Home > categories > Minerals & Metallurgy > Aluminum Sheets > Durafix for aluminum welding / brazing?
Question:

Durafix for aluminum welding / brazing?

Okay guys i need to rapir a crack on an aluminum pipe , would durafix do the job ?? If so where can i get this durafix ? at my local home depot ?

Answer:

I've only found these type products online or at flea markets. It works quite well after a little practice.
Durafix Aluminum
You can order it online. It works acceptably well, though it's obviously not as good as bona fide welding. You can also use tin+zinc hard solder, for this- you need a special soldering flux specifically desgined for soldering aluminum. You can order aluminum soldering kits online also. You might also be able to find a welding supply store in your area and they would probably carry Al soldering kits in stock. I feel that soldering would probably give you more reliable results in this case. Solder is a lot thinner and has better wetting action than the durafix alloy. This means that solder will be more likely to flow into the crack itself and completely seal it, whereas the durafix may simply lie on top of the crack. I think durafix technically qualifies as brazing since it melts at a lower temperature than the aluminum itself. However, you will also need to buy a propane torch, that'll probably cost around 30-40$ at a hardware store. Plus the cost of the brazing metal which is around 12-20$. so you're looking at 30-50$ probably. This might be a bit of a fun- DIY project if you feel it's worth some time and practice on your part. On the other hand any welding shop can simply TIG weld your pipe for about 20$ and it will only take them a few minutes. So having the professionals do it will be much faster, cheaper, and almost certainly a better quality repair than if you attempted to DIY.

Share to: