Aluminum is a popular metal because of its light, silvery color and the fact that it is light weight and resists corrosion– a factor which makes it very popular in marine fabrication applications. In fact, Arc-Zone.com® has several yacht tower and wake board manufacturers that we work with on a regular basis.

Welding aluminum can be challenging even for a master fabricator, check out the newest publication from the American Welding Society (AWS), Welding Aluminum – Questions and Answers a practical guide for troubleshooting aluminum welding problems. Read the press release from the AWS, or go to www.aws.org/catalogs to order your Aluminum Welding Guide (only $93 for members of the American Welding Society).

Other resources for welding aluminum:

Lincoln Electric’s Guide to Aluminum Welding

Aluminum Welding– Using Oxy-Fuel Welding on Aircraft Aluminum Sheet from Experimenter Magazine

Alcotec’s Knowledge Center (Alcotec is an aluminum welding wire producer)

Two Tips from Joe Welder for welding aluminum:

–Clean your base metal (you may want to try the EZ Wipes, cleaning wipes or check out the TIG Weld Prep Kit in the Tools and Accessories section of Arc-Zone.com); and

–Use ArcTime™ Hybrid All Purpose Tungsten