TIG welding Al - Which series of aluminum can be welded?

[RVC60]

Hello,

As many of you know this can be an ambiguous subject. If we consider bicycle frames I have seen many attempt to repair frames made from 6000-series aluminum and this simply does not work. Some however, still try. 7000-series aluminum is slightly more feasible to weld but this must occur at the hands (and mind) of a highly skilled individual.

I have a friend that is a tremendous fabricator and he is also modest and he replied he could not answer my question. I am currently concerned with 2024 aluminum. Do any of you here know if this alloy can readily be welded? I am referring to sheet but I do not recall the thickness in question so I may need to measure this.

Please let me know.

[shovelon]

Nope. Too much copper and will crack.

[RVC60]

shovelon - Thanks for the rapid response.

[Oldendum]

Some technical resources:

https://www.esabna.com/us/en/educati...num-alloys.cfm

https://www.clintonaluminum.com/the-...s-for-welding/

https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-u...es-detail.aspx

From the Lincoln article: "The 2XXX family of alloys are high strength Al-Cu alloys used mainly for aerospace applications. In some environments, they can exhibit poor corrosion resistance. In general, most alloys in this series are considered non-weldable. A prime example of a non-weldable alloy in this series, which is attractive to designers because of its high strength, is alloy 2024. This alloy is commonly used in airframes, where it is almost always riveted. It is extremely crack-sensitive and almost impossible to weld successfully using standard techniques."