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Re: Massive Hit
No matter how skilled a welder, there are material properties to consider.
In extruded form it would have been 6061-T651:
tensile strength of about 45ksi and yield of 40ksi.
After welding is in the -T0 condition:
tensile strength of about 18ksi and yield of 8ksi.
Eventually 6061 will age back to T4 or so, which is pretty close (70%), but it requires heat treat to get to T6/T651 strength levels.
Compared to the base (original) material, a welded area in aluminum can be a significant weakness that needs reinforcement.
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