Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Tomczyk
Just an aside to the main points being discussed - I am sure that both methods have their own pros & cons and uses dependent upon the job.
To come to the point though - And the job here would be making vintage car panels in .060" 1050 "half hard" (uk specs) - IF you used Tig to weld the panels using the same material filler - if you then annealed the weld area before reverting to planishing and wheeling the joins - wouldn't this still produce the same result as just gas welding it? Or would it still be more prone to cracking as the end resulting metallurgy is fundamentally different?
You may think why? Well why not if it get the job done to the standards required? Additionally some may not have a full OA set up and perhaps for some who are really struggling with OA welding Ali or have time constraints to the learning of gas welding Ali it may provide a solution?
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Hi Jim,
Sorry - I forgot about this question of yours ....
I have seen and heard of these problems, cracking during planishing, with tig welding. If the filler is the correct alloy, the metal is clean prior to welding, and the inert gas is clean one would expect no problem.
One thing remains: "Dilution."
And, according to the Aluminum Association, TIG welding offers
less dilution by its fundamental nature, than does OFW welding.
With TIG you have to stir/agitate/mix the puddle as you weld, in order to facilitate dilution - something that OFW does naturally, by its nature.
(Of course there are those welders who have no problems whatsoever with their work ...
)
I have welded old aluminum to new repair panels on many different old sports/race/touring cars from several different countries, on several different alloys,
with zero post-weld cracking problems -
while I hear about so many problems with "old metal" - and its being blamed for the problems so much that whole original bodies have been scrapped for Mr. TIG to be able to weld nice Fresh Familiar Aluminum.
(phooey on that
)
It's not about "annealing" - it's about
dilution.
Dilution is the mixing of the filler into the surrounding material enough to make a healthy workable transition from one alloy to another.
-end of lecture on that topic.
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Next Question:
What is your (the) goal when welding your panels? To weld with as little filler as possible and just planish. Or do some file work before planishing.
I assume our goal should be to use as little rod possible and planish with no filing to make the weld disappear.
Mark
When doing "panel work"
- and not making tanks - the goal is to have a smooth surface across the welds lines. How you accomplish this is up to your skill level / your "style."
I think it's fair to say that some craftsmen prefer finesse welding and finesse planishing to achieve their products -
while others are content with being able to weld enough that the weld tops can be mowed off, the stalactites shaved from beneath, on the root side, and then go to smoothing by whatever hand tools or mechanical hammer or wheel to get to the goal.
Both get the job done.
Also:
What is the customer willing to pay for?
Is the job polished?
Bare?
Paint-grade?
These are also worthy considerations.
Some craftsmen are pushed into doing polished work while apprentices, and others may never see that type of work, so the style of work comes from the working environment, and not
so much from the craftsman's preference - although some guys
push their own envelopes just to find out what is over the horizon.
hope this helps ...