A lot of people assume that welding aluminum is difficult, but welding aluminum is not so much about it being a difficult process; it is just a lot different than welding steel or other heavier metals. If you are working with a piece of aluminum that has to be welded, it can bring about new challenges that you may be unfamiliar with as a welder. This is especially true if you do not have a lot of welding experience. Most welders without a lot of experience entrust only a professional welder for welding repairs that involve aluminum pieces or materials. Take a look at some of the mistakes rookies tend to make when trying to weld aluminum. 

Assuming aluminum alloys are the same material. 

Steel is a pretty reliable material with a reliable composition. Therefore, when you are working with steel, you know how it is going to react when you start welding. With aluminum, however, it is not always as easy to assume both aluminum alloys being used are the same. For example, if you are mending a broken piece of aluminum equipment, the patch piece you use may be made out of aluminum, but it is likely not the same type of what is being repaired. Unfortunately, this creates issues when you try to create a bond between the two pieces. 

Using lighter welding equipment to do the welds. 

Aluminum has a far lower melting point than steel, which leads to the natural assumption that if you are working with aluminum, you can use a lighter or lower-grade welding machine to get the job done. Quite the contrary is actually true. Because aluminum is more conductive of heat, the heat from the welder will dissipate much faster than what it would if you were working on a steel piece. Therefore, heavy-duty welding equipment, capable of producing consistently high temperatures is a must. 

Expecting the process of striking an arc to be the same. 

Because the conductivity and properties of aluminum are different, your welder is not going to react the same when you try to strike an arc. What you will get is a duller reaction, which takes some getting used to because it will affect the start of your welding bead. Unfortunately, rookies who do not know that aluminum will cause this differed arc reaction will try to compensate by using higher voltage, which will oftentimes damage the metal. 

Contact a company, like Spradlin Bros Welding Co, for more help.