Tig welding cast aluminum

[94toytruck]

I can tig steel fine and have the stuff to Tig aluminum here I just haven't done it in a long time. I have a ton of 1/8th 3,6,and 7 series aluminum drop pieces laying around to practice on but nothing cast in the scrap bin. Swapping new tires on my beadlocks and found one is cracked on the backside from a impact almost to the safety bead lip. It's been that way for quite some time I'm sure but the bead was wrapped with gorilla tape so it never leaked. I know don't use abrasives to clean it out, drill the end of the crack and get it super clean. Any tips on actually welding it though? I did some quick poking around the net and sounds like cast varies a ton and has a lot of impurities in it that screw up the weld.

Wheel is a KMC XD222 enduro and being moved to spare but I'd like to repair it properly. It has area smashed in at the crack that's gotta be completely ground out as well and fixed as the crack runs right through it.

 

[Dethmachinefab]

It's easy. Drill the ends, dig it out with a burr. Clean and hammer down. Little pre heat might help depending on how much ass your welders got. I throw a bit more filler than usual to keep the trash out front if that makes any sense.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

It's easy. Drill the ends, dig it out with a burr. Clean and hammer down. Little pre heat might help depending on how much ass your welders got. I throw a bit more filler than usual to keep the trash out front if that makes any sense.

Thats exactly how my cast beadlocks were fixed. It took my buddy about 20min from start to finish to do this. He also repairs windowed aluminum T/F engine blocks in his spare time so he has lots of practice doing this stuff...

 

[[486]]

It's easy. Drill the ends, dig it out with a burr. Clean and hammer down. Little pre heat might help depending on how much ass your welders got. I throw a bit more filler than usual to keep the trash out front if that makes any sense.

this
when it gets dirty you just mash the pedal and jam a foot of rod in there then it's good again

 

[94toytruck]

Alright, I figure I'll give it a shot tomorrow. I was just gonna dive in then though maybe I'll check a bit and stupid YouTube videos make it seem like it's witch craft welding cast. Here's the crack before, I'll try and remember to get some up after.

 

[[486]]

nah you just can't care about it looking horrible while you're welding
it actually welds just fine

oh right, I'll usually grind the harder to access side (the side the tire sits against) weld it, then grind out from the other side down into the first weld and fill it in from there

 

[Dethmachinefab]

It welds fine, just a bit dirty some times.

Now welding the ears back on a 4 speed that's had oil soaking into it for 50 years can get a little tricky.

 

[cj3a]

What filler is everyone using?

 

[[486]]

4043?
just the generic stuff, I don't know better so it's what I glob onto everything

not even the 5052? or whatever 'the other one' is

 

[cj3a]

Yes thats what I am using. Just wonder if there is anything better.

 

[Dethmachinefab]

Everything gets the 4043.

 

[Twankie]

I use 4043. Get a coarse carbide burr. It will really hog out the aluminum in a hurry and not get clogged like normal burrs do. I hit any surface that will see weld with the burr

If you clean well and grind back if you start getting porosity/trash it is really not hard to weld at all.

 

[Lbhsbz]

It usually welds pretty good, just dirty. I typically do one pass and then grind all the shit out and do another pass that comes out pretty nice (within reason....I am not very good with aluminum).

 

[arse_sidewards]

Unfriendly reminder that if you're really hard up you can stick weld aluminum.

 

[cj3a]

You can also make a stick welder a tig welder