welding aluminum to steel

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jaspermaggie
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welding aluminum to steel

#1 Post by jaspermaggie » Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:10 pm

I am building a fire wall in my behind my back seat. I am welding 18g aluminum to steel. Do I use 100 percent argon and any tips would be mice. I am using a hobart 140 mig.
My car is not as fast as I think it is.

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vegaracer
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#2 Post by vegaracer » Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:56 pm

I'm pretty sure you can't weld aluminum to steel. Make your firewall with an extra bend at the bottom and rivet it to the floor. Just my opinion.
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jaspermaggie
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ok

#3 Post by jaspermaggie » Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:12 am

thought so. If I use rivets will it be leagle?
My car is not as fast as I think it is.

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gearjammer
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Re: ok

#4 Post by gearjammer » Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:15 am

jaspermaggie wrote:thought so. If I use rivets will it be leagle?
Yes but I would seal around the edges once your riveting is complete
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jaspermaggie
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thank you

#5 Post by jaspermaggie » Tue Apr 08, 2008 2:36 pm

thank you, nice car. One more thing. I have 6x9s on the window ledge, do I need to make plats to close them up?
My car is not as fast as I think it is.

Darwin Barnett
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#6 Post by Darwin Barnett » Tue May 06, 2008 10:14 am

Yes you can weld Metal to Steel
I use to have a wheel store and sold Composite Wheels which had Aluminum centers and Steel outers which were welded together
Darwin Barnett

pro70z28
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#7 Post by pro70z28 » Tue May 06, 2008 12:24 pm

Darwin Barnett wrote:Yes you can weld Metal to Steel
I use to have a wheel store and sold Composite Wheels which had Aluminum centers and Steel outers which were welded together


What was the welding process?
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sc racing
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#8 Post by sc racing » Tue May 06, 2008 9:46 pm

Darwin Barnett wrote:Yes you can weld Metal to Steel
I use to have a wheel store and sold Composite Wheels which had Aluminum centers and Steel outers which were welded together
The old Cragar SS wheels were made like that but the aluminum center had steel inserts cast into them on each spoke thats how they were welded together.
Im pretty sure it is impossible to weld steel to aluminum.

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#9 Post by mytmouz » Tue May 06, 2008 11:15 pm

At least with a home welder...
Trucks are for haulin...

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sunsation540
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#10 Post by sunsation540 » Tue May 06, 2008 11:24 pm

magnesium flux paste and reverse polarity i do it all the time thats how i put my rods and pistons together... wana see.
make a plan and stick to it !!

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Bad67
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#11 Post by Bad67 » Wed May 07, 2008 5:44 pm

i have been welding for 23 years now and i cant say that i have seen this done ever.steel is a ferrous metal which we all know ferrous means contains iron its magnetic,aluminum is non ferrous

pro70z28
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#12 Post by pro70z28 » Wed May 07, 2008 7:08 pm

sunsation540 wrote:magnesium flux paste and reverse polarity i do it all the time thats how i put my rods and pistons together... wana see.
yes......
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stroker1
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#13 Post by stroker1 » Thu May 08, 2008 7:22 am

I've seen people who pretended to weld steel and aluminum together. But actually, there was nothing holding the 2 parts together except the filler rod material. The 2 base metals where not fussed together. All that is doing is puddling filler rod to the steel, then puddling it to the aluminum. Then melting the filler together until it sticks. Very week!! :roll:

OK, I had to come back and edit this. I felt stupid after I thought about what I wrote. The company I work for makes electric motor components. We make carbon brushes, commutators, stators, assemblies for electric fan clutches, etc. We currently have a process developed to weld 2 little steel terminals to a copper ring. It is a compression welding machine. Under the right circumstances you can weld nonferrous metals to ferrous metals. But for all intent and purpose, you can't do much of a job of it.
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rustbucket
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#14 Post by rustbucket » Thu May 08, 2008 3:34 pm

i welded a coke bottle to a 2x4. it looked good and held up for years.
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#15 Post by drummondracing » Thu May 08, 2008 3:53 pm

rustbucket wrote:i welded a coke bottle to a 2x4. it looked good and held up for years.
Thats awsome I welded some rope to a shoe one time and man talk about professional looking.... 8-)
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