Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 18:15:33 +0200
From: HendrikMaroske <HendrikMaroske@swol.de>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Subject: Re: [baidarka] building the frame
Joseph R Street wrote:
> Does anyone know of a good reason why the frame should NOT be welded
> together with a proper aluminum MIG welder?
a) Aluminum tends to lose strength when welded, in comparison to some steels
that are as good within the joint as anywhere else.
b) Welded joints crack at an instant, compared to the untreated aluminum.
This is undesirable since it results in high security factors.
You might weld some pieces together and then stress them with a
load test jig. Or sinly rip them apart. Or bend them several times.
If the welded spot breaks, welding is not an option. It is always
desirable that the joint is stronger than the rest, so your freshly
welded part should break somewhere else. This is difficult to
achieve. At least, you will have a more rigid frame after
overdimensioning your joints (to prevent from abrupt breaking).
Cheers,
Hendrik