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Hi everyone, any body tried welding this? I know it's classified as
non-weldable. It's for airplane airlons,it's the little flap an the wing.
Quote from Ed Craig's Aluminum facts.
"2XXX. Alu-Copper provide approx. 2 to 6% Cu with small amounts of other elements. The Cu increases strength and enables precipitation hardening. The 2XXX series is mainly used in the aerospace industry. Most of the 2XXX alloys have poor weldability due to their sensitivity to hot cracking. These alloys are generally welded with 4043 or 4145 series filler electrodes. These filler metals have low melting points which help reduce the probability of hot cracking. Exceptions to this are alloys 2014, 2219 and 2519, which are readily welded with 2319 filler wires. Hot cracking sensitivity in these Al-Cu alloys increases as copper is added up to 3% and decreases when the copper is above 4.5% Be wary of Alloy 2024 as it is crack sensitive."
I would give it a try, who knows it might work for ya.
Regards, George
Hobart Handler 210 w/DP3035 - Great 240V small Mig
Hobart Handler 140 - Great 120V Mig
Hobart Handler EZ125 - IMO the best 120V Flux Core only machine Miller Dynasty 200DX with cooler of my design, works for me
Miller Spectrum 375 - Nice Cutter
Oh boy, I see it comming now Owego N.Y. man sentenced to life at Ft.Lenoardwood doing hard hard time due to plane military plane crash.
If that part goes back on something that flys with people aboard, walk away and let them buy a new part.
Regards, George
Hobart Handler 210 w/DP3035 - Great 240V small Mig
Hobart Handler 140 - Great 120V Mig
Hobart Handler EZ125 - IMO the best 120V Flux Core only machine Miller Dynasty 200DX with cooler of my design, works for me
Miller Spectrum 375 - Nice Cutter
If that part goes back on something that flys with people aboard, walk away and let them buy a new part.
Continuous hinges like that are usually attached to the aircraft structure with rivets. There are no rivet holes in that piece so I'd hazard a guess that it's never been in service.
Even so, the load on that type of hinge typically results in very little shear in the flange - which is the stress that weld would have to resist. But, I can't imagine that any A&E mechanic who valued his ticket would sign off on a weld repair to a 2024 part.
But, I wonder if it's really 2024. Could be, but if I remember correctly from my former life, aluminum extrusions are more common in 2014 alloy than in 2024.
You're going to rivet that on anyway right? If you want a longer piano hinge, buy it....it's cheap. PLUS (in layman's terms) TIG welding will ruin the heat treatment and make it useless anyway. I've practiced on .020 2024 but it will break easy. There are certain things you can weld on an aircraft but that IS NOT one of them.
But, I wonder if it's really 2024. Could be, but if I remember correctly from my former life, aluminum extrusions are more common in 2014 alloy than in 2024.[/QUOTE]
I think those are 7000 series aluminum. Equally hard to weld but more trouble than is't worth. AC 41-13.A has the FAA approved welding and AWS D17.1 has some more welding codes for aerospace applications.
I've done quite a bit of 7000 series welding, and never found it harder to weld than any other alloy. I actually found it welded easier than some alloys and made a better looking weld-apperance than 6000 alloys. Mind you, I haven't welded 2XXX, I have olny welded 1,3,5,6, & 7XXX alloys. The old books about Aluminum state 2XXX as Copper alloyed and 7XXX as Zinc alloyed. In the past couple of years I've come across metallurgy notes that reffere to 7XXX as Copper alloyed as well as the 2XXX.
Now I have to go to school again to learn what I was taught before.
I came up with a way to remember Aluminum alloy numbers, (it works for me) :
Pure, copper, manganese, silicon, magniesium, mag/silicon, zinc, other alloying elements, and unused.
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