Restoration/repair of an aluminum vintage car nameplate
Nameplates and lettering are an essential part of valuable vehicles and equipment. In the event of damage, replacements are often no longer available after a few years. We will show you how you can easily repair such nameplates with a Lampert welding machine. In particular, we will show you how to restore or repair a classic car nameplate made of aluminum.
Material preparation
First of all, it is important – as always – to clean the workpiece thoroughly. The best way to do this is with ultrasonic cleaner to remove any impurities in the pores. A clean surface is generally important, but particularly so in the case of aluminium, as it oxidizes very quickly and this is facilitated by impurities.
Filler wire
A welding wire of an appropriate alloy is also required. In our example, we have used an AISi wire. You can also obtain the corresponding welding wires for the most common alloys directly from Lampert.
Aluminum mode
When TIG welding aluminum (alloys), it is generally advantageous to keep the welding time in ms lower and to increase the welding power in % slightly.
It is crucial to keep the workpiece temperature constant during aluminum welding. The welding points should therefore be set continuously, quickly and at a constant speed.
Welding
The broken area is first filed flat to achieve a better, smoother joint. The two parts are now tack-welded together with the feed wire and the seam is then welded through while the wire is fed in. You can see the settings we used for processing the type plate in the previous image.
Note material thickness
For thicker material, it is advisable to file a V-groove (see also workshop 5 “Ring width changes”) so that the material can then be applied in layers in the groove.
This ensures that the material is completely welded through. The application of wire works in the same way as with gold or stainless steel, the material is directed towards the electrode.
Modeling the applied material
Model the material afterwards to save time when finishing later.
You can use our workshop 2 “Adding, distributing and modeling material” to help you with this.
Finishing
Finally, sand the welding area clean and then polish over with a suitable polishing agent. Aluminum has the property of forming an oxide layer, which is invisible and protects the workpiece from external influences.
