Its been reported that the Airstream skin is 2024-T3. A tough alloy to
bend and probably to weld.
Electronic's boxes like from LMB and Bud are often 3003 alloy which is
about as pure as aluminum can be bought. It bends nicely but is a real
pain to drill because its so soft. Its better to punch than to drill.
2024 is superb at drilling and hard to punch because its hard and it
gets harder with age. The pieces of 2024 that I have acquired over the
years as surplus will not bend in my box brake, they just snap off.
Gerald J.
Rob Super wrote:
>
> >I have been practicing and practicing on scraps of aluminum window frame
> >material.
>
> One of the few things I know about aluminum welding is that its
> "do-ability" varies hugely with the particular alloy. Virtually all
> commercially available aluminum ("Al")is actually an aluminum alloy: Al
> mixed with small percentages of copper, silicon, etc. Pure Al is simply
> too soft to be of much use. The alloying and tempering (another issue!)
> processes greatly affect the hardness, ductility, weldability, etc., of
> the finished "aluminum". Some alloys are quite weldable, others
> impossible. So, unless you know that you are practicing on the same alloy
> that you will ultimately weld, you may not learn much.
>
> Similarly, aluminum can be soldered (which was the technique originally
> raised in this thread) or brazed--but, again, only with certain alloys.
> In any case, success generally depends not only on having a weldable
> (solderable, brazable) alloy to work on, but also a clean and chemically
> shielded working surface: not just wire brushing but the appropriate
> specialized flux.
>
> Suggested web site (usual disclaimers): "tinmantech.com".
>
> Rob
