Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Evening Everyone.

I was wondering is welding aluminum is easy to weld? Not big areas but about 1.5 mm in thickness and its not all the way around. Its just to join 2 ends together.

Im working with window frames. One for the outside and one for inside where I,ll join the plexi in between. Its for my front windows of the tear.

Classic Finn

Heikki,

I never tried it, but it is my understanding that welding AL is difficult to do.

I am sure that you have proffessional welders there that could do it for you.

HI heikki,
I've welded aluminium with a mig welder. You need aluminium wire, and argon gas instead of carbon dioxide.

My only consern would be the heat from the weld melting the prespex window

Dave

toypusher wrote:Heikki,

I never tried it, but it is my understanding that welding AL is difficult to do.

I am sure that you have proffessional welders there that could do it for you.

Yes indeed we do. Its flat aluminum as well so not much really.

jackdaw wrote:HI heikki,
I've welded aluminium with a mig welder. You need aluminium wire, and argon gas instead of carbon dioxide.

My only consern would be the heat from the weld melting the prespex window

Dave

Hi Dave the windows that I have yes are from (plexi) or equivalent. They would be added later. Screwed in place and with silicone. So they would not be affected at all.

Im trying with right angle aluminum as well as flat. Testing to see how this could be done with homemade aluminm frames.

Heikki,
What part needs to be welded ?

jackdaw wrote:Heikki,
What part needs to be welded ?

Ok here is one way that I tried while back on a window idea. This same idea would be used except no welding required on the frames. It would of course be the same profile as what I have now. And definitely not that many screws.





But the other is using the aluminum angle shaped to the window profile and then just the ends meeting each other would be joined together by welding so no seam is there.

Classic Finn

Id have a flat stock aluminum frame as this one here but the same shape as my own.
Inotherwards it would be 2 of the inside window trim - One outside and the other inside with the persplex in between. So instead of just butting it on the ends with screws it would be welded.



Classic Finn

This is what Im playing with. This aluminum bending jig if I remember correctly is owned and done by TonyJ

Im playing around with this idea at the moment of bending it as this photo but again to the shape of the profile wndows and setting it in the window but needs to be welded on the ends to have one piece.



I think Ive found a simple and nice looking window frame and home made. Using T Moulding to make it.

I think that TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas - AKA HeliArc) is the only way to go on pieces of aluminum that small and thin. I guess if someone has the right wire welding outfit and the proper skills it could be done, but you still have some extra metal to grind off.

In any event it requires some pretty high end equipment. You're going to have to find someone that has it.

Eric

I would use a TIG for amything that thin. You would need an AC or AC-DC set too not one of those DC inverters so not cheap.

To be honest if you are only looking at a few tacks here and there it shouldn't be too difficult to find someone local who would do it for you. I bet a local fabrication shop wouldn't ask more than a donation in the tea kitty.

Since you don't need strength for structural reasons why does you just solder it with rods especially made for aluminum. Only need a propane torch and some practice.

It is a bit thin, but the alloy is also important. You can weld 6061, or 5052, which are both commonly available. -- maybe some 3000 series as weel, but I know those two for sure.