Thanks Ernie. I take it you'd really just want to use it to seal a
seam or something vs. really assemble. I can see the benefit.

Interesting note about cooling - I've heard of people doing zinc
casting because it's easy to work with. It never dawned on me to use
it as a filler material.

--George

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 23:11:10 GMT, Ernie Leimkuhler
wrote:

In article , George
wrote:

What are the aluminum repair welding rods that I'm seeing that you
just use an OA torch to melt with no flux, shielding gas, etc. ???
Here come the questions:

1. Does it really work?

Yes they work, to some degree.

2. What are the rods made out of?

Mostly Zinc.


3. What are the trade offs?

They are not as strong as a weld, but they do achieve a water tight
seam if the metal is clean.
They are handy to have around, like superglue, ducktape, visegrips and
bailing wire.


I'm assuming it's for general repairs
and not stuff where you have a special alloy with a
strength/flexibility that's critical.


Correct

At any rate, the Eastwood catalog shows the stuff and the catalog
blurb claims to even do pot metal. I have also seen the rods down at
the local tractor and supply (US Welding brand I think).


Most companies that sell solder are offering a version.

Just to explain, I have aluminum wire and argon for my MIG but usually
keep steel and a 75/25 gas mix hooked up. The thing that raised my
attention is that my OA rig is always ready to go and I have a ton of
tips to manage heat. I'm thinking of using the stuff for small
repairs where swapping out the wire and the gas is a hassle. I also
have flux and wire for critical stuff from Tinman Tech which works
good for thin stuff. (For those who recall some of my past queries,
I've not yet convinced my wife that I can't live without a Lincoln TIG
--- but I'm still working on her :-))

--George

The stuff is very easy to use, just make sure not to bump the part
until it is cooled down.
Because the stuff has a very low melting point, it takes a while to
solidify.