TIG Welding Anodized Aluminum Pipe on Your Tuna Tower Or Boat T-Top Project

Most people assume that TIG welding anodized aluminum is just like welding any other aluminum piping. That is absolutely wrong and one of the big secrets that very few welders know. Anodized aluminum requires bumping or spot welding! Yeah, that the big secret!

In order to get this type of pipe welded you need to do two passes. The first pass is spot welded all of the way around with the filler wire being added. On the second pass you spot weld all the way around but without the filler wire added this time. The reason for this is anodized aluminium has a very hard coating that is difficult to melt through. The first pass will join the two pieces together but not melt the anodized coating into the weld area thoroughly. Since the coating is not melted properly the weld will look very rough. The second pass is used to melt the anodized coating into the weld better and give the weld its smooth appearance. Finally the weld is painted with weld paint. This is done because the anodized coating will no longer completely cover the weld area, so weld paint must finish the job to protect the weld area.

TIG welding anodized aluminum requires three things:

First is an A/C and D/C TIG welder with a high frequency start button on the TIG torch.
Second is a pure tungsten electrode with a tapered ball shaped end.
Aluminum weld paint.
To prepare the tungsten to weld anodized aluminum you need a tapered ball shaped end. To do this you simply put the tungsten into the TIG torch. Next turn on your welder and set it to D/C electrode (+) positive. Finally hit the high frequency start button and strike an arc on a piece of clean steel or ideally pure copper. Once the arc starts keep turning up the amperage until the tungsten starts to melt. Finally when there is a tapered ball end, stop the arc. That's it!

The actual welding is done by spot welding all the way around the pipe. The first thing you will need to do is set the TIG welder to A/C alternating current. Typically there will be two passes needed to weld the pipe. The first is with the filler wire added and the second it to smooth out the weld. The trick to TIG welding anodized aluminum is to keep your amperage on the high range and the spot welds should typically last about one second in time each.

Once the welding is finished all you need to do is paint the welds. That's all there is to TIG welding aluminum extrusion! Once you get going with this type of welding procedure you will be amazed how good the welds look on anodized aluminum piping!

Advantages of Hard Anodized Aluminum

Aluminum anodizing is lighter weight and non conductivity. Anodize means that aluminum is immersed in sulfuric acid known as electrolyte. Then it runs through a low voltage electric current through the acid solution. When the electric current increases significantly and the acid solution is freezed it is called as hard anodizing. Hard anodized aluminum is 30% harder than stainless steel. They have a extremely long life span. Its surfaces do not chip or peel and non toxic. It is chemically stable and does not decompose. Even in high heat level the anodized finish will not be damaged because it has a melting point of 1,221degree F.

Hard anodizing is mostly used for industrial purposes. Non stick coating is processed through regular anodized aluminum but aluminum cookware is processed through hard anodized aluminum. Hard anodizing aluminum has a thick coating than regular anodize.

Aluminum sheets passing through hard anodizing has a dark brown or black surface. The benefits of hard anodizing are it has lower cost and weight. The aluminum cookware would resist harsh climate and salt sprays because it is processed through hard aluminum. Automobile industry and commercial cookware have benefited from hard anodizing. Even automobile parts have benefited from it. It has also benefited the medical field. In prosthetic joints also hard anodizing aluminum is used because it can resist blood. Hard anodizing and sulfuric anodizing may have certain things in common but their process will give a different result. The hard anodize is little more expensive than regular anodized aluminum.

While buying a new aluminum cookware see whether it is a anodized aluminum or hard anodized. The surfaces are stick resistant. Aluminum is present in many products like in cookware and utensils, baking powder, toothpastes, sunscreens, cosmetics, vaccines, cake mix and in many more things. Anodized aluminum is used in grills, coolers etc. The cookware surface does not have pores because it has a hard anodize finish. If there are pores in the cookware the food gets stuck while cooking but if it does not have pores the food does not stick. Black is the most famous color in anodizing. This color gets the highest price. Other colors can be easily achieved. These colors are also used in different aluminum utensils. Anodizing can be done at home also with the help of sulfuric acid.

People used to worry if this type of cookware will cause a lot of difference in the taste of their food. But it is considered a super durable cookware. Since it is made of electro chemical process the aluminum is considered to be extra hard. People are using hard anodized aluminum because it has non toxic finish. It can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher. The non stick coating does not wear off easily. Most of the cooks in the world are using this type of cookware for making there food because they think that the flavor of the food is sealed. When a person starts using this type of cookware a lot of difference is seen in their cooking.

Aluminum Extrusions

You might not know what aluminum extrusion are, but you've been surrounded by them your entire life. Almost all commercial windows are encased in extruded aluminum housings, the structural components of airliner wings are made from aluminum extrusions, even the Dodge Prowler had a frame made from extruded aluminum. In fact, extrusion is the primary use of raw aluminum followed by casting and machining. As a side note, to give you a perspective on how big the market is, 14% of all the electrical power generated in the United States goes to the processing of aluminum. That's a low of energy.

So how does the process work? It's pretty straight forward really. Round aluminum ingots are heated up to just below the melting point and then pushed through dies shaped like the final product. Hollow shapes are introduced in the dies by means of torpedoes (floating elements in the die) that the aluminum flows around. The aluminum comes out and is straightened, and cut to length. Depending on the specifications required, the aluminum cools and hardens at room temperature or is put in an oven for more accurate tempering.

Hardening. Extruded aluminum can be hardened quenching and age hardening. Quenching simply involves the rapid cooling of extruded material, whereas age hardening can involve simply cooling at room temperature (extruded aluminum will naturally age harden reaching it's maximum strength in a week or so after extrusion) or holding at an elevated temperature for a period of time followed by rapid cooling.

How Aluminium Extrusions Are Constructed

The fact that aluminium is very malleable and ductile makes it an important material in construction today. It can be crafted into various shapes and sizes very easily which is why it is widely used in the engineering of aircraft and construction of its domestic parts and materials. The process through which aluminium can be crafted into different shapes is called aluminum extrusion. It is the practice used to make objects of fixed cross-sectional profiles. In this method, the aluminium is forced through a section known as a die that has the shape of a desired cross-section. This process is able to produce aluminium sections that have complex cross-sections and can be used for various purposes. Some extruded aluminiums come with hollow cavities that cannot be produced by using simple flat die. These are manufactured by a special sort of die that is able to create structures with complex cross-sections. The extrusion process can not only be carried out on aluminium metals but also on other metals, ceramics and even food.

To create aluminium extrusions, the aluminium is heated and forced through a die with the aid of a hydraulic ram under high pressure. These extrusions have a lot of advantages that make them ideal to be used for various purposes. Despite being ductile and flexible, aluminium extrusions are very light in weight. The fact that aluminium only weighs 1/3 of that of copper makes it an ideal choice in construction of vehicles.

Some other advantages of using aluminium include:

Resistant to corrosion allows it to be used in buildings and construction that experiences frequent corrosion.

Good electric conductor makes it suitable to use in building power transmission cables.

Great strength makes it ideal for applications where light weight and strength is required.

Cost effective

The process that aluminium extrusions go through can either be hot or cold. In the hot process, the aluminium has to be between 350 to 500 degrees Celsius. The cold process can be done at room temperature. The best quality aluminium extrusions are manufactured at accurate temperature. As when the metal is heated, it becomes softer and easily malleable, and the finishing provides the metal with more durability and strength. Also, manufacturers are able to make extrusions according to the preference of the customers and the applications that they would be used for.

Some products where aluminium extrusions are applied include production of frames, heat sinks and profiles for tracks along with several other applications.