4 Attachment(s)
Welding Mounting Studs onto Aluminum, Waterjet-cut Emblems (jakeru's #1)
I welded some aluminum mounting studs onto some waterjet cut aluminum plate. Did two of these.
Attachment 3187
The waterjet-cut plate was 1/4" thick 6061-T6. Shown prior to welding the studs on:
Attachment 3186
The studs were 1/4-20 size, 5000 series aluminum; a good selection for high as-welded strength. The studs had a shoulder that I basically melted into the thick plate material autogenously (no filler rod added.) A shouldered weld-on stud, before and after welding:
Attachment 3185
Settings: for maximum penetration, I went with an Ar/He mix (2.5 cfh He, 12.5 cfh Ar), and I used the torch switch to trigger a very brief, "all or nothing" 200 amps, along with the minimum cleaning (20% EP) AC Balance setting on my Super200P. I used a 1/16" tungsten with truncated point (sharp with flat.)
I performed the welding in two passes:
#1 - stuck the sharpened tungsten down very far in the fillet between the stud shoulder and flat plate - almost touching. Although often the puddle would melt onto the tungsten, it would ensure the two materials would successfully flow together (making a weak tack weld of sorts.)
#2 - after cleaning off the aluminum contamination from the tip of the tungsten, I made a second pass around the welded area, holding the tungsten a bit further back this time, so the puddle did not touch it. I flashed the arc for a bit longer, making the puddle melt wider and most importantly, deeper, for increased penetration and added strength.
Attachment 3184
It's a pretty small, delicate part to weld onto a comparatively thick plate, but I would say this technique did the trick.
Oh almost forgot, I used a welder's finger (Aka "third hand") to quickly hold the studs in position for the initial tack welds, and also for grounding. They are really useful for holding small aluminum pieces like these for tack welding.
