Aluminum.... welded to Steel..... no..... not really

[Fexal]

But I did mount a name plate for a co-worker that I TIG welded from steel to an Aluminum base......

I drilled both pieces, countersunk each..... then..... welded over the steel side to hide the screw...... and welded the nut on the Aluminum side (in hindsight...... I should have left that part alone so I could tighten the nut afterwards......)

Here are some pics of the steel and aluminum mount.....

The Steel side....

The Aluminum Side.....

The filled in Steel side before grinding....

The welded nut on the Aluminum side......

The final result of the two together....

 

[djjsr]

These wheels have a steel rim welded to an aluminum center. How do they do that?

 

[metaleltr]

Press fit?
The only way i know to weld steel to aluminum is with large sheets to explosion weld it.
Steel has small studs welded to it giving a gap between the two sheets, aluminum place on top, wood frame constructed along edge, then in an underground cave the frame is filled with ammonium nitrate fuel oil, the explosive is detonated, the force of the explosein welds the two sheets together.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Fexal, I see what you did there.

 

[rsanter]

In 1969 the shelbys had wheels that had cast aluminum centers welded to a steel outer rim. I'm sure they were press fit but that was not enough as they failed and were recalled. They now repo that wheel and they are welded together as well as the famous craiger wheels.
They do in fact weld these and I have seen the welds and they appear to bite nicely into both metals. You have to have the settings just right to get a weld that will meld both materials

Bob

 

[OxJaw]

From ESAB website:

Click the link for the rest of the article.
http://www.esabna.com/us/en/education/knowledge/qa/Can-I-Weld-Aluminum-to-Steel.cfm

Can I Weld Aluminum to Steel?
Print Print
Q – Can I weld aluminum to steel with the GMAW or GTAW welding process?

A – While aluminum can be joined to most other metals relatively easily by adhesive bonding or mechanical fastening, special techniques are required if it is to be arc welded to other metals such as steel. Very brittle intermetallic compounds are formed when metals such as steel, copper, magnesium or titanium are directly arc welded to aluminum. To avoid these brittle compounds, some special techniques have been developed to isolate the other metal from the molten aluminum during the arc welding process. The two most common methods of facilitating arc welding of aluminum to steel are bimetallic transition inserts and coating the dissimilar material prior to welding.

 

[Fexal]

From there I made a name plate for a co--worker. She spelled it for me: NITO.... a nick name or something...

Some pics of the final result:

I painted the top black to contrast against the aluminum....

 

[t100]

CMT: Cold Metal Transfer welding.

 

[Alchymist]

Press fit?
The only way i know to weld steel to aluminum is with large sheets to explosion weld it.
Steel has small studs welded to it giving a gap between the two sheets, aluminum place on top, wood frame constructed along edge, then in an underground cave the frame is filled with ammonium nitrate fuel oil, the explosive is detonated, the force of the explosein welds the two sheets together.

http://www.highenergymetals.com/

 

[metaleltr]

http://www.highenergymetals.com/

That's what i'm talking about.

 

[jetmech09]

Hmmm. What about friction welding? I personally don't know too much about it, but from what I understand about the process, aluminum and steel should be fine.

 

[Fexal]

For the home hobbyist / enthusiast, I don't think there is a cost effective way to weld dissimilar metals like Aluminum and Steel........ and the need for it is probably very low......

I do like the look of the two metals in the same piece of work...... and the customer has no idea or concept of the challenge it presents, or the pleasure it brings me to make it appear as a casual thing......

 

[Alchymist]

Mokume gane ......

 

[Fexal]

Interesting........

Thanks Wikipedia........

 

[ryoung]

CMT: Cold Metal Transfer welding.

This, we have Fronius equipment at work and can indeed say it is possible. Not ideal by any means but it is absolutely achievable. The end joint becomes more of a braze as the base steel is not melted while the aluminum is. It's a cool process to use.

 

[hunter1151]

I think I remember the old man who taught me to weld saying you could gas weld steel to aluminum if you heavy cad plate the steel. The application he refered to was putting a steel threaded bung into a fuel tank on an airplane. The bung was heavily cad plated and they would gas weld it to the aluminum tanks.............