I'm using a disc of aluminum that used to be a backplate for a large disc sander . It's on a stool to replace the weathered wood seat ... and makes a great small welding platform . Also works great as a heatsink for my practice , when it gets too hot to touch I stop until it cools .
Aluminum transfers heat too much and too fast. You are actually cooling your workpiece rapidly. And if you are welding aluminum..you WILL sooner or later weld the backing to the workpiece
Copper is what all the pros use.
"There are no leftists in mainstream American politics.
Just two right wing parties, one hard right and one softer." Christopher A. Lee, 8/18/2013
Im absolutely incorrect and I admit it. (I also just woke up..sorry)
The reason they use copper for backing up aluminum and most other types of welds..is because it has a very high melting point 1800 F, and few other materials will stick to it when tig welding.
You are absolutely correct. I got in at 3:30 from LA and got to bed at
6am..and the family got me up about 30 minutes ago..for a total fo about 1.75 hrs sleep.
I dont post well when Im sleep deprived..meaning I dont think well.
Sorry about that. I hit enter on my last post..took a hit of my cig..and slapped my forehead in personal disgust.
Gunner
"There are no leftists in mainstream American politics.
Just two right wing parties, one hard right and one softer." Christopher A. Lee, 8/18/2013
Got you on that one gunner - copper absorbs or transmits heat / electricity much easier than that of Aluminum. The real good thing is it will not weld with normal welding sticks. Al is so soft - melting temp is low and will fail. It also decays away from heat when melted and pops.
There is likely a time and place for each. Al is so much cheaper. Al can be poured into shapes to fit assemblies.
Copper work hardens and gets brittle and breaks - like most Al.
No worries. I wasn't sure which you had meant in your original comment, and given that one of my hobbies is extreme computer overclocking, it was a chance to pull out the heat conductivity charts.
For the overclocking, most of the time copper is good enough for being able to transfer enough heat away from the CPU, the problem is what to do with the heat from there.
Liquid nitrogen is pretty good if you are just benchmarking, and copper pots to hold it above the CPU is about ideal. There are some people who have gone to the expense of making their pots out of silver, but they are the exceptions.
Anyway, hope you are doing well and got caught up on your sleep.
Thanks! Doing well enough. Im trying to decide if I want to go out to the lake and play with my new toy or wait till tommorow when the fruit loops are off the lake.
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"There are no leftists in mainstream American politics.
Just two right wing parties, one hard right and one softer." Christopher A. Lee, 8/18/2013
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