Alumiweld rods from Harbor Freight! Do they work? Can you easily weld aluminum with just propane? 

*PLEASE READ* To clarify the procedure, you need to heat the parts being mended and allow those parts to melt and wick up the rod. You "can" lick the rods with the flame to keep them warm. At 5:05 I had melted the rod and allowed it to lay in the crack of the joint. I continued to heat the parts until it wicked into the crack. This works fine, but generally you would want to heat the parts up just past the melting point of the rods, then touch the rods to the crack and it will wick pulling in rod material. Regardless of how you do it, the material needs to be hot enough to melt the rod. And always prep the material! Keep it clean! Also this process is brazing, commonly mistaken by some as welding.

A guy gave me an old johnboat because it had leaks. I flipped it over, scrubbed all the rivets and did this, the boat lasted for years and never had another leak.

Used this stuff many years ago, was told by the demo salesman to scratch the rod along the seam while heating to break thru the oxide until it flowed , worked great.

Thanks for showing me the rods from harbor freight! I am a retired jeweler and you're heating your metal wrong!!?! What ever joining material you use - be it gold, silver soldering, brass or aluminum brazing - the principle is always the same! The main body of metal must be brought up to the same temperature as the "melting temperature" of the solder or brazing rod! If your main piece is large or has anything that can be a heat sink attached to it, then you have to heat a larger area of the main piece! You do this by moving your torch in a steady, circular motion, to spread the heat. Only concentrate the flame on the solder area after everything is heated right! And while you're doing the concentrating you may have to temporarily go back to heating the main body for a moment, so it doesn't cool too much and then quickly back to concentrating! Also, you were holding your torch too close to the object! Back off! Use only just beyond the tip of the blue flame. That's where it's hottest. Pushing your flame closer, only manages to destroy the efficiency of the flame. Please practice what I tell you! I've done thousands of jobs requiring theses skills and I'm good at what I do. Good luck my friend!😁

Wow you actually found something at HF not made in China👍🇺🇸✊

Nice, thanks. I knew a guy back in 1967 who "silver soldered" ball bearings to the ends of custom lifter rods in rail dragster motors.

Project Farm did a pretty good comparison of different aluminum rods. The HF ones used here weren't the worst, but far from best.

Awesome. I do a lot of prototyping and was always skeptical of these things but now I can prototype something that you will see as a product in the near future.

These work VERY WELL!!! I’ve used on several projects and had total success.

I've done arc welding for many years and always wanted to weld aluminum. Thank you for teaching me a new skill. I will have to get a propane tank and some aluminum weld rods and braze some aluminum pieces.

The secret to a good bond is to get the metal hot enough so the rod melts when it touches the metal. Do NOT put the flame on the rod!!

I bought this at a state fair. Just havent used it yet. Perfect video, thanks

I’ve always wondered if those worked. I can think of a lot of things those would be handy for!

I ripped the bottom weld on my Jon boat and had a 12 inch separation. I bought some of this stuff from a guy showing it at the State Fair of Texas. I found that a simple propane torch won't heat a boat enough to melt the rod. I wasn't going to go buy a oxygen brazing rig, so I got a guy at a welding shop to fix it with his TIG welder. He actually charged me less than what I paid for the rods at the fair. Live and learn.

I did my first aluminum WELDING, not brazing, when I was 15 years old in shop class. Repaired my older brothers boat motor transom mount. Learned immediately that you better have your aluminum ever so clean or it just doesn't work. After a good acid cleaning I completed the weld. The motor was installed on his boat, ( with a good safety chain! Lol ) it never broke and all was good. Harbor freight brazing rods do not get the penetration that is needed to be considered a structural weld. So if ya use them don't use it on something that you would trust your life on!

When I was a teenager my Buddy had a old Mustang with a leaky radiator and his creative Dad Brazed a Antique Copper Penny over the hole it sealed it for years ! But as a gear head we have always been on the lookout for that radiator. At Car shows and other events BTW it was done “Heads Up” for good luck too

I’ve been using these for about 5 years to great effect!

It all depends on your application, there is no doubt that tig welding is the best way to go. I bought a small Lincoln 155 mig welder years ago and purchased the aluminum kit for it. I welded up the transom on my 1963 aluminum boat that had busted from the top to bottom right in the middle, and I still use it to this day with no issues. I have used these rods on smaller projects and they work well but I wouldn't attempt to weld a transom with them. Thinner metal, small area propane is best, thicker metal needs mapp or oxy/acetylene.

Great video. Nice demonstration of the proper technique. Mahalo for sharing! : )

Thank you for this. I've had these in my hands more than once but never bought them. Next time I will!

I used this or a similar rod to fix a bracket on an alternator pivot flange that broke after a wreck. Probably about 1/2 inch thick. Cleaned it really well and then cooked it in oven to remove all oil residue. (Put some tin pans underneath. Used a file to bevel the edges to increase surface area and steel pick to scratch under molten puddle. Worked great. Technician who showed me how to do it tested the joint by smacking it with a hammer and it held up.

Thanks for this video! I always thought that the infomercials that I had seen waterfalls but this stuff really does work

This stuff is great. Used it to make a solar water heater/tank out of an old pool cover reel(had to plug up the screw holes and cap the tube). Hot water while boondocking in a truck is wonderful 👍🏽 Great vid🤗

I patched a high pressure a/c line on one of my cars once, it rubbed against the radiator until it sawed a hole into it. The line was one piece from the condenser through the firewall and looked too difficult to replace, so I just patched up the hole. It worked!

Thanks for showing us an unusual item and clearly demonstrating how to use it. I was entertained and learned something. Thanks!!

Great info video. I’m needed aluminum welding done in the past. Now I know I can do it myself.

These rods do work! I have used them to repair the cover plate on my 76 xlch that the kick starter lever goes thru! At first I was very 'thrifty' with the material... didn't want to use that much. But the plate kept breaking after a bit. Then I said screw it an put it on thick and wide and it has held now for at least 15 yrs! Also fixed a chewed up aluminum prop on my dads boat. Had to make a 'mold' (if I recall I clamped the blade to a cinder block and applied the material and let a puddle form that was slightly larger than where the prop blade was missing) and when done just shaped it on a bench grinder...

I used these to fill a few large holes in the bottom of my aluminum jon boat, worked perfect and no leaks even years later.

Would have been good to have shown an attempt to lever/ break the weld....

Thankyou, I would have liked to see just one side welded, then bend the pieces apart to witness the weld strength.

Amazing! I'm headed to HF right now regardless for other things, and will be picking these up too. Thanks!

I had a guy come by my shop and sold me some rods like this he had the same demonstration I was impressed so I tryed the exact way he did I even went with thicker parts it just balled up I got shafted

Awesome video. I have not done this in a century or 2. I might have to get some rods next trip to HF.

Yes they work , I used it to weld cast aluminum to a small piece of plate aluminum. I used it to repair an outside pole light.

Cheers mate, I was wondering about those rods for a few little projects I have planned. I'm a joiner by trade so metal work isn't really my thing so little instructional videos like this really help.👍🇬🇧

The guys at the trade shows make welding aluminum look easy. I've done it when the guy was showing me what angle and how to get the area hot in order for it to work and I was actually doing it with their supervision, definitely practice makes perfect. But it's not as easy as they make it look!

Been around for more than 40 years. Recently promoted for the home use

I’ve wondered how well those things worked, thanks for making this video! Maybe map gas instead of propane when working with the thicker pieces? Just a thought really, not intended to be a critical comment at all.

I have a project and this is the exact fix I need. I have seen this on the info-mercials and your video showed me just what I wanted to see ( and hear )!

You were almost the 1st RU-vidr I was gonna to subscribe to,all you had to do was beat that metal a couple times with the hammer to show that the weld were strong and I would have subscribed

Nice! I’ve been wanting to do this but hadn’t learned the technique. Thank you.

Lava soap is what I used to clean aluminum when I use to tig weld.

Thank you for giving me the confidence that I could try this for myself.😃

The good and bad about aluminum is the heat transfer. I was hoping you were going to tear it apart at the end.

Thanks for making this video! I need to make some intake piping for my turbo car and repair some dirt bike engine cases. My welder can only MIG and TIG steel, so I'm going to give these a try before shelling out for another aluminum-capable welder.

Yes they work... I have been using HTS-2000 aluminum welding/brazing/soldering rods for many many years... They are extremely strong and easy to use. Cleanliness is the most important part of the success of your bond.

Awesome review!

It was good to see this demonstration... Very helpful... Thanks for sharing...

Cool, Thanks for the video.

Good video I fixed some holes in the keel of my aluminum canoe with this product

I have used these before and they work great.

Dude, I have the same old craftsman vise. My dad and his dad had two of them in the basement each on their own benches, side by side. Never seen another exactly the same! I’m sure they are common nonetheless. Cheers!

Thanks for the video. Going to try those rods out but using map gas instead of propane.

Looks like it worked pretty well. When I was just learning to braze I would use regular baling wire to braze with.

Yup, would like to see the tensile strength test with a meter to show what pressure the welds fail.

I was wondering about them rods I have a crack in my bullet rim for my mustang now I think I have a shot after watching this video thanks for sharing I did brazing back in high school over 20 years ago

I know you used the Scotchbrite scrubber. The one thing is, if you clean your aluminum you only have an hour or so before it really gets the aluminum oxide coating back. Aluminum is kind of weird about this oxide. The melting temperature of the oxide is quite a bit higher than the base aluminum. If you have the oxide coating and get your aluminum too hot, you can get a big balloon of molten aluminum that will form, then the oxide balloon breaks, spilling molten aluminum everywhere, pretty much destroying your piece (ask me how I know). To get a good adherence the aluminum must be bright and shiny. I had some problems fixing a timing chain cover and was asked what kind of brush I used to clean the aluminum. Steel. I was told that will screw things up. This guy knew his stuff. He told me to use a stainless steel brush. My welds looked great. The Scotchbrite isn’t steel so will work. Something about steel. Oxidation maybe?

Made a motorcycle headlight bracket out of hardware store aluminum and these rods. Lasted many thousands of miles until I sold the bike. Always keep a set of these in my metal working kit.

I've used UK variants - what happens is that the rod forms a eutectic alloy with the aluminum. Eutectic is a fancy word for lower melting point. The alloy formed does penetrate into the actual aluminum - so it's not brazing or soldering as it penetrates the base material. Do a weld or two and cut them open - easy to see. Makes a really strong weld. Key is to form a puddle of rod material and then use a steel wire to scratch UNDER the puddle - this breaks the AL oxide crust and the rod just sucks into the aluminium. Weird to see this happen.

this is nice for anyone building a deck on their deep v hull row boats to make them bass boats. I don't want the wooden deck where all it does is absorb water and rot over time. Some rivets into the boat and well the aluminum tubes and it's there. I often stay away from Harbor Freight tools because of their cheapness and lack of functional life. But you're showing the product actually working.

Good demo ! Thanks !

I’ve used the same rods from ace hardware. Takes a while to get temps hot enough on the work but it’s just like soldering.

Great video, many thanks

If you use this on a boat, does the brazed area corrode faster or cause corrosion of the aluminum due to it being dissimilar?

That’s pretty interesting, thanks!

the usual aluminium i work with is 1/8'. i use map gas, and i think i'll try prewarming on an electric hot plate. i don't do a lot of this alum brazing, and i do find it helps to clean the rod, they do oxidize over time. i have also hammered the rod thinner, when working with thin aluminum , so it melts before the aluminum.

I’ve welded up several air cooled engines blocks and so far no leaks but it took time to clean and preheat it , need a helper to keep it hot enough 😊

I've used them. The joints were stronger than the aluminum itself. Just gotta get that heat in there.

Yes they work, and with a little practice they work great.

Now we need a plate and jig kit for ar lowers. Could probably do simple uppers too.

Cleaning all surfaces with the SS brush and "Tinning" all surfaces is critical. The tinning happens right at the melting point of the metal so care must be taken. Once tinned, the braze can be build up at lower temps.

I have used these on boats myself. Never had a problem.

usable chips to join two flat surfaces could be made from lathe chips or file dust from rod.

Quite good, thankyou. Please zoom right in much closer, if you make any more videos.

will this work on aluminum alloy bike frames? just to fix minor cracks..

Great job! Thank you very much!

Very useful information ;)

Interesting video, I was a little enlighten by it. Overall it was a good presentation. Thank you.😎😃😆🤗

If you get too much rod material on the weld, can you use a steel wire brush to remove some and start again?

I made an anchor well on my old tinny boat. Worked for years and held well. But. The entire well (aluminum box)needed to be kept hot in order to prevent twisting of the aluminum well. Small piece demonstrations don't show you that sort out of issue. Can be done, but needs 2 blow torches.

I've found Mapp gas to be hotter so less heat up time is required

Thanks for sharing.

Nice work❤

Remember that the cold steel from the vise and clamps etc. will draw some heat from the work you’re doing, thereby needing more heat application and duration of same.

Destructive testing!!!!!!!! Isn’t it required on RU-vid product testing vids!? 🤣 seriously nice video - well executed. I’ll be grabbing some of those rods to play with.

great video thanks. Can you comment on when you would need to use MAP gas vs Propane?

I have exactly those rods and exactly that propane torch. Everytime I try to weld two pieces of aluminum together, I end up melting the pieces before the solder rod flows.

Thanks I am ready to weld

Brazed my aluminum a/c evaporator coil that developed a leak at the factory joint just make sure the surface is totally clean

Havent brazed much, so maybe a stupid question, but what is the main difference between this and aluminium / silver brazing rods?

These work on aluminium refrigeration and car a/c pipes. Hold refrigerant well.

If you insist on cleaning the rod beforehand make sure you use additional flux. Most of these rods (and ive used a lot of brands) have a thin flux layer on them. The difference with and without is marginal but if you have something that's particularly important or sensitive. It will make all the difference.

Going to try and get some here in BZE

I wonder if you could make custom irritation fittings in a pinch?

A propane swirl torch throws more heat than the usual cone flame torch head. They can get too hot for thinner pieces but it’s easy to reduce the heat by backing off a few inches . Far better to have too much heat than not enough when just a little distance will make it right.

Are the pieces 6061T3? What does the brazing do to the temper? Presumably you can do 7000 series also? Maybe not 2024?

I’d be curious to try this on a cracked aluminium bike frame. Normally welding them isn’t advised because they supposedly need to be heat treated again. Edit: a crack in a part of the frame that wouldn’t be catastrophic if it failed during simple commuting. I wouldn’t try it on the front triangle of any bike. Or if you ride like Sam Pilgrim.

Can you file down and clean up the welds without losing strength just to make them look tidy?

I tried to repair a broken post in a carburetor.. the post that holds the float hinge pin. Did not work for that..but haven't tried it on anything else.

that's good and all but I wanted to see just how good that weld was. I wanted to see it being pull apart and how much force it takes..