Welding Gas Tanks

datadavid said:
Now is where you put up the link to the gas filler rods. Pure aluminium? No... useless mechanical properties, too soft.
If you use flux you are soldering.
Halo=HAZ
BOC 4047 aluminium welding rods.
I use aluminium with either 5% Mg or 5% Si when welding with the tig - too soft? I think not..
Flux stops oxidation in the weld. When I stick weld I use rods encased in flux, as everyone else does - fairly sure that's not soldering.
And Halo=HAZ, sorry, I have no idea what that means.
 
ncologerojr said:
I shape with 3003 H14 aluminum and weld o/a weld with 1100 tig rod and aluminum welding flux. This is pretty much the standard for any metal-shaper/coachbuilder.
You are in the u.s right? We only use asme standards on american steels like inconel and the likes, would be nice to find comparation tables between asme and iso norms, cause your fillers are completely unknown here..
 
Pete12 said:
BOC 4047 aluminium welding rods.
I use aluminium with either 5% Mg or 5% Si when welding with the tig - too soft? I think not..
Flux stops oxidation in the weld. When I stick weld I use rods encased in flux, as everyone else does - fairly sure that's not soldering.
And Halo=HAZ, sorry, I have no idea what that means.
Heat affected zone, its one of your terms! and dont call it pure aluminium cause that stuff is only used for dildos!
Coated welding rods are a swedish invention, and we do not call it flux.
 
Here are a couple pictures I’ve borrowed from Ryan Whitling of R.A.W Body Design and Fabrication. He is an incredibly talented metalshaper in Australia. I chat with Ryan from time to time, and he is just a nice guy who loves talking metal and helping anyone who shares his passion. He is the one who really inspired me to grab my O/A torch more often. He also inspired me to use my power hammer less, but that’s a different topic... Check out his Instagram and FB accounts, a ton of great content there.

Here is a picture of Ryan welding a hand hammered aluminum fender. The white you see along the weld bead is aluminum flux.
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Here is a picture showing the O/A weld penetration.
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Here you can also see in the foreground the the tray where he mixes his flux. Most guys brush flux on their weld joint in and out, as well as their filler rod if possible.
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datadavid said:
You are in the u.s right? We only use asme standards on american steels like inconel and the likes, would be nice to find comparation tables between asme and iso norms, cause your fillers are completely unknown here..

Yes, I’m in the U.S. I’ve never seen comparison tables. Your common torch sizes are different as well. I’ve just posted some content from RAW BDF, he’s in the Melbourne area. If you message him on instagram he might be willing to share some info with you.
 
It's funny there's a debate over pure aluminum, when aluminum itself is an alloy, as is most other metals not still in the ground.
 
irk miller said:
It's funny there's a debate over pure aluminum, when aluminum itself is an alloy, as is most other metals not still in the ground.

Right you are. In America at least, what’s considered most “pure” aluminum alloys are labeled as 1XXX’s. Some other common alloys are:
2xxx’s - Aluminum/Copper
3xxx’s - Aluminum/Maganese
5xxx’s - Aluminum/Magnesium
6xxx’s - Aluminum/Magnesium/Another alloy.
 
XS750AU said:
By the way the Dillion manual states no flux is required for stainless. In the attached photo, when the flame is correct (carburising), O/A is capable of good welds with stainless.
do the manual specifically state no flux needed? or just not mention it?
From my experience welding stainless with TIG if you do not back purge with argon an oxide crystal structure forms which makes the welds very prone to cracking, even though they may look good on the outside.

Solar flux was recommended to me by someone that builds stainless exhaust systems for trucks, because back purging a whole system is a lot of argon and solar flux is cheap. He uses solar flux for welding stainless when you cannot back purge. its a necessity or high stress joints such as exhaust tubes. I have seen solar flux used with O/A first hand at Bonneville, after a mounting bracket cracked off the exhaust. the resultant weld needed to be wire wheeled to remove the flux but the weld was beautiful.
 
do the manual specifically state no flux needed? or just not mention it?
Please refer to the attached chart out of the Dillion manual. Hope it helps with filler rods and fluxes for various materials.
Data - you can buy the Dillion torch from Detroit torch in the US or they are also on Amazon!
https://detroittorch.com/
The manual is also available as a free download from this site.
That work from Ryan Whitling is enough to make me cry - it is more like art. That level of skill is an absolute gift, plus a hell of a lot of hard work. Curious as to what thickness of material is used on an ally tank?
 

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It has been 42C in Melbourne for 2 days running - just too hot in the shed (even with airconditioning) to do much practice O/A welding.
A bit more on stainless and for an absolute novice I am happy with the results (no flux, just carburising flame).
Question, what is the preference for avoiding fume inhalation. Weld fume extraction or a ventilated mask?
 

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irk miller said:
It's funny there's a debate over pure aluminum, when aluminum itself is an alloy, as is most other metals not still in the ground.
No, aluminium is actaully a chemical element, number 13 on the periodic table.
Its just useless for anything but dildos in pure state, as i mentioned. Its alloyed for different properties and very versatile in that way.
 
doc_rot said:
do the manual specifically state no flux needed? or just not mention it?
From my experience welding stainless with TIG if you do not back purge with argon an oxide crystal structure forms which makes the welds very prone to cracking, even though they may look good on the outside.

Solar flux was recommended to me by someone that builds stainless exhaust systems for trucks, because back purging a whole system is a lot of argon and solar flux is cheap. He uses solar flux for welding stainless when you cannot back purge. its a necessity or high stress joints such as exhaust tubes. I have seen solar flux used with O/A first hand at Bonneville, after a mounting bracket cracked off the exhaust. the resultant weld needed to be wire wheeled to remove the flux but the weld was beautiful.
There are special powders for that, you mix them to a fine paste and apply on the root side of stainless welds, basically the same as the coating on stainless welding rods. http://www.klingstrand.se/sprays-pastes-etc/ta-flux-root-protection.html
 
XS750AU said:
It has been 42C in Melbourne for 2 days running - just too hot in the shed (even with airconditioning) to do much practice O/A welding.
A bit more on stainless and for an absolute novice I am happy with the results (no flux, just carburising flame).
Question, what is the preference for avoiding fume inhalation. Weld fume extraction or a ventilated mask?
That really depends on the circumstances, if i weld in confined spaces i use a ventilated mask like this:
https://www.awsi.com.au/welding-helmets/3m-speedglas-9100-welding-helmets-with-adflo-powered-air-respirator-papr/3m-speedglas-9100-fx-air-welding-helmet-with-adflo-papr-9100xxi-547726

If i were you, using o/a setup i would just go outside and let the breeze carry the fumes away. Stainless stick welding is the most dangerous method, it releases the highest amount of six-worth chrome which is what guarantees lung and thyroid cancer, along with smoking you are likely to die before the age of 60.. TIG is not so bad - it mostly releases ozone and smaller amounts of sixworth chrome, o/a fumes from stainless i know nothing about since it is not a professionally approved method. Wait and see
 
Once again I ran into a special project.A friend is modifiyng a good olde CX 500 and wants to clean up his tank fuel cap.

He wants remove the huge stock filler cap and grind off the mountings and just run the turnable filler cap on top.
Problem here is the "indent" around the filler cap which he would like to fill up.

how would you guys go about?
I thought about grinding off and cleaning thouroughly than cutting up a piece of thicker steel and TIG welding it into place to make it sit flush with the tank top...

thanks!
 

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You could essentially french it. Cut it completely out of the tank following the contour of the indent, then cut the filler out of that piece. Then, cut a piece of sheet out in the shape of the opening, and well a ring to drop the filler. Or just cut a piece out in the shape of the opening and cut out the filler hole separately, then well the filler hole into the new piece of sheet and weld it in to place.
 
Considering the fact that you still have that beautiful Myford sitting in your dad's workshop, I'd say, cut it all out and make a new filler cap. If that's not your thing, cut out the filler neck and then cut out the recessed part, tig some fresh/flush steel in and then fit the filler cap as you please. (Doesn't have to be center...)

Cheers,
Greg
 
Ryan Stecken said:
Once again I ran into a special project.A friend is modifiyng a good olde CX 500 and wants to clean up his tank fuel cap.

He wants remove the huge stock filler cap and grind off the mountings and just run the turnable filler cap on top.
Problem here is the "indent" around the filler cap which he would like to fill up.

how would you guys go about?
I thought about grinding off and cleaning thouroughly than cutting up a piece of thicker steel and TIG welding it into place to make it sit flush with the tank top...

thanks!

I would cut out the entire section, weld in a plate then fit a more modern 'flush' filler (I bought all the parts a while ago to do exactly that on 360 tank)
With all the talk of welding I finally got around to doing some welding on handle on a scoop I made a while ago. Forgot why I made it but it is handy for stuff
1. - The weld, close up. About 3mm wide

2 .- Material tickness about 1mm, it's section of 'corner leg' from old motorcycle 'crate'

3. - Yep, plant pot stand as a 'welding table'

Using worm drive clamps causes the butted ends to 'grow' when heated so filler isn't used until the 'open transition' to 'flat' section
 

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We all doing a great job saying the same thing, guys. LOL. Very impactful that way.
 
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