Did anyone see the Frenchman at Beaulieu autojumble this year who was demonstrating the aluminium welding rods (£25 for about 6 rods)? He was using a normal DIY gas burner and welding up ¾” holes in aluminium casings and even a ½” hole punched in a coke can, which he then invited the watchers to try to smash out with a pick. I welded a hole up myself just by making a circular movement around the hole with the rod until I got to the centre. Hardly any heat was needed and it was impossible to shift it afterwards. No flux was needed. Did anyone buy any? and if so have you found any snags with this product as it seemed too good to be true.

Hi Ian,

Wasn't there unfortunately, but see www.durafix.com an American site, I think this is what the Frenchman was demonstrating.

Jeff

Was this similar to the aluminium "brazing/soldering" type of products which have been on the market for a number of years now? There is a difference between "welding" and brazing/soldering. Some of these products require you to "scrape" the surface of the join to allow proper "tinning" to take place wereas actual aluminium welding is actual "welding" i.e both surfaces melt and run together as opposed to a tinned surface and a join of solder. I bought a small piece (1 metre) of aluminium solder a few years back at the NEC show which I have found to work very well for certain jobs, but it is NOT a welding product.

Steve.

I think the material you are talking about is HTS-2000,available here http://www.aluminiumrepair.co.uk/html/kit_details_0.html.
(copy and paste into your address bar) I am thinking of getting some to fabricate some aluminium door catch covers, unless someone knows where I can get bakelite(or equivalent looking) at a resonable price?
Regards
Andy

Yes thanks Jeff, that certainly is the same stuff that was at Beaulieu. Have visited the site you suggested, I am even more impressed than before. Has anyone used it on a 7? Looks like it may be good for fixing cracks in bodywork.

Ian

I used it for joining the seam on a piece of "seamed" tubing. I just warmed the cleaned tube and ran some solder on it. I then "scratched" the surface with a screwdriver as per instructions on the product I was using. It worked fairly well, but like most things you get better with practice! As most of you know aluminium doesnt give you any clues when its going to melt! Its the oxide layer that causes the trouble because it melts at a very high temp whereas the aluminium underneath melts at a considerably lower temp. I havnt seen the stainless brush product but I guess its much the same, possibly something like "Lumiweld".
I would go very steady on thin or small parts because they could easily just dissapear into a molten blob!!

Regards

Steve