Aluminium welding rods...NAC

[Frederick Smith]

Gerard, This stuff has been available,in one form or another, for quite
a few years in the US and it's uses ae limited IMHO. Aluminum must be
very CLEAN in order to weld it, whether the task is a repair or
a fabrication.The real secret to good aluminum welding is a uniform and
controlled heat and the absence of any contaminants like oil/grease 
(even fingerprints).
 
Ideally the material applied (welding rod) mixes with that of the base
material and forms a bond, as they flow together and form a bead
that bridges the gap between the pieces and becomes an actual part of
it.   

The low melting point of this product makes it more like a solder than 
welding rod, however it's flow characteristic is not as good
as a silversolder or brazing rod. There is also the issue of the mixing
of the rod with the parent metal alloy. I have watched salesmen
demonstrate the product and they always use nice clean components they
bring with them, the results are acceptable. But give them a more
generic item and the result is unsatisfactory. It becomes more like
a GLUE than a weld.

The photos are misleading. The chances of repairing a radiator are slim to 
none given the paint residue on the outside AND the anti-freeze on the 
inside. As they all try to mix with the rod in some form of created by
the the application of the torch.

I would "pass" on this stuff. It's really a snake oil type deal IMHO....
unless of course you have a soda can to repair. 8-p 

Heliarc or TIG with argon is the only sure way to weld aluminum.

Smitty