repairing aluminium

REPAIRING ALUMINIUM TUBE

(Durafix Easyweld)

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When heating metal to high temperatures you must take sensible precautions-

Welding Gauntlets and Goggles must be worn.

Keep children and pets well out of the area, when you heat up metal it can remain hot for long periods of time so do not leave a piece of hot metal unattended at any time. You cannot tell that metal is hot by looking at it, if you leave it unattended someone else may pass by and pick it up with disastrous consequences.

Here we are going to fix a hole in a piece of aluminium tubing using the Easyweld kit pictured on the left.

Do Not use Easyweld on-
Do not use Easyweld on Magnesium. {To test for Magnesium shave a small piece of metal and apply the flame. If it burns white, then it is Magnesium}.

Do not use on Pewter or tin as they will melt before the working temperature is reached.

The rods will not work on Stainless Steel or any other type Steel (except galvanised)

Here is a piece of Aluminium tube that I have purposely drilled a hole in, I am going to attempt to fix this using the Easyweld kit.

The area to be welded/ brazed needs cleaning with the stainless steel brush that is supplied with the kit. ( do not use any other type of brush or it will not work ).

The Aluminium needs brushing clean and also needs brushing under heat to break up the surface coating of Aluminium oxide.

The metal now needs heating to 389^oC.
Easyweld will work with propane, butane, mapp, oxyacetylene or any fuel source as long as the material is brought up to 389^oC ( 732^oF ) before applying the rod.

You know when you have reached the correct temperature as the rod will melt on contact with the heated metal.

DO NOT APPLY THE FLAME DIRECTLY TO THE ROD.

Feed the rod into the hole, using a circular motion, keep the flame 1 1/2- 2 inches away from the metal. The rod will melt and fill the hole. (flame from blowtorch not in picture as I was taking picture with other hand)
Allow the metal to cool naturally, do not cool it in a water or oil bath.

The repaired piece of Tube

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