Topic: Aluminum welding pro.

[Don R]

 Forgive me if I posted this before, Steve Morris at Chris Razors welding shop. Chris tells his secrets. I've been there and was impressed.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1091139382314841

[grcamna2]

following

[simon#42]

should have an air fed helmet , working like that will kill him .

[calj737]

should have an air fed helmet , working like that will kill him .

After welding that way for 50 years, I think he’d be dead already if you were right.

[Don R]

 I just missed Jack Rousch when I went there, Chris had to run over to Ford Motor Co. to check on welding some transmission cases for them while we went to breakfast. The big oil pan that Steve stepped into is for a Caterpillar engine. There is a steady supply chain of them coming from the British Isles, I forget which country. It's easier for him to do the repair than for them to fix the process that makes them.
 The helium/argon mix is apparently difficult to get now that Russia isn't sharing helium anymore. He mentioned Ilmor racing engines also, he does some exotic metal welding for them from time to time.

[calj737]

Don - I’ve had no problems getting a pre-mixed bottle of Ar/He from my supplier for the past 5 years. What IS very difficult is straight, pure helium. I would not be surprised at all if Chris uses a mixer onsite to deliver the ratio he seeks or has a deal with AirGas to premix to his ratio. But 10%, 25% and 50% premix is pretty available for me. (I use 25%).

[Bailgang]

I watch Steve Morris vids all the time. What made me laugh is when he asked Chris if he raced and Chris replied "oh no, no no, I see what it does to other guys..,"

[Don R]

 I was told the ar/he mix would work on my mig stainless. I'm only tacking with that, then tig welding the rest. It's only a 304 stainless exhaust on one car.

[calj737]

Don - you don’t want to use He mix on stainless. It will be way too hot and provide zero benefit. For aluminum, it helps with breaking through the oxide layer especially, and for very thick material applications where the parent metal is a massive heat sink.

Straight argon is best.