Thanks, Brian. Good info.
Boy, I sure wouldn't use a gas torch on aluminum. Have you had any good
results with this? I have TIG welded some cracks in my shroud with very
good results and even filled some corroded areas in with TIG and then ground
them down flush with good results. This was probably at least 10 years ago
and I've had no cracking in or around the welds.
Frank
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Burke" <wharf-st@shaw.ca>
To: <fmags@cox.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2005 1:38 PM
Subject: Re: what grade aluminum
> I do not know if I would use a 6 series aluminum as it will tend to work
> harden more and have a greater chance of possibly splitting on tight
> formed angles. Anything from 3-5 series in my opinion would be a better
> choice for a panel and I personally would lean towards the 3 series. If
> you are going to use a tig machine then the welds should be annealed to
> avoid cracking as the tig does leave a brittle zone in its weld. A gas
> torch would be a better choice, but tends to be over looked these days as
> the tig is easier to use for most people.
> It is up to you, but from my experience that is what I would do.
>
> Brian
>
>
> On 5-Nov-05, at 9:16 AM, fmags@cox.net wrote:
>>
>> Gary, I am in a similar situation although I have not done the repairs
>> yet.
>> I checked with some engineering friends of mine in the aircraft business
>> for
>> a modern weldable alloy and also asked Roger Menadue many years ago. He
>> was
>> Austin-Healey's Chief Engineer.
>>
>> The advice I got was to use 0.063 inch thick 6061-T6 alloy for the
>> shrouds.
>> I remember that I mic'd it and that's the closest sheet thickness that it
>> came out to.
>>
>> TIG welding would work best on it. I had some tears in my rear shroud
>> and
>> had it TIG welded and it came out beautifully.
>>
>> Hope this helps,
>>
>> Frank Magnusson
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