[toejam2889]

20150116_194323.jpg (34.63 KiB) Viewed 806 times

20150116_194323.jpg (34.63 KiB) Viewed 806 times

Kinda new to aluminum. Been playing around for six months now. Think I finally got the t joint down could you please critique.

[Oscar]

The consistency looks gold for only 6mo. But looks can be deceiving. Cut it up to look at the joint penetration and to look at the toe angle.

[toejam2889]

Okay will do. Thanks. I also have another question about filling a crack or a hole. I know your suppose to drill some kind of ventilation. But for what I was doing there was no way to drill. When I was just about to seal the crack my bead started to look like grey snot I couldn't add filler without it getting worse. What caused that to happen. No ventilation? Too much gas? The gas escaping in front of my weld puddle?

[gamble]

The grey ball/snot from what I have noticed is mostly gas related. Not enough gas coverage and I haven't figured out if it's also a combination of dirty metal too.

[toejam2889]

Ok that's good news sounds like an easy fix..... Maybe!!

[Bill Beauregard]

Any enclosed container will blow air out the last hole. Figure a way to allow the expanding air to escape. You can get a similar effect any time two flat surfaces lay together as in an edge, or lap joint. Hang back a bit with the arc. Instead of focusing on the leading edge of the puddle, stay back 1/16". On corner joints, use a backer. I have 1.5" copper square stock in a couple lengths, one corner is radiused to give the shape of a nice fillet inside. This traps shielding gas behind the weld.

[toejam2889]

20150214_154242.jpg (33.36 KiB) Viewed 722 times

This is what I was welding when it happened. It's a belt box on a mud motor. I didn't want to drill a hole because otherwise I would just have to fill it when I finished welding the crack and be in the same position with that grey snot haha.

[toejam2889]

20150214_154309.jpg (27 KiB) Viewed 722 times