Harbor Freight "Alumiweld"

[davidwdyer]

Does anyone have any experience with Harbor Freight alumiweld? (I'm afraid to ask.)

Perhaps this has been discussed before, but you can just redirect me if necessary.

The enclosed instructions make no sense to me.



Are they saying that the "welding rod" is the same as the "above tool" and that the scraping and welding are done with the same rod?

It seems like you are supposed to clean the Al with something first and then scrape and weld with the same rod. Is this possible? Anyone done it or can explain??

The English seems good but the ability to communicate has got a ways to go.

Thanks in advance.

[davidh]

there are a bunch of utubes showing it in action. search on u-tube

[Black_Moons]

I have seen some vids on youtube, and thats basicly exactly what they do.. scrap away with the rod. Not sure if you would want to use anything else as it might contaminate the surface?

[EddyCurr]

Does anyone have any experience with Harbor Freight alumiweld?

Alumiweld is a US product, Harbor Freight is one of several distributors.
Eastwood carries it, too. There are similar products sold under other names
like Alumaweld, Durafix and HTS-2000.

Alumiweld's website

As noted on the packaging, Alumiweld is a brazing rod and relies on capiliary
action to bond parts to the parent metal. Different from a welding rod where
fusion occurs between the filler material and metals being joined.

Examples of some positive and negative remarks

Alumi-Weld test/review

Alumiweld Rod for wleding aluminum ??

.

[flylo]

I like the part about the asbestos paper.

[EddyCurr]

I didn't blink when I passed over that. For better or worse, I still have
some un/little used asbestos thermal paper in good condition. Its
purpose was to act as an insulating backstop for torch work on jobs
like soldering copper pipe in confined spaces.

.

[jason.weir]

I used some to repair a pot metal part - looked like die cast aluminum or zinc alloy - didn't expect much but it was either fix the part or scrap the unit - an old Hobart meat slicer - it worked as advertised - sliced 7 pigs worth of bacon with the thing - still going strong..

FYI - I got mine at the local tractor supply...

-J

[justanengineer]

I admit to having no experience with this particular product, but Im not sure I would even begin to believe their advertising. When the package states that "Before this amazing invention, Aluminum could not be Welded without using highly specialized and expensive equipment," it makes me wonder what their definition of "expensive equipment" is. To me, an old fashioned OA torch is rather cheap.

[PTSideshow]

James the guy that does the demo's and sells it @ NAMES and car, motorcycle and other shows. I have used the stuff for 20 years it is about all the same alloy.

The biggest thing he has told me is clean clean clean it has to be clean!
Use only a dedicated stainless steel wire brush. NO ferrous ones or ones that are used for anything else.

The best tool if you don't have any stainless TIG rod to make the tool is a stainless steel fork with one tine to do the curd(oxide) moving out of the way. As soon as you lay a torch to it the oxide start forming. I still use it when I don't feel like clearing a path to the TIG welder.

[davidwdyer]

Wow!!

I watched two or three videos and it is anywhere near that handy, I'm glad I bought some. Now to try it for real.