Welding Tips and Tricks

Has anyone tried using aluminum heat sinks as chill blocks?

I have been pricing thick aluminum block and the price is much higher than aluminum heat sinks. Yes they would not be as good as solid blocks for corner jounts but they should be good for flat work.

A 5 inch length of this 8 inch wide heat sink delivered is about $30.

Check your local suppliers for drops and offcuts, usually can be had very cheap. I use scrap from jobs to make mine...

If you are using this to back up sheet metal then you can get a piece of extruded aluminum angle from your hardware store.

I think at that price the heat sink is a brilliant solution for heavier sections than you might imagine.

Scraps are easy and cheap, but at a certain thickness there are diminishing returns. The surface area of the heat sink will greatly improve heat loss over a solid block of the same mass.

Steve S