TIG WELDING PREPARATION - HOW I CLEAN ALUMINUM FOR WELDING

What's up friends, and welcome to this week's episode, TIG WELDING PREPARATION - HOW I CLEAN ALUMINUM FOR WELDING
🔥💎TAKE MY FREE ONLINE ALUMINUM TIG WELDING CLASSES and Check out all of my programs HERE👉 www.pacificarc...
*BE SURE TO COMMENT ON IDEAS FOR EPISODES!*
Ask 50 Tig Welding specialists how to Clean Aluminum For Welding, and you'll probably get 50 different answers... So here's MY way of Tig Welding Preparation, and please notice how I said "MY WAY." Do you do it differently? let me know in the comments below, I love learning more, and hearing how other people do it! This episode comes from a student of mine who was debating what to use and how to prep for a Tig Welding exersize we were doing, So if you've got Tig Welding related questions, drop em in the comments below. A specific question? Want to see a demo on a weld joint? Want to challenge me to a trick? Let me know! No promises I'll get to making an episode, but I just might!
**SAFETY EQUIPTMENT**
Eye protection, gloves (without holes) proper ventilation for cleaning chemical fumes, FIRE SAFETY with cleaning chemicals
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If you have any Tig Welding Art Project ideas, or any ideas for a How To Tig Weld Aluminum ideas,
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[@PacificArcTigWelding]

🔥💎TAKE MY FREE ONLINE ALUMINUM TIG WELDING CLASSES and Check out all of my programs HERE👉 www.pacificarctigwelding.com/

[@griptopia]

advanced welder and i learnt something (a few things)..! if you are near a cutting service some of them have laser cleaning service if its a big amount of prep. Massive time saver and consumable saver.. rest of the process here is still same after (air of caution always) I am massively grateful as you have helped me improve my fusion and dabbing technique. I o u...!

[@wizerd2089]

Thanks for the heads up about oxide inclusion from plasma cutting. 👍⚡

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Absolutely!:)

[@matthewjones7689]

Your video couldnt come at a more perfect time. Attempting some intercooler piping today. Thanks for all your videos. Keep em coming.🤙

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Matthew No way! Glad it could help! I’m sure you can find lots of people who have differing opinions, but this should get you covered pretty good:) Let me know how it goes!

[@jedhatcher252]

I've got a fucking aerospace test coming up. Haven't really tigged in 2 years cause a car t-crashed me and snapped my femur in half.... Nervous as hell. Can anyone please hook me up with outside corner joint and inside balance 🙏 Please.

[@cliffwill]

i've started using a plunger can for the acetone. i "borrowed" some cosmetic pads from my wife. one stroke on the plunger and let it sit for a second or two to have time to absorb the acetone. then just leave the pad on top of the plunger can so it's there for the next time you need to wipe down a rod. also works really well with paper towels.

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Yes💪 Those huffers are awesome. I don’t have one here unfortunately but they rock. So nice to just let the rag chill on top until I need it again🙏

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

And whatever these cosmetic pads you ‘borrowed’ are- I’ll be sneaking some from my wife as well😂

[@misaelflores6739]

Yea any advice on boat repairs

[@Dreadz530]

That was me :) i had got done with this guy who is a super good welder and is a straight geek on it. When he talks about welding it sounds like calculus. It supposedly really makes a difference when you get into the more exotic materials. But I had never considered that about brushing and then getting contamination later when you welded but made sense when it was actually pointed out

[@johnh2309]

Going well Dusty. Subscriptions doubled since I first started watching - awesome. Ever thought about showing difficult repairs like salt water corroded aluminium and aluminium castings etc. Well done mate.

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Hey john! I’ve had a few people ask for cast repair video, but will obviously have to wait for the opportunity to get my hands on some piece where a repair is needed! Good idea though! I hope you’re good my friend!

[@thebruise]

Hey, for the large areas I’d go with a portable belt sander, large choice of grit levels and weight of the machine is enough to remove the material and also no swirl scratches, just straight scratches to deal with, and I watched one of you vids yesterday as I’m just starting out on my tig journey and you mentioned doing a random act of kindness, so my mate will enjoy the specialist craft beer I just dropped off for him and left in his mailbox :) thanks again love your work, cheers Rich

[@randybobandy9828]

Check out the harbor freight surfacer. Way faster and more efficient at cleaning a large surface vs a belt sander.

[@DCweldingAndArt]

Nice job talking bout prep brother, in detail. That's what I was requesting to ya basically :) it takes up 60-80% of my artwork/ custom projects...layout, cutting, blending, cleaning, etc. Nature of the beast. Made a Father's Day artpiece last night and it took over 2 hours of prep alone. Prolly post this weekend(its a surprise for old man lol) Nice job my guy!

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Derrick thanks dude! You’re banging out some nice pieces now hey!? Good stuff man! A pleasure to watch you learn and grow! Cheers brother 🍻

[@lukedeatley9480]

You should make a video explaining how you got into welding your career choice and any advice for young people in the trade etc. that’d be a great video

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Hey Luke! That’s a great idea. I’ve got an episode on how to find welding work- but exploring career options is a great idea. Thanks for the suggestion 🙏 Thanks for reaching out!

[@lukedeatley9480]

Pacific Arc Tig Welding absolutely man love the content! I’m new to tig mainly stick weld pipe at work but learning to tig in the garage. Keep up the videos man. Also rode BMX my whole life love seeing the bike in the videos!

[@gregwilkins7649]

Keep up the great video's Dusty. And thanks for doing the boring reading research for us.

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Goddddddd this one so boring😂

[@wm.h.jacksonco1822]

I am not the most knowledgeable aluminum welder b/c I work in Brass 90% of the time and 9% Steel stock. Aluminum is rare for me but sometimes a job comes up that requires it. In saying that I have researched cleaning aluminum and there certainly lots of opinions. I use 1 x 2 x 1/8 wall in mill finish channel for our custom Curtain screens made to fit in a corner fireplace. So I have to miter it then weld it together but after the miter I ground bevel on the edges. The only minimal cleaning I have done was 2" Scotch Brite disc around the area butt it together and put my Miller in pulse mode and puddle the seam then grind flat and test it for durability and it went well. Thanks for the info.

[@GWAYGWAY1]

on old alluminium I use a vehicle cleaner called altrans, it is a phosphoric acid detergent mix, it destroys the surface oxides and cleans greases off with water . Then I will use scotchbrite then acetone. I always wondered WHY I got black smuts over the joints, then found it was old oxides floating on to the surface.

[@mannymayer9250]

Acetone in a spray bottle works well, as I don’t have to keep tipping the can and having spills.

[@aaronyoung8028]

Hi Dusty, great video! I run acetone and I have painted my 'auli only' S/S brush handles. Well done on pointing out the importance of cleaning your filler rod. Looking forward to your next vid. Cheers Aaron.

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Hey Aaron! Thank you! And it’s tough, keeping everything spotless in a dirty shop is a tough task😂 But sounds like you’re doing a good job💪 Cheers!

[@mrdddeeezzzweldor5039]

Good lesson on work cleaning. Created a new word (impermeated) but it means essentially not permeated (contaminants don't embed into the aluminum). Opposite of what was meant to be said. Vocabulary lesson is now done...

[@rachelbenzema7822]

cleaning filler rod and base material will get good result welding. sometimes i was lazy to clean filler rod and base material but i realize without cleaning or not.

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Haha I get lazy too sometimes... most of the time...😂

[@Turningwrenchs]

As a car builder and rebuilding a mods can be so dirty old parts .I spent money on pressure blasting set up .And then it also alot of meda to pick from AND yes after blasting it welds nice

[@TheRipeTomatoFarms]

How long do the wire brushes last for? 3-4 applications or years?

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Depends on the job. Some brushes you can keep clean and sharp for a long time, but as you brush joints more like inside corners, around pipe etc they wear out pretty quick 🔥🔥🔥

[@robertparnofiellorealestat6550]

Thank you, that was very informative. U R doing a great job.

[@fredlblack]

Stainless steel scourer works brilliantly. Kitchen stuff you can obtain easily

[@stephengrenenger7270]

for super oxidized aluminium i use a 40grit orbital sander then wipe it down with acetone then run a scotch brite pad on the orbital to smooth it out then again with the acetone

[@iseeyou7622]

Wow you have come along way since these episodes. Very nervous, all over the place but good content

[@Meaty_taco]

I use a stainless steel wire wheel for a die grinder. Works very well and much faster. I had a question for you bud. Regarding tungsten grinders. Do we have to dedicate one, for each application, for tungsten’s being used for mild steel/ stainless and aluminum or is it good to go to use the same grinding wheel on tungsten’s used for welding steel and aluminum? Thanks in advance.

[@darrellolsen1204]

Top video dusty, I haven't got into ally tig yet, can you get away with just thinners on stainless or would you recommend acetone for that as well 🤔. Always enjoy your video, keep up the top work my friend 👊

[@jimmyolive8185]

When will you make a video about cleaning an grinding stainless and titanium?

[@georgegriffiths2235]

Hi Dusty the staining from salt water staining is due to electrolysis.

[@warretw]

Lacquer thinner has acetone in it. That’s why they have similar cleaning properties.

[@williamherring5441]

How about a small toaster oven to bake out residual grease after the other preparation techniques discussed? Do you have any experience with the flap discs that are designed for aluminum and if they are worth it? v/r wh

[@aintright3889]

What grit Flap disc do you recommend?

[@precisionarc]

Concerning the wire brush theory of only going one direction, lets say you make one brush stroke, now there are small particle's on the surface from the brushing, why would brushing the same direction NOT embed them back into the surface but moving in the opposite direction would? The particles are not sweep away as if one was using a broom, as a test, wipe a weld joint clean with acetone (before any brushing is done), then make one brush stroke, then wipe again with acetone, I bet you'll see a lot of the black oxide on the cloth or paper towel.

[@6036000]

Brush the same direction a bunch. Do a couple back strokes then finish the same direction again.

[@kevin64-ul9fn]

i had so many nooks and crannies you couldnt get at in my project and the aluminum ladder i used was 50 yrs old and outside for that too, so i glass blasted it and it cleaned it like new. hope it still welds good?

[@graffie]

You should do some more practical showing. Show me a weld you make with dirty metal and one where you cleaned.

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

🙏🙏🙏

[@andregrz2743]

Thanks for the advices! Have you ever used glass fiber disc for the cleaning?

[@brandonkushida4702]

For best results try the cleaning process in reverse. Harsh grinding, sanding, brushing, 3m buffing, *denatured alcohol dampened cloth, then finish with acetone. Denatured alcohol is also called rubbing alcohol as is isopropyl alcohol. But denatured alcohol leaves less to no film and dries cleaner then isopropyl. Which is moot since you should finish with acetone anyway.

[@Eluderatnight]

Rubbing alcohol has glycol as a lubricant.

[@ghffrsfygdhfjkjiysdz]

Angle grinder is pretty rough for cleaning tasks. Instead use a buffer or a drum sander with a fiber wheel or drum. You want slow speed with high torque; basically opposite of angle grinder.

[@MWalsh_NY]

One thing I didn’t see mentioned was order of operations. Do you clean with acetone to get as much grease or whatever off first then wire brush/scotchbrite and then do I final wipe of acetone again to clean any left over dust that was shaved off? Or is that a little overkill?

[@henryfromme]

thats what ive always done

[@nickolausvoegel6360]

If I’m welding an aluminum project on my carbon fixture table will the table contaminate the aluminum? Should I purchase a thin sheet of aluminum to buffer between the two?

[@johnbladykas4885]

I know degreasing quarts (glass) we first use xylem wipe down, and then isopropyl alcohol wipe down to remove oils and then acetone wipe down

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Yes...! That’s super clean then!💪

[@adamkwiatkowski4107]

Great info. Thx

[@alanbrookhart3581]

What about a stainless steel wire wheel? Wouldn’t that work well for removing water stains and other heavy oxidation?

[@metalheartmachine]

Fuel alcohol is what you want if it is not permitted to use Acetone ( sanitary)

[@andresteinmaurer1171]

I don't weld aluminium, but interesting video although!

[@scottmorphy]

Would the same theory using scotch bright for brushing one way ?

[@joell439]

Great tips

[@AnotherCritic100]

I know this is an old video but Im wondering, what is your welding table top made of?

[@trailerpark187]

The filler isn't dirty from sitting around. It's drawing oil from the filler wire factory.

[@ggessex]

Any comment on non chlorinated brake cleaner?

[@mike94560]

I label my brushes Aluminum Only on the wood handle.

[@mrdddeeezzzweldor5039]

Acetone always for aluminum. 91% isopropyl alcohol for steel, because it's cheap and steel is not as difficult to weld as aluminum or acetone, especially for brazing.

[@Jeepster395]

What about laser cut?

[@garykhakhian4321]

Fantastic videos, what does it mean when the tungsten goes a blue colour ?

[@jeffj8981]

Usually from the tungsten getting exposed to atmosphere while it is still glowing hot. Either not enough post flow or sometimes lifting the cup too quickly while still in post flow.

[@paulkurilecz4209]

I would like to add that be sure to use acetone in a well ventilated area and be aware that it is flammable. I also recommend sanding the filler rods as well as they have an oxide coating on them.

[@veegee24]

Acetone is pretty benign and safe. Pro tip: _everything_ has an oxide layer on it at all times. As soon as you "clean" your filler rod, a new oxide layer forms on it in femtoseconds. That tiny bit of staining you wipe off is completely inconsequential to the quality of your weld... This is what happens when people don't learn basic chemistry.

[@paulkurilecz4209]

@@veegee24 Actually, acetone is not all that benign and safe. I suggest that you go read the MSDS. Some important aspects are that acetone has a -20F flash point and the TWA is set at 750 ppm. Exposure can affect the central nervous system. Yes you are correct that an oxide layer forms almost immediately on Aluminum as soon as it has been polished. The question is, how thick is that layer. Cleaning filler rods for TIG applications is important for other materials than just aluminum. As someone once said the devil is in the details.

[@bengkel.panggilan.24.malang]

👍

[@terrymott9282]

I am left handed what hand should I hold the torch in.

[@johnsykes706]

Water staining is the worst! Nobody wants to bin usable sheet but man, it makes life difficult!

[@jeffj8981]

Anyone have thoughts on denatured alcohol (ethanol)? Usually rubbing alcohol has water in it unless you can find the 99%. I've been using denatured for a while and it does a much better job cleaning and is far less offensive to the nose than acetone.

[@martinrubenstein7943]

Not alcohol of any kind, including the isopropyl rubbing alcohol Dusty mentioned. Dusty did say the alcohol tends to spread the grease rather than remove it; the reason is that alcohol does not dissolve oils. It will mix with water (and acetone, I believe) but not oils. (Hence you can dilute alcohol with water, but adding water to acetone and thinners, gasoline, petroleum oils… will just create 2 layers.). On the other hand, solvents like thinners and acetone will dissolve oils but will not dissolve water. So, I’m not sure that alcohol is of any use to a welder, except maybe after a hard day’s work and off the premises. You could find detailed explanations for the chemistry of organic solvents online if you’re really interested, but you’d probably end up down a ton of rabbit holes along the way. Good luck, good welding.

[@Propman203]

What your Canadian

[@martincontrereas6569]

Can you use break cleaner to clean aluminum?

[@washburnfabco]

Don’t use break cleaner to clean any metal it cause a toxic gas called phosgene when heated with an arc

[@jimheflin1446]

do you have a store?

[@Nellyboy1971]

In uk Can’t find acetone Would panel wipe work

[@JG-kv4oi]

Don't know what panel wipe is. Acetone is the same as nail polish remover. I use lacquer thinner myself.

[@jimheflin1446]

reagent acetone is better for titanium

[@WilliamDumoreGlobz]

It took 10 minutes to get to the actual point but great info

[@k20Fritz]

im more acetone and 99 isopropyl alcohol

[@qivarebil2149]

"More heavy duty"...;)

[@sledsports]

I usually drag my filler rod down a piece of scotch bright

[@metalheartmachine]

All petroleum products will leave an oil fiim.

[@billlayer5117]

Most of the stuff you’re seeing on your rag after cleaning aluminum is actually oxide.

[@JimBlair]

I love your video's Dusty, but it has taken 8 mins to repeat over an over that there are "contaminents"...you could cut out ⅔rds of that 8 mins and still have the same impact. I love your approach and techniques...i'm just trying to give you constructive criticism about shortening up the "here's what we're trying to address..."

[@joerozzano6491]

👍👍

[@jru9999]

Where’s the time stamps guy when you need him!?!

[@jamalali2730]

Tooking. Tooking and Tooking F. Your s. 🤫🥵

[@PacificArcTigWelding]

Don’t really get it but thanks for watching

[@vespagts7078]

You have really good information, but I wish you'd make your videos more concise. 29 minutes to get to 7 minutes worth of actual content is too much. Thanks.

[@jacobjames1171]

Did eyeball wash guy need to be drug tested?

[@jamesbarr7320]

God, I cant stand the repetitive "lift music" couldn't watch anymore after a few minutes. !!!!!!!

[@FatgirlMickey]

U spent way to long cut the video in half to to much talking.

[@louispretorius5596]

You talk to much

[@3Beehivesto300]

Ask for a like and subscribe after you have given good content. Right off the bat is a turn off.

[@jedhatcher252]

He does give good content.