Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

[alan ber]

I have a 1984 Walk Around Sea Ray
Cuddy cabin
21 ft
Bimini top
Always bugged me that little thought went into storage of electronics ,
I caught a dirt cheap deal on a old very used aluminum T- Top with electronic box
This T-Top was designed for a center console and when purchased one of the legs were broken off
Broken leg was included with top and I figured I would have too cut the reminding 3 as this top was not designed for my boat and I would have too frabricate too fit

I am a weekend Mr Fix it, but never worked with welding anything

I don't know the thickness of the aluminum but poles are apx 1 inch in diameter and cut and drill thru extremely easily

Thinking about a cheap-o tig welder found at Harbor or Northern Tool
I care about finished look but beginner welds will still look better then bolts I presently use too hold in place

Present poles have flat floor brackets all ready welded in place so all I have too do is weld 4 poles too top and possibly add a few more for more support between pole too pole

THOUGHTS besides hiring somebody too do the job , what should I purchase, and what too expect ??

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

Not gona buy a cheap- ol tig welder to weld Aluminum...it needs to High Frequency AC to Tig weld alum……..To get a nice Tig set up for Alum is around $2500.00

You could try to Mig weld it…but that don’t work very well on thin alum unless you are experienced…Alum is one of the hardest metals to weld…again unless you have experience.

Take it to a weld shop and have them Tig weld it for you…..shouldn’t be all that much.

Post up some pic’s

Any more welding questions…just ask

Good Luck

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

your choice, spend $400 for a welder, or $40 to have someone weld it.

Never ran the cheap tigs from Harbor or Norther. Anyone I know that has ran them, ended up selling them in a garage sale and getting either a Miller or a Lincoln.

 

[Grandad]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

Alan, I think a part of your decision is whether you want to learn to weld as a skill you'd like to aquire for the future. I've been a do-it-yourselfer guy all my life and have a little (very little) experience with welding, but at my age, there's not as much future for aquired skills. I chose to have the tower (in the rebuild thread below) welded by a professional. I got 18 welds done for $150 through an aquaintance. A second part of your decision is whether you want a quality looking T-top or one that just stays up there and provides shade. I'm one of those guys that regrets every shortcut in quality I've ever done. I have no regrets on this investment. I put a lot of effort into everything else on my boat and amateurish welds would have spoiled those things too. - Grandad

 

[T_Herrod]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

Take it to a welding shop. You will be glad you didn't try to do aluminum.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

Ditto, take it to a welding shop! I've been a welder for 30yrs, and shudder with the thought of welding aluminum!

I've done it but mostly tacking with an employers AC high frequency TIG buzz gun.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

I have to agree with others above and take it somewhere to be repaired and possibly improved to make things stronger.

Now on the other side of the conversation.......... learning to weld is a good thing. Look around your area and see if a trade school has evening classes. I have access to all the welding stuff I need but not a spool gun....... no one wants to invest in one including me It's a great skill.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

! I've been a welder for 30yrs, and shudder with the thought of welding aluminum! .

What industry did you get away without welding aluminum for 30 years?
Aluminum is all I did my first year out of trade school. Went from there to iron worker then went into the shop and welded everything from exotics, to foils and structural until I went into management.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

I have an alum boat and the bow eye started wearing out so I thought I would dive into the world of alum welding. I don't have a TIG but everything else. I'm a fair self taught farm equipment and home projects welder around the place.

I have a welding book from the local Jr. College which helped a lot, but in short, get a professional welder to do the work for you. Alum is finicky, not the same critter as steel. Everything has to be perfect for a reliable joint, much less a pretty one.

HTH,
Mark

 

[alldodge]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

Agree with others for your project. I'm not a welder but picked up a 220V MIG several years ago. So if you want something that can do it you will need a 220V MIG and spool gun. Then you need to burn up a whole lot of wire before your ready. After years of having mine I'm good enough for farm type use, but still not good enough to make things look nice. One of these days I might pick me a spool gun and start trying my self

 

[Bondo]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

Ayuh,.... Agreed,.... Weldin' aluminum is Nothin' like weldin' steel,....

I built this bimini top years ago, with a mig welder,...
That welder is long ago retired, 'n I've had a few since,...
Got a big ole Lincoln now, with a spoolgun,...

 

[MikDee]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

What industry did you get away without welding aluminum for 30 years?
Aluminum is all I did my first year out of trade school. Went from there to iron worker then went into the shop and welded everything from exotics, to foils and structural until I went into management.

Commercial HVAC construction! I'm a retired Steamfitter/Welder from NYC. Most of my welding was ARC, Mig, Tig, and gas, and oxyacteleyne, & plasma cutting of pipe, and raw steel of all types. Mostly mild steel, high chrome, Inconel, or stainless steel. I worked in all the powerhouses in NYC, and a few on L.I., Sewage plants, recycling plants, schools, Hi-Rises, BUG (Brooklyn union gas) a naptha cracking plant, The World Trade Center, and Shoreham nuclear powerhouse. I've been certified x-ray quality in my trade for 30yrs.

 

[Streffpilot]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

As someone who welds aluminum 6-7 days a week, all different alloys, TAKE IT TO A WELD SHOP. WE use liquid cooled Miller Deltawelds with a spool gun with a 330 lb barrel of wire. That's the only way to go if you want to MIG weld your t top. Don't waste your time or money on anything but a blue (Miller) welder. I would suggest a TIG weld for what you want, though, as with MIG, a tight circle is hard to make in one pass, although we do do them occasionally.

In all, just pay someone $30-40 to get it done in about 15 minutes.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

Commercial HVAC construction! I'm a retired Steamfitter/Welder from NYC. Most of my welding was ARC, Mig, Tig, and gas, and oxyacteleyne, & plasma cutting of pipe, and raw steel of all types. Mostly mild steel, high chrome, Inconel, or stainless steel. I worked in all the powerhouses in NYC, and a few on L.I., Sewage plants, recycling plants, schools, Hi-Rises, BUG (Brooklyn union gas) a naptha cracking plant, The World Trade Center, and Shoreham nuclear powerhouse. I've been certified x-ray quality in my trade for 30yrs.

I started down that path. Bethlehem steel shipyard right out of welding school. Then a 4 year run with American Tank building oil storage, municipal water storage and waste treatment plants across the south.

Getting back home one or two weekends a month wasn't cutting it so I took a job for a company that built electronic equipment (xray and isotope thickness measuring) for steel and aluminum mills.

As the only welder in the company, I fabricated everything from 30 ton structures to foil filter packs.
Developed a knack for welding foils. Titanium, magnesium, copper, nickel, aluminum, stainless, silver, lead, etc. most between 0.003 to 0.015"

Thirty-six years later, Director of Sales for the company. Still get called in to consult with the design team from time to time.

Its next to impossible to find a multidisciplinary welder anymore. Most only know how to pull the trigger on a MIG gun.....

 

[MikDee]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

So, you're no dingbat, Dingbat!,,,lol You've done some precision welding, Good for you,,, I've been retired on disability for 10ys now, and what I miss the most is fabricating, & welding. I know what you mean, everyone in my trade calls themselves a welder, but only a few are really good. Boats, cars, & motorcycles, have been my hobby since I was a kid.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Aluminum welding 4 my t- top - beginner

I weld aluminum with my 220V AC ThermalArc TIG welder. It takes a lot of practice to get good at it. I would never even bother with a cheap Harbor Freight welder. Did a lot of experimenting with the balance to get the proper amount of cleaning.