Full Answer
Why is magnesium used in TIG welding?
Because of its rapid oxidation when magnesium is heated to its melting point, an inert gas (argon or helium) is used to shield metal when TIG welding Magnesium. This process requires no flux and permits high welding speeds, with sound welds of high strength.
How do you clean magnesium welding?
Cleaning with a wire brush is very important to do often with welding with magnesium. Welding magnesium is a dirty welding process. It creates a lot of soot due to the zinc that is in the alloy and makes it very difficult to lay down one bead immediately after one another due to the reduced surface contact.
Is welding aluminum similar to welding magnesium?
Although welding aluminumis very similar to welding magnesium, it is different enough to warrant some small adjustments to your equipment. You won’t have to completely redo the setup differently from welding from aluminum, but different enough to change some settings.
How to weld magnesium castings?
Preparing to Weld Magnesium The first step in welding magnesium casting is to make sure that the metal you are working with is magnesium. Since other metals have the tendency to create oxide layers on their surface, it can be a little difficult to identify what metal you are working with.
How to weld magnesium?
Preparing to Weld Magnesium. The first step in welding magnesium casting is to make sure that the metal you are working with is magnesium. Since other metals have the tendency to create oxide layers on their surface, it can be a little difficult to identify what metal you are working with.
What is magnesium used for?
Welding magnesium is generally to repair machine parts and castings. It is a high strength metal with a low weight, making it an ideal metal for aerospace use.
Why is magnesium puddle important?
Making sure that the magnesium puddles appropriately during welding is highly important to ensure a good weld. If you do not have a good puddle from the wire filler, often what will happen is that your finished weld will look clean and well done, but underneath the surface, it will be filled with holes that reduce the integrity of your weld.
What is the American Welding Society Handbook?
The American Welding Society handbook is chock-full of the information you need to complete a weld of any kind, and any kind of metal. Being as how the human mind is often forgetful and human error even has a formula, then it is a great reference for any welder to have on hand.
When was tig welding invented?
This is because tig welding was invented to weld on magnesium and aluminum by Northrop Aircraft Corporation in the 1940’s. All other techniques at that time were unable to efficiently and proficiently work on magnesium or aluminum. Welding on magnesium is very similar to welding on aluminum.
What metal is poured on with vinegar?
If you have poured the vinegar on to the metal, and you have no reaction, then the metal you have is, in fact, aluminum, and you will need to make adjustments by either finding different metal or using a different welding technique. Knowing what metal you are working on is key to having a successful weld.
How to tell what alloy you are working with?
The best way to identify what type of alloy you are working with is to get in touch with the manufacturer. The manufacturer should have all the information that you require to begin collecting the required equipment for a proper weld. Unfortunately, if you cannot contact the manufacturer or even the original foundry then you will have to experiment on the piece unless you hopefully have some scrap to experiment on.
