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Tig welding

Can anyone tell me if I can Tig weld aluminum after it has been anodized in a gold color?

Kevin McGregor
- Hagersville, Ontario, Canada

Yes, it is possible to weld anodized aluminum. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the fumes will be VERY poisonous, even deadly so proper precautions need to be taken!

Sam Jimenez
- Phoenix, Arizona, USA

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Deadly?! Do you have any MSDS or OSHA statement, or anything else supporting this? Considering how easy it is to burn aluminum foil on a barbecue grill, melt and burn aluminum cans in a campfire, and destroy an aluminum pot by accidentally boiling it dry, I would think that MOST people at one time or another have been exposed to aluminum fumes and am very surprised to hear a claim that it's deadly.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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Welding anodized al may be poisonous but not the al. To weld the anodized al it would work best with TIG welding with a pulse feature. Pulsing is the adjustable rate the current switches back forth - to + . A experienced TIG welder with that feature on his machine will be able to float the anodization to the top of the weld and not let it contaminate the weld.

Joseph Kittok
- FT Stewart, Georgia, USA

A square wave will not float the anodizing. You can weld it but the finish will be the base metal.

Mark Brenner
- Tempe, Arizona, USA