Aluminum HELP!

Well I have been working on this project for the past day or so. For my dad's 40 Plymouth I decided to custom make him a center console out of aluminum.. all hand bent and cut.. looks really nice mocked up.

Now I have a dilemma, I don't have a tig welder only a small mig with no gas, the local shop wants almost 100+ to weld this thing and I am running out of solutions. Is there another quick, cheap and easy way to join the seams and i can grind it and smooth it?. Right now I just have it all clamped up I would take a pic but someone in my house ran off with my digital camera battery charger.

Argh, the car is getting appraised tomorrow I was going to have it in the car for him..

Any ideas is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

jb weld

But you have to design the joints to work properly with it...lap joints would work best.

 

Just to get in the car, put a few pop rivets in it. Then go back and weld it when you have time/money. Welcome to the Aluminum dilemma! Check around with various welders in your area. Someone will do it cheaper than that I would think. I've had guys MIG aluminum cheap (because he was set-up for it) for me. Weren't as nice as TIG welds, but if they're not seen who care, right? Start with pop rivets just to get it in there. Wrap something around it so you can't see the seems and it will look semi-finished or even finished to the appraiser.

 

Gas welding is a viable option and in fact there was a semi-famous LA guy building aluminum gas tanks and he preferred the softer weld gas torches would lay on aluminum.

Check with your welding shop and invest in a couple of metal working books.

You may be able to find some gas welding info in aircraft construction books in your library.
As well as, search for Experimental or Home-Built aircraft construction articles on the Internet.

 

In airplane construction they use solid rivets, countersunk and others. Expensive to buy the tools, but maybe you know someone who has them and will let you borrow them.

I don't think you're going to find a super cheap method for pulling this off man. Just letting your welding shop do this might be your best bet unless you just go with pop rivets, but they sort of look like crap.

 

Just a thought...maybe try taking it to a trade school or high school shop class...sometimes they take in outside projects.

 

thanks for the suggestions guys i appreciate it.. we don't weld alot i mean just steel/sheet metal usually so going out and investing in aluminum supplies is not a option right now.

Dad really wants to just bring it to the guy so he can weld it.. so I think i'm just gonna let him do that it is probably the best like others have said.

Depending how the aluminum turned out i was gonna leave it and polish it but not sure yet.. I will have pictures eventually.

Thanks again

 

Ditto on gas welding aluminum. Kent White ( Tin Man) sells the proper flux, and glasses for aluminum, as well as videos and instructions on doing it, on his website. Worth looking into!

 

how big is this part? how long are the welds? whats the thickness?
any pictures?

zach

 

i will have pictures asap.. it's 5 1/2" wide and the length.. i don't know really lol.. i'm gonna take it over to be welded today and try and get some pics later on..