Quote:
Originally Posted by dictionaria13
Sorry to derail the thread a bit, but why would welding steel make a welder no longer fit to weld aluminum? The obvious answer is that it messes it up in some way (just as crimpers that have been used as pliers will never crimp again), but how?
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Well, maybe it was a slight overstatement. In reality, if you buy a new gun and hose (and drive wheel for some welders), you can swap them for steel and aluminum.
The issue is one of contamination: A tiny bit of steel dust (even at the molecular level) will cause your aluminum welds to fail or be very weak. For this reason, you must take extreme care that no steel of any kind - dust, grinding debris, or even the residue from a welding gun used for steel - gets on or near the aluminum. That's also why you need a stainless steel brush and must dedicate all your aluminum welding tools to aluminum only.
In the automotive world, where aluminum repairs are common, it is almost universally mandatory that a body shop have a dedicated aluminum roof in their shop. Just being in a corner "away from the steel" is very insufficient. At the very least, a curtained-off area that you wash down with water before using anything is required (for car repairs, which are safety-sensitive).
Again: A good aluminum welder will tell you all this, along with helping you find good wire and other supplies.
Welding IS fun, but it really is hard, too. Worth It.