Aluminum welding?

[Moooools]

Hi
I have gotten to the stage where I have to get the new engine mounts welded on. I have made the mounts, but have no access to a TIG Welder.
Can someone suggest a good place or person to get this done?
Cheers
Max

Some pics of progress.
TZR frame, CB125 TD-C Engine.

[hmurphy]

Wow that's looking tidy!! Cool! Looks like a nice easy frame to work with. I miiiiight know someone, I will keep in touch if they say yes haha.

[speedpro]

Hi
I have gotten to the stage where I have to get the new engine mounts welded on. I have made the mounts, but have no access to a TIG Welder.
Can someone suggest a good place or person to get this done?
Cheers
Max

Some pics of progress.
TZR frame, CB125 TD-C Engine.


DG Engineering, not sure if he would be interested in this little job but he knows what he's doing and his welding could go in any text book.

[Moooools]

Wow that's looking tidy!! Cool! Looks like a nice easy frame to work with. I miiiiight know someone, I will keep in touch if they say yes haha.

Yeah I am getting pretty happy with it. And it is nice to work on. The engine fits in with a little bit of grinding of the fins. :D Hoping to buy the pipes of a CRF250 from trademe today and put those popping up behind the pegs. There is also an rs125 fairing on the way that will be modified until it fits. I am going for the whole F4 race bike look with this.

And yeah that would be great if you could let me know.

[quallman1234]

Give cycleworks a ring, he's reasonably cheap, and is more than up to the task.

Ally welding is an art, get it done properly. Might cost you a hundy.

[jasonu]

Are you sure it is ali? It looks like painted steel in the pix. Whatever it is Chris Pickett will do a snappy job. 09 817 9500 Titirangi.

[gatch]

Are you sure it is ali? It looks like painted steel in the pix. Whatgever it is Chris Pickett will do a snappy job. Titirangi.

It does have the look of painted steel.

A magnet test is in order.

[schrodingers cat]

It does have the look of painted steel.

A magnet test is in order.

Bollocks. Zoom in on the photo and look at the appearance of the existing welds.
You might expect a bead that humungous on a steel jigger from China but that is alloy

[fi5hy]

Yes Cycleworks, Wingate Lower Hutt Damon

Yes Ed Juniors custom rides and classics Wingate Lower Hutt Skiddy

Yes Cemac Engineering Petone Lower Hutt Karl

[Moooools]

It is most definitely an aluminum frame. An early deltabox.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I can see this project falling together now. :)

[Arronduke]

Looks good... the engine sit quite some way back in the frame.... I assume thats to aline the chain etc...

[Moooools]

Looks good... the engine sit quite some way back in the frame.... I assume thats to aline the chain etc...

Yeah that is mostly because it fits in the original rear mounts really well. And secondly so the sprocket is in the right spot.

[gatch]

Bollocks. Zoom in on the photo and look at the appearance of the existing welds.
You might expect a bead that humungous on a steel jigger from China but that is alloy

Yep, I noticed the fatty welds as soon as I posted, then my internet dies.

[F5 Dave]

Are you sure it is ali? It looks like painted steel in the pix. Whatever it is Chris Pickett will do a snappy job. 09 817 9500 Titirangi.
He's in Wgtn Nobber!:scooter:

Cycleworks will do a good job appropriate for the task but will charge for it. Don't be expecting a bargain from him, but do expect it not to break.

On that note if you have made mounts for someone to weld on; the most common mistake people make is making them too thin & unsupported. In ally with a shaky diesel engine quadruply so. Make them 4 times the size.

Also for a decent job the area to be welded to needs to be cleaned off. The frame will have a lacquer coating on it which will cause dreadful weld.
Angle grinder with flapper wheel is a good start, waayy more area then you ever think required.

Even then you will likely make a poor job of it & whoever welds it will sneer to themselves about joe public 'having a go' & have to tickle it up themselves, but it will save some time. I know all this & still end up doing a lousy preparation job. But it's not my fault, I'm lazy you see.

I'll add Morris metal product to the good list Fishy posted.

[Moooools]

He's in Wgtn Nobber!:scooter:

Cycleworks will do a good job appropriate for the task but will charge for it. Don't be expecting a bargain from him, but do expect it not to break.

On that note if you have made mounts for someone to weld on; the most common mistake people make is making them too thin & unsupported. In ally with a shaky diesel engine quadruply so. Make them 4 times the size.

Also for a decent job the area to be welded to needs to be cleaned off. The frame will have a lacquer coating on it which will cause dreadful weld.
Angle grinder with flapper wheel is a good start, waayy more area then you ever think required.

Even then you will likely make a poor job of it & whoever welds it will sneer to themselves about joe public 'having a go' & have to tickle it up themselves, but it will save some time. I know all this & still end up doing a lousy preparation job. But it's not my fault, I'm lazy you see.

I'll add Morris metal product to the good list Fishy posted.

The mounts are made from two pieces of 30x30 4.5mm angle. On each side. So it will end up as a sort of 9mm thick cross. I think that will be sufficient.

Thanks for the advice, I will try, but no doubt whoever welds it up will have a good laugh at me. :)

[F5 Dave]

The mounts are made from two pieces of 30x30 4.5mm angle. On each side. So it will end up as a sort of 9mm thick cross. I think that will be sufficient. . .

I don't. ..

[gatch]

The mounts are made from two pieces of 30x30 4.5mm angle. On each side. So it will end up as a sort of 9mm thick cross. I think that will be sufficient.

Thanks for the advice, I will try, but no doubt whoever welds it up will have a good laugh at me. :)

I'd be using some 40-60mm round stock.. It would not cost much at all to get someone to turn something usable up..

[jasonu]

[QUOTE=F5 Dave;1129823895]He's in Wgtn Nobber!:scooter:

Mate, if I had known he was a Wellingdick I wouldn't have bothered offering advice...

[Moooools]

Wow. Really that big?
The new mounts are twice the thickness as the originals, and about the same length. (40mm).
Perhaps you have the wrong interpretation of where these mounts are, or perhaps I am just ignorant. I will try to explain, but will get some pics tomorrow.

The mounts will be welded to an original cross member between the two castings at the swinging arm. They will be perpendicular to this cross member and about 40mm in length, protruting forwards at about 20 degrees from vertical, to meet the lower engine mounts of the engine.

I don't really get how you mean to use bar stock for mounts?

[Yow Ling]

Wow. Really that big?
The new mounts are twice the thickness as the originals, and about the same length. (40mm).
Perhaps you have the wrong interpretation of where these mounts are, or perhaps I am just ignorant. I will try to explain, but will get some pics tomorrow.

The mounts will be welded to an original cross member between the two castings at the swinging arm. They will be perpendicular to this cross member and about 40mm in length, protruting forwards at about 20 degrees from vertical, to meet the lower engine mounts of the engine.

I don't really get how you mean to use bar stock for mounts?

Dont overanalyse this, if you think your brackets are up to it go for it , if they break revise your plan. My TZR framed FXR has 6mm brackets welded in they havnt broken yet, however the steel engine cradle has cracked several times.

[Moooools]

Dont overanalyse this, if you think your brackets are up to it go for it , if they break revise your plan. My TZR framed FXR has 6mm brackets welded in they havnt broken yet, however the steel engine cradle has cracked several times.

Thanks, I am not using the original cradle (if that was what you were referring to) but there will be a mount to the top of the engine and four mounts on the back.

I think they will be fine, I have tried to over engineer them.
Here are some pics anyway.

[F5 Dave]

Wow. Really that big?
The new mounts are twice the thickness as the originals, and about the same length. (40mm).
. . .
The old engine as a 2 stroke twin with rubber bushes would be considerably more smooth than a solid mount 4 stroke single being thrashed a few thousand rpm over it's intended rev range. But go right ahead.

[Moooools]

The old engine as a 2 stroke twin with rubber bushes would be considerably more smooth than a solid mount 4 stroke single being thrashed a few thousand rpm over it's intended rev range. But go right ahead.

Correction: 4 stroke twin...
But the rest is valid.

[F5 Dave]

Ah, pics so dark I didn't spot that.

[schrodingers cat]

Nah - you'll be right. Put a nice radius on the angle for that 'professional' look and away you go.

Specifically ask the welderer man to put a little bit of preheat into the frame to make sure you get lots o penetration.

The advise about prepping the weld area is spot on. Make sure you scuff up a good 25mm all around the weld. Also scuff up the brackets around the weld area.
Gice it all a good clean with meths
If it cracks (and I don't think it should) then rethink it in light of your experience

[gatch]

Wow. Really that big?

I don't really get how you mean to use bar stock for mounts?

I use bar stock for everything. Fits in a lathe better than angle..

[F5 Dave]

Ahh fit the 4 jaw lazy.

[gatch]

A foreshore ?

Nar we can't afford to pay the locals what they are asking..

Going to get my Norton sponsor to weld up my vfr peg hanger this weekend. An m10 bolt doesn't look too flashl on the road..