Non Mech Join to Aluminum
in [Design]
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From: Kevin McMurtrie on 27 Apr 2010 02:02 In article <4bd4df8a.1905359(a)news.tpg.com.au>, kendunlop(a)optovex.com (Ken Dunlop) wrote: > What are the alternatives for applying an earth lead to a bare > aluminum chassis that do not require a mechanical fitting? > > Brand names of products would be appreciated, if possible. > > Ken Dunlop When I was a kid I managed such connections with the help of many 40V power supply capacitors. Sharpen the wire's tip, electrify both ends, close eyes, and jam the two together. On a more serious note, it's probably better to use a mechanical connection. There are many aluminum alloys and the ability to solder them varies from difficult to nearly impossible. Some alloys may appear to solder fine but later corrode or shatter. -- I won't see Google Groups replies because I must filter them as spam
From: Robert Baer on 27 Apr 2010 04:52 George Herold wrote: > On Apr 26, 3:55 am, Robert Baer <robertb...(a)localnet.com> wrote: >> Ken Dunlop wrote: >>> What are the alternatives for applying an earth lead to a bare >>> aluminum chassis that do not require a mechanical fitting? >>> Brand names of products would be appreciated, if possible. >>> Ken Dunlop >> One can solder - even using tin-lead, but it alloys like crazy and >> can leave a "dent" in the surface where the solder was employed. >> One can weld; spot weld or standard weld. > > Hi Robert, Have you actully used the aluminum solder and fluxes with > any success? I remeber years ago trying to get the 'aluminum solder > and flux' to wet to a piece of aluminum.. It was a complete failure. > > Is the aluminum alloy a issue? > > George H. Umpteen years ago (40?) i used some special aluminum solder and flux that worked very well and did not have the alloying problem that use of tin-lead has. That special solder had (hold your breath LITERALLY) cadmium in it. Use of ordinary tin-lead solder works better with some fluxes than others (do not ask as i do not remember); the trick is to break thru the oxide on the surface. Once that is done, the aluminum seems to soak up the solder like a sponge! Do not think the alloy has much to do with the process.
From: George Herold on 27 Apr 2010 09:08 On Apr 27, 4:52 am, Robert Baer <robertb...(a)localnet.com> wrote: > George Herold wrote: > > On Apr 26, 3:55 am, Robert Baer <robertb...(a)localnet.com> wrote: > >> Ken Dunlop wrote: > >>> What are the alternatives for applying an earth lead to a bare > >>> aluminum chassis that do not require a mechanical fitting? > >>> Brand names of products would be appreciated, if possible. > >>> Ken Dunlop > >> One can solder - even using tin-lead, but it alloys like crazy and > >> can leave a "dent" in the surface where the solder was employed. > >> One can weld; spot weld or standard weld. > > > Hi Robert, Have you actully used the aluminum solder and fluxes with > > any success? I remeber years ago trying to get the 'aluminum solder > > and flux' to wet to a piece of aluminum.. It was a complete failure. > > > Is the aluminum alloy a issue? > > > George H. > > Umpteen years ago (40?) i used some special aluminum solder and flux > that worked very well and did not have the alloying problem that use of > tin-lead has. > That special solder had (hold your breath LITERALLY) cadmium in it.. > Use of ordinary tin-lead solder works better with some fluxes than > others (do not ask as i do not remember); the trick is to break thru the > oxide on the surface. > Once that is done, the aluminum seems to soak up the solder like a > sponge! > Do not think the alloy has much to do with the process.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - Thanks Robert. I did a bit of googling after asking the question... (perhaps it's better to google first?) I did find some sites that said that the alloy type did matter... in particular 6000 series alloys were said to be very hard to solder. Since 6061 seems to very common I wonder if that was part of the problem. I'd done lots of soft soldering and hard soldering to SS, brass, copper... I had plenty of heat and cleaned everything well before starting... Sand paper and all. But no Cadmium! George H.
From: richard on 27 Apr 2010 10:18 Robert Baer wrote: > George Herold wrote: > >> On Apr 26, 3:55 am, Robert Baer <robertb...(a)localnet.com> wrote: >> >>> Ken Dunlop wrote: >>> >>>> What are the alternatives for applying an earth lead to a bare >>>> aluminum chassis that do not require a mechanical fitting? >>>> Brand names of products would be appreciated, if possible. >>>> Ken Dunlop >>> >>> One can solder - even using tin-lead, but it alloys like crazy and >>> can leave a "dent" in the surface where the solder was employed. >>> One can weld; spot weld or standard weld. >> >> >> Hi Robert, Have you actully used the aluminum solder and fluxes with >> any success? I remeber years ago trying to get the 'aluminum solder >> and flux' to wet to a piece of aluminum.. It was a complete failure. >> >> Is the aluminum alloy a issue? >> >> George H. > > Umpteen years ago (40?) i used some special aluminum solder and flux > that worked very well and did not have the alloying problem that use of > tin-lead has. > That special solder had (hold your breath LITERALLY) cadmium in it. I wondered about that - but would not be convinced unless you could provide evidence. At materials practicals (Nat Sci Part 1A 1968) we were given a cadmium wire. On stretching the wire one could see the crystal grains. The colour of the Alu-Sol seems similar, and when stretched the surface takes on a rough appearance also. Perhaps I will find a chemical test forthe presence of Cadmium. > Use of ordinary tin-lead solder works better with some fluxes than > others (do not ask as i do not remember); the trick is to break thru the > oxide on the surface. > Once that is done, the aluminum seems to soak up the solder like a > sponge! > Do not think the alloy has much to do with the process.
From: Robert Baer on 27 Apr 2010 14:48
George Herold wrote: > On Apr 27, 4:52 am, Robert Baer <robertb...(a)localnet.com> wrote: >> George Herold wrote: >>> On Apr 26, 3:55 am, Robert Baer <robertb...(a)localnet.com> wrote: >>>> Ken Dunlop wrote: >>>>> What are the alternatives for applying an earth lead to a bare >>>>> aluminum chassis that do not require a mechanical fitting? >>>>> Brand names of products would be appreciated, if possible. >>>>> Ken Dunlop >>>> One can solder - even using tin-lead, but it alloys like crazy and >>>> can leave a "dent" in the surface where the solder was employed. >>>> One can weld; spot weld or standard weld. >>> Hi Robert, Have you actully used the aluminum solder and fluxes with >>> any success? I remeber years ago trying to get the 'aluminum solder >>> and flux' to wet to a piece of aluminum.. It was a complete failure. >>> Is the aluminum alloy a issue? >>> George H. >> Umpteen years ago (40?) i used some special aluminum solder and flux >> that worked very well and did not have the alloying problem that use of >> tin-lead has. >> That special solder had (hold your breath LITERALLY) cadmium in it. >> Use of ordinary tin-lead solder works better with some fluxes than >> others (do not ask as i do not remember); the trick is to break thru the >> oxide on the surface. >> Once that is done, the aluminum seems to soak up the solder like a >> sponge! >> Do not think the alloy has much to do with the process.- Hide quoted text - >> >> - Show quoted text - > > Thanks Robert. I did a bit of googling after asking the question... > (perhaps it's better to google first?) I did find some sites that > said that the alloy type did matter... in particular 6000 series > alloys were said to be very hard to solder. Since 6061 seems to very > common I wonder if that was part of the problem. I'd done lots of > soft soldering and hard soldering to SS, brass, copper... I had plenty > of heat and cleaned everything well before starting... Sand paper and > all. But no Cadmium! > > George H. Warning Bill Robinson! Cadmium fumes are extremely toxic!!!!!!! Sandpaper can break the oxide, but..it re-forms rapidly and the chance of soldering is back to "normal" (miserable) by the time you get the iron on. The oxide film must be broken under the flux which keeps the oxygen away from the aluminum (that is the "secret"). |