You’ve probably read how aluminum needs to be really cleaned thoroughly before welding.
A lot of aluminum can be tig welded without doing a whole lot of cleaning it really depends on the application.
For general fabrication, often times a wipe with acetone or alcohol will do the trick if the metal is already pretty clean like a brand new sheet with a peel coat.
But not for a welding test. Or for other critical applications.
In this video, I welded 2 butt joints…
One cleaned…and one not cleaned.
Then I tested them using a simple down n dirty test that reveals porosity in around 30 seconds.
Aerospace tig welding tests almost always involve a fixture like the one shown in this video. Little details like how you place the chill bars can make a big difference.
Even though it would be rare to weld plain 304 stainless for aerospace, the tips still apply.
Typical test material for th...
This Video gives tips for TIG welding a 1G flat butt joint and how to watch the puddle sink to make sure you are getting penetration,
A tee joint fillet weld test in 11 ga thickness usually requires penetration into the root but not all the way thru the back side
