Hi all, I have a need to weld some frameworks in Aluminum 6061 & 6063
extrusions and plate, up to 1/4" and some extrusion to 1/2" plate. There's
almost enough of it to consider getting the equipment to weld it myself.
This is hobby stuff not commercial so part of the deal is to be able to do
it myself.

Here's the problem. Never done it before. Years ago did a reasonable amount
of gas welding in steel, mostly tube work race car and bike chassis, and
some general buzz box stick stuff.

What's the best method to weld this stuff? Mig? I've been looking at a
lincoln 135 or 175 with an AL mod. would an average welder get a good
result with either of these machines? Would a mig machine of this scale
give a decent structural weld? Is there something else I should look at?

Is anything from ( big intake of breath) HF able to do the job?

thanks...

In article , Mike
wrote:

Hi all, I have a need to weld some frameworks in Aluminum 6061 & 6063
extrusions and plate, up to 1/4" and some extrusion to 1/2" plate. There's
almost enough of it to consider getting the equipment to weld it myself.
This is hobby stuff not commercial so part of the deal is to be able to do
it myself.

Here's the problem. Never done it before. Years ago did a reasonable amount
of gas welding in steel, mostly tube work race car and bike chassis, and
some general buzz box stick stuff.

What's the best method to weld this stuff? Mig? I've been looking at a
lincoln 135 or 175 with an AL mod. would an average welder get a good
result with either of these machines? Would a mig machine of this scale
give a decent structural weld? Is there something else I should look at?

Is anything from ( big intake of breath) HF able to do the job?

thanks...


The most cost effective solution would be a 250 - 300 amp DC Stick
welder and a Readywelder spoolgun.

http://www.readywelder.com/

They may look like toys, but believe me they work very well.

You will also need a bottle of Argon or argon-helium mix.

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 03:39:24 GMT, Mike wrote:

Hi all, I have a need to weld some frameworks in Aluminum 6061 & 6063
extrusions and plate, up to 1/4" and some extrusion to 1/2" plate. There's
almost enough of it to consider getting the equipment to weld it myself.
This is hobby stuff not commercial so part of the deal is to be able to do
it myself.

Here's the problem. Never done it before. Years ago did a reasonable amount
of gas welding in steel, mostly tube work race car and bike chassis, and
some general buzz box stick stuff.

What's the best method to weld this stuff? Mig? I've been looking at a
lincoln 135 or 175 with an AL mod. would an average welder get a good
result with either of these machines? Would a mig machine of this scale
give a decent structural weld? Is there something else I should look at?

Is anything from ( big intake of breath) HF able to do the job?

thanks...


I like the job my buddy does with the tig welder.
Another friend of mine has built a lot of race cars - and is building
one now with an aluminum chassis (a "clone" of a Lotus 7 - not an
abomination like a Locost, but actually to accurate lotus 7
dimensions, modified to make out of aluminum angle, and running a V
twin bike engine.) It is ALL being rivetted, as he says with welded
6061T6, unless you can re-heat-treat it (which is NOT a do-it-yourself
job) you have no idea WHAT you have after welding. So, he's building
it according to "aircraft standards" - all joints rivetted and
gussetted.

So, for a "decent" weld, I like TIG. For one you trust your life to?
Rivet.

wrote in message
...


I like the job my buddy does with the tig welder.
Another friend of mine has built a lot of race cars - and is building
one now with an aluminum chassis (a "clone" of a Lotus 7 - not an
abomination like a Locost, but actually to accurate lotus 7
dimensions, modified to make out of aluminum angle, and running a V
twin bike engine.) It is ALL being rivetted, as he says with welded
6061T6, unless you can re-heat-treat it (which is NOT a do-it-yourself
job) you have no idea WHAT you have after welding. So, he's building
it according to "aircraft standards" - all joints rivetted and
gussetted.

Does he have anything online about this? I'm curious about how he modified
the 7 chassis so it could be made out of angle.

Ed Huntress

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 05:54:15 GMT, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .


I like the job my buddy does with the tig welder.
Another friend of mine has built a lot of race cars - and is building
one now with an aluminum chassis (a "clone" of a Lotus 7 - not an
abomination like a Locost, but actually to accurate lotus 7
dimensions, modified to make out of aluminum angle, and running a V
twin bike engine.) It is ALL being rivetted, as he says with welded
6061T6, unless you can re-heat-treat it (which is NOT a do-it-yourself
job) you have no idea WHAT you have after welding. So, he's building
it according to "aircraft standards" - all joints rivetted and
gussetted.

Does he have anything online about this? I'm curious about how he modified
the 7 chassis so it could be made out of angle.

Ed Huntress

Nothing online, and it has not been proven yet - but this guy has
repaired, rebuilt, and reproduced more sevens over the years than
likely anyone else in Canada. He's got all the jigs.

The "angle seven" is being built by his son, actually, (with Dad's
help) for one of the "formula grassroots" type races - something like
Formula 2005? where you get to spend up to $2005 US to build a car and
then race it.
He expects to also drive it on the street.

The seven is built mostly of square steel tubing (mild steel at that)
- much of it 1" square.

The "Angle Seven" is made of 6061T6 or 6061T651 1 1/2 inch (I think)
angle and will have the driveshaft tube fully triagulated into the
front bulkhead.

He estimates the material cost for the chassis, with some carefull
scrounging, to be about $200 Canadian plus rivets. Mostly stainless
steel Pop rivets

wrote in message
...
On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 05:54:15 GMT, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .


I like the job my buddy does with the tig welder.
Another friend of mine has built a lot of race cars - and is building
one now with an aluminum chassis (a "clone" of a Lotus 7 - not an
abomination like a Locost, but actually to accurate lotus 7
dimensions, modified to make out of aluminum angle, and running a V
twin bike engine.) It is ALL being rivetted, as he says with welded
6061T6, unless you can re-heat-treat it (which is NOT a do-it-yourself
job) you have no idea WHAT you have after welding. So, he's building
it according to "aircraft standards" - all joints rivetted and
gussetted.

Does he have anything online about this? I'm curious about how he
modified
the 7 chassis so it could be made out of angle.

Ed Huntress

Nothing online, and it has not been proven yet - but this guy has
repaired, rebuilt, and reproduced more sevens over the years than
likely anyone else in Canada. He's got all the jigs.

The "angle seven" is being built by his son, actually, (with Dad's
help) for one of the "formula grassroots" type races - something like
Formula 2005? where you get to spend up to $2005 US to build a car and
then race it.
He expects to also drive it on the street.

The seven is built mostly of square steel tubing (mild steel at that)
- much of it 1" square.

The "Angle Seven" is made of 6061T6 or 6061T651 1 1/2 inch (I think)
angle and will have the driveshaft tube fully triagulated into the
front bulkhead.

He estimates the material cost for the chassis, with some carefull
scrounging, to be about $200 Canadian plus rivets. Mostly stainless
steel Pop rivets

It sounds interesting. If he puts any photos of it online, let us know.

Ed Huntress

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 20:08:30 GMT, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 05:54:15 GMT, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:

wrote in message
.. .


I like the job my buddy does with the tig welder.
Another friend of mine has built a lot of race cars - and is building
one now with an aluminum chassis (a "clone" of a Lotus 7 - not an
abomination like a Locost, but actually to accurate lotus 7
dimensions, modified to make out of aluminum angle, and running a V
twin bike engine.) It is ALL being rivetted, as he says with welded
6061T6, unless you can re-heat-treat it (which is NOT a do-it-yourself
job) you have no idea WHAT you have after welding. So, he's building
it according to "aircraft standards" - all joints rivetted and
gussetted.

Does he have anything online about this? I'm curious about how he
modified
the 7 chassis so it could be made out of angle.

Ed Huntress

Nothing online, and it has not been proven yet - but this guy has
repaired, rebuilt, and reproduced more sevens over the years than
likely anyone else in Canada. He's got all the jigs.

The "angle seven" is being built by his son, actually, (with Dad's
help) for one of the "formula grassroots" type races - something like
Formula 2005? where you get to spend up to $2005 US to build a car and
then race it.
He expects to also drive it on the street.

The seven is built mostly of square steel tubing (mild steel at that)
- much of it 1" square.

The "Angle Seven" is made of 6061T6 or 6061T651 1 1/2 inch (I think)
angle and will have the driveshaft tube fully triagulated into the
front bulkhead.

He estimates the material cost for the chassis, with some carefull
scrounging, to be about $200 Canadian plus rivets. Mostly stainless
steel Pop rivets

It sounds interesting. If he puts any photos of it online, let us know.

Ed Huntress

He won't, but I might.

Stainless 'pop' rivets in a structural application? Yuck!

wrote:
On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 05:54:15 GMT, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


wrote in message
. ..


I like the job my buddy does with the tig welder.
Another friend of mine has built a lot of race cars - and is building
one now with an aluminum chassis (a "clone" of a Lotus 7 - not an
abomination like a Locost, but actually to accurate lotus 7
dimensions, modified to make out of aluminum angle, and running a V
twin bike engine.) It is ALL being rivetted, as he says with welded
6061T6, unless you can re-heat-treat it (which is NOT a do-it-yourself
job) you have no idea WHAT you have after welding. So, he's building
it according to "aircraft standards" - all joints rivetted and
gussetted.

Does he have anything online about this? I'm curious about how he modified
the 7 chassis so it could be made out of angle.

Ed Huntress


Nothing online, and it has not been proven yet - but this guy has
repaired, rebuilt, and reproduced more sevens over the years than
likely anyone else in Canada. He's got all the jigs.

The "angle seven" is being built by his son, actually, (with Dad's
help) for one of the "formula grassroots" type races - something like
Formula 2005? where you get to spend up to $2005 US to build a car and
then race it.
He expects to also drive it on the street.

The seven is built mostly of square steel tubing (mild steel at that)
- much of it 1" square.

The "Angle Seven" is made of 6061T6 or 6061T651 1 1/2 inch (I think)
angle and will have the driveshaft tube fully triagulated into the
front bulkhead.

He estimates the material cost for the chassis, with some carefull
scrounging, to be about $200 Canadian plus rivets. Mostly stainless
steel Pop rivets

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 03:39:24 GMT, Mike wrote:
Hi all, I have a need to weld some frameworks in Aluminum 6061 & 6063
extrusions and plate, up to 1/4" and some extrusion to 1/2" plate. There's
almost enough of it to consider getting the equipment to weld it myself.
This is hobby stuff not commercial so part of the deal is to be able to do
it myself.

Woooo! Half inch!

Here's the problem. Never done it before. Years ago did a reasonable amount
of gas welding in steel, mostly tube work race car and bike chassis, and
some general buzz box stick stuff.

What's the best method to weld this stuff? Mig? I've been looking at a
lincoln 135 or 175 with an AL mod. would an average welder get a good
result with either of these machines? Would a mig machine of this scale
give a decent structural weld? Is there something else I should look at?

Way too small. You need a MIG machine that can do 500 amps to weld
half inch aluminum. Rule of thumb, 1 amp per 0.001 inch thickness.

More practical would be to Vee prep the hell out of the joint, preheat
the hell out of it, and do it multipass with a 250-300 amp TIG machine.

Is anything from ( big intake of breath) HF able to do the job?

WAY out of their league.

Gary