of how heat affects the base metal. Unlike other processes, it’s done with consumables the size of a human hair and through the lens of a microscope.

Detroit-based welder Josh Welton reminisces about his father, Tim, who passed away in March 2020. A vocational training scholarship has been created in his name through the The Clay Hills Farm Fund at the Barry Community Foundation.

Indiana-based shop Crosby & Drumm learned difficult yet valuable lessons when the COVID-19 pandemic hit just 14 days after the small fabrication and welding business opened its doors.

Weld porosity is a dangerous weld defect that has myriad causes. Rob Koltz and Nino Mascalco analyze a reader's situation and help him nail down what's causing the porosity in his pipe fabrications.

Treat wearing face masks in the metal fabrication shop the same as you would a helmet, gloves, FR jacket, or other welding safety equipment.