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Post by scooter on Aug 19, 2015 22:34:47 GMT -5
I need some welding done. I am trying to get a bike in working order that is not hot on looks, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on it.  I can - Buy a new crankcase. I don't want to take it apart, let alone buy a new one.
- Buy an expensive Aluminum welder. I can use that for other stuff.
- Take the bike somewhere to be welded. Huge .
- Put it back together and tell the next owner they can take their chances or get it fixed.
- Use Alumaloy! Too good to be true?
6. Last edit: Use my mig welder with Argon and aluminum wire. Done.  Anyone ever tried it? |
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Post by beenriding on Aug 19, 2015 23:41:09 GMT -5
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Post by JoeyBee on Aug 20, 2015 0:35:20 GMT -5
That alumaloy looks like a really useful product and easy to use. I'm thinking about getting some for myself.
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Post by pmatulew on Aug 20, 2015 6:55:16 GMT -5
I've never tried it, but it looks like it might work. You'll still need to pull the case out of the machine and put in on the bench to repair it. I don't think you'll be able to do it in place. Gotta be careful with the heat.
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Post by rockynv on Aug 20, 2015 23:50:48 GMT -5
You need to get it to 700 degrees after laying it on fire brick and putting a dam around the area so you can fill it with the Alumaloy so you will still need to disassemble the case in order to repair it with Alumaloy.
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Post by JR on Aug 21, 2015 7:33:10 GMT -5
As a certified welder in all metals I can see only one way that you could weld it without pulling it apart and even then it would be touchy.
I would remove the tire, get the scooter up in a position where you could comfortably work on it and the first thing of course is to clean it perfectly with a good high speed wire brush. Then I would find a correct size to fit the hole steel or even stainless steel bolt along with two oversized flat washers and bolt it on the broken ear of the case.
Then with a AC heliarc welder I would make a simple pass filling in very small amounts of aluminum at a pass. In fact I would wrap a wet rag around the case as close to the bolt as I could. I would let it cool after each pass. When it's filled remove the bolt and polish it up with a grinder.
If it fried the gasket then of course you'd have to fix it but the repair would still be good. It's chancy but might work.
JR
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Post by cyborg on Aug 22, 2015 9:48:00 GMT -5
It can be done,,, if it was my call I'd replace the case,,, or send it on it's way,,, pointing out the problem to the mew owner
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Post by scooter on Aug 22, 2015 10:44:19 GMT -5
As a certified welder in all metals I can see only one way that you could weld it without pulling it apart and even then it would be touchy. I would remove the tire, get the scooter up in a position where you could comfortably work on it and the first thing of course is to clean it perfectly with a good high speed wire brush. Then I would find a correct size to fit the hole steel or even stainless steel bolt along with two oversized flat washers and bolt it on the broken ear of the case. Then with a AC heliarc welder I would a simple pass filling in very small amounts of aluminum at a pass. In fact I would wrap a wet rag around the case as close to the bolt as I could. I would let it cool after each pass. When it's filled remove the bolt and polish it up with a grinder. If it fried the gasket then of course you'd have to fix it but the repair would still be good. It's chancy but might work. JR Thanks. That makes the most sense. There's plenty of room with the wheel out of the way, and using wet rags will soak off a lot of heat, hopefully protecting the gasket. I have someone lined up with a spool gun. Can that be used the same way? I don't think I have ever used an aluminum spool gun, so I don't know how well it welds. I assume it comes out similar to a MIG gun weld on steel. I'm hoping there won't be a lot of impurities in the casting. In the mean time I am still looking at TIG machines. They are pricey for someone who might only use them a few times a year, but maybe I will get welding jobs with it and make up the cost. |
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Post by JR on Aug 22, 2015 10:52:41 GMT -5
Yes a wire spool gun set up on high a frequency AC welder will do it, again it's got to be super clean. Generally one needs to clean it again with a spool gun after each pass.
Tig will not work for aluminum, that form of welding is for stainless steel and other iron/carbon metals. Tig is not hot enough where high frequency AC heliarc or even the spool gun you mentioned is if it is set up on high frequency AC is. While aluminum is soft it's melting point to be properly welded is very high.
Also the alumaoy will work but you'll fry the gasket doing so.
JR
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Post by scooter on Aug 22, 2015 10:53:02 GMT -5
I don't want to take a big hit on the sales price, over a serious issue, if I can help it. It's ugly but it's fast and otherwise roadworthy, as far as I know. I've already overcome two major issues, including that electrical nightmare I posted about in December or thereabouts. I may as well try to get the most money I can out of it for all of my grey hairs.  Plus I don't want it to "beat" me. I want to win the "I fixed it and made it work good" prize. |
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Post by scooter on Aug 22, 2015 11:01:09 GMT -5
Yes a wire spool gun set up on high a frequency AC welder will do it, again it's got to be super clean. Generally one needs to clean it again with a spool gun after each pass. Tig will not work for aluminum, that form of welding is for stainless steel and other iron/carbon metals. Tig is not hot enough where high frequency AC heliarc or even the spool gun you mentioned is if it is set up on high frequency AC is. While aluminum is soft it's melting point to be properly welded is very high. Also the alumaoy will work but you'll fry the gasket doing so. JR That's good news about the spool gun. I call a heliarc a TIG, sorry for any confusion. That's the thing I'm having trouble with when shopping for a machine. Some of them are TIGs that do aluminum and some don't, I assume because of the gasses they can hook up to, or the waveform, or the current, or AC vs DC, square wave, high frequency start, etc? (I've done a good bit of steel and stainless welding, and aluminum a few times as well. I also had machines someone else bought and I could ask how to set up the machine if needed. I feel confident that I can do the work, but I need to find a machine that fits my shop setup and price range. Which is cheap. Not ridiculously cheap, but I doubt I'll be buying a new commercial sized Lincoln or Miller machine any time soon. Plus I need something that can run on about a 240 30 amp breaker, I think. Not sure what the maximum breaker I can install would be.) |
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Post by scooter on Aug 22, 2015 11:43:50 GMT -5
Give me some tips on buying a welder, guys. I am finding nothing inexpensive on craigslist. This one looks nice. Runs on 110 or 220 about $1,000 www.homedepot.com/p/Longevity-Tigweld-200SX-200-Amp-TIG-Welder-with-Dual-Voltage-Technology-444510/205219199This one is half the price but looks like it needs a spool gun to do aluminum. www.homedepot.com/p/Lincoln-Electric-Weld-Pak-140-HD-Wire-Feed-Welder-K2514-1/100670934$640, comes with foot pedal www.homedepot.com/p/Lotos-200-Amp-AC-DC-TIG-Welder-with-Foot-Pedal-TIG200/205864802$400, says it does aluminum www.homedepot.com/p/Everlast-PowerArc-200ST-Stick-TIG-welder-PowerArc-200ST/204629247I like this one. $450 and is also a plasma cutter and stick welding machine. That sounds like it may be a good deal. www.homedepot.com/p/Lotos-50-Amp-Plasma-Cutter-with-200-Amp-TIG-Welder-and-200-Amp-Stick-Welder-Combo-CT520D/205450327Comes with a torch, regulator, tips and nozzles, a plasma cutting torch, a stick welding lead, a ground cable, and it's finger operated instead of foot pedal. I haven't tried that but maybe it's great.  |
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Post by JR on Aug 22, 2015 13:18:07 GMT -5
Personally I'd get the top one and set it up on 220v. Anything that runs on 110v is generally for very light thin material. My  JR |
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Post by rockynv on Aug 25, 2015 4:23:08 GMT -5
For $1,000 I would consider a renting a welder or hiring the work out unless I really had need for that costly a welder. You could simply buy a few new motors for that money or even a new bike.
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Post by scooter on Aug 25, 2015 15:54:10 GMT -5
For $1,000 I would consider a renting a welder or hiring the work out unless I really had need for that costly a welder. You could simply buy a few new motors for that money or even a new bike. I'm putting together tools for a scooter shop. From what I can tell, if you offer aluminum welding services here, people will be calling you with work. I like that welder for $450, then add on for a cart and a tank of gas, and it's a bit more. Home Depot offers a three year protection plan for an additional $100. Some of the reviews on it were great, and some bad, so the warranty is probably a good idea. Anyway, someone is supposed to be welding the case soon, so I don't have to deal with the welder issue right now. Of course I still want the welder, but my "gut" isn't feeling it either way, so I'll wait and see what happens. |
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