aluminum mold welding

[weldaway]

While the forum is a little slow, I figured it a good time to get a collection of people's procedures and compare.
I have been giving info and weld procedures to an aluminum supplier for repair of aluminum molds. Many people have variations on how to start and finish a repair, and some are more successful then others. I have noticed that procedures change based on location, type of machine being used, and Ofcourse capabilities.

What do you do?
What type of machine?

[weldaway]

Come on now, I know there are a few people that have even the slightest clue on mold repair.

[mikecwik]

I guess they are just shy? Or on another forum. I did some cracks and threading on a steel one once on my end of day cleanup time since a machine was down all day for it and the operator told me to go break it again since the machinist would be mad that I did it. What planet do i live on? The one that reelected Obama. It is starting to make sense now.

I really did not put much thought into it but I expect you are talking major fixes. Those molds darn sure cost enough though.

[vicegrip]

Weldaway, bet you feel a little like the Maytag Man.
Been there done that, posted some toolwelding pics several years ago.
Not my welding but top-shelf Toolwelding!

Days went buy, one time I opened my lonely thread and heard two crickets.
And one cricket went to sleep.......... or died.
The next day I opened my thread... silence! NO! Opon listening closer
.....somewhere off in the distance a Dog barked.

Now gimmy some bedframes, and a 115volt Chinese welder and I'll spin ya a thread.
NO ... Oh .. Oh .. Oh chopsaws, yeah Chopsaws, now theres a hot topic.
Or can I cut up an 8inch I-beam with my Grizzlybear saw?

Crimminy I bet folks think all there appliances and gagets are all made by R2D2
or grown from magic crytals. I think all toolwelders should go on a huge junket!
For a year. On a remote Island, with refreshments and such.

We can watch the news on the sattalite hookup. And watch industry slow, and slow
and eventually stop.

CheeriO' and AngleIron for ALL!
G'nite

Phil

[weldaway]

Crickets and chopsaws in the background, excellent.

[weldaway]

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One of today's repairs. Vertical wall, feature had an engineering change adding .0625. The material is 7075, and I used a dynasty 350 in d.c. with straight helium.

[vicegrip]

Wow 7075! Never had the occaision to try welding that stuff!
Cool job of it too !!!

What me ta "bench it out" for ya.... or ya gonna Re-Cut it.

Phil

[weldaway]

You can bench away my friend, but have you ever benched 7075?

[weldaway]

Bench away my friend, have at it.

[vicegrip]

Benching, removing metal using human force instead of mechanical force
needs to be done using both brain-halves.

The left brain which is used by "letting go" will allow you to acheive shape and form.
Especially with an alloy like 7075 your right brain used with assertion,
must decide in an istant, what tool is working well (or not) and further
if more or less force / speed / contact pressure is required..........
..............before you make a mess of the workpeice.

For me learning to weld alluminum "at all" only finaly happened
with lots and lots of opportunity at frequent enuff intervals,
for the mind to build-up it's data-bank on the topic.

Benching was installed in this creature before birth, it just happens.
For others the it will only come about from toil and effort.
Phil

PS;
7075 can be machined dry, I don't recomend doing any dry benching
on it, untill you get more experience, and even then rarely.