Yes, BUT, the files must have been used for nothing but aluminum. Filing is an acceptable method of joint preparation on aluminum, however a sweep afterwards of the filed part, with a rare earth magnet will ensure that no edges have broken off the teeth of the file. A chipped or broken tooth is more likely on a brand new file, so file a test piece of aluminum first before applying the file to the job.
B.E.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
The classical German Precision Hand Milling Machine, known to amateurs as a 'file', can do an excellent job of milling aluminum, especially if it is clean and sharp and not used on materials other than aluminum, and always lifted on the backstroke and otherwise used properly.
I personally tend to fill up the teeth with chalk in order to prevent aluminum from sticking. Others may have other favorite lubricants, e.g., beeswax, kerosene, whatever.
Any of those materials, not to mention small pieces of the file itself, may be transferred to a workpiece's surface, so the surface should be cleaned before welding.
With regards to joint preparation of high quality aluminum fusion welds, you should use whatever process that will result in a satisfactory weld. You can use a steel file to prep the joint surfaces, but as berkshire noted, the steel file would need to be sharp, clean and free from contamination of oil/grease/cutting fluid/other metals. Typically when TIG welding aluminum, it is good practice to periodically stop and scrub the joint surfaces using a clean wire brush, since the aluminum surfaces oxidize quite quickly.
Using a file seems like a crappy way to prep an aluminum weld joint. Why not use a carbide cutter? And if you need to scrub the aluminum joint surfaces during welding, a file will be of no use. And a wire brush would work best.
Seems strange. I have heard and read in many of the articles that for oxide removal only stainless steel wire brush is preferred.Do not even think of carbon steels. But then why steel filings are ok to be used on aluminum.?
Waqasmalik,
Whilst a file is perfectly acceptable for edge joint prep on Aluminum. Carbide tipped rotary bevellers like the one linked below are a lot faster and can also get you joints that are X ray quality. You did not say in your original post what you wanted to do, and quite honestly a file while good, is painfully slow, for one off, it is ok , if you are making thousands of parts it is totally unacceptable.
Tell us what you are doing and you will get a better answer.
B.E.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
I m trying to find out the reasons of lack of fusion in aluminum 2219-O welding. We have aerospace applications. Assembly is pretty long and is cylindrical, approximately one meter.Assembly has four parts ( cylindrical). There are three circumferential joints joined by manual GTAW.
Part 1. Prepared on lathe machine.
Part 2. Prepared on Lathe machine
Part 3. Prepared by filing.
Part 4. Prepared on Lathe machine.
Now joints are made as follows.
Joint 1 : Part 1 and part 2.
Joint 2: Part 2 and part 3
Joint 3: Part 3 and part 4
All the lack of fusion is in those joints where part 3 ( prepared by filing) is involved. Lots of filing is being done to prepare part 3.
I m investigating on this that perhaps this excessive forceful filing done by fabricator could have embedded the oxide layer so hardly to aluminum making it so difficult to remove with subsequently etching cleaning. (NAOH and Nitric acid). Hence this may cause lack of fusion
Second suggestion: teach him/her how to use a file.
... assuming you can find someone who knows how, to do the teaching. Old German machinists are getting hard to find; they retire and go skiing until they die.
Waqasmalik,
If you are doing aerospace work , you should have a copy of this Nasa report . If you do not Please accept this one.
In particular look at the table on page 9.
B.E.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
Waqasmalik,
Filing properly done is a shearing action removing metal in thin strips ( filings), There should be no forcing of the oxide layer into the part. Sanding with an Aluminum oxide disc would however do just that. Are you sure your guys are just filing?
B.E.
You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.
AWS D17.1 provides guidance for class A aerospace fusion (GTAW) welds of 2219 aluminum. Section 5.5 describes the requirements for joint preparation. It basically states that mechanical or chemical methods can be used to prepare the joint surfaces, but the surface must be free from oil, grease or oxide contamination. This would seem to include iron oxide contamination left behind by a dull steel file.
There is also the paragraph below regarding in-process cleaning of joint surfaces.
Thanks for the sketches. If I understand your previous posts correctly, you intend to make the ~5mm chamfer on the outer edge of the 260mm dia green part using a file? Seems like a very slow and labor intensive way to prep the joint.
I recommend draw filing all cut edges using a vixen file or a file used for working a horse hoof.
I always clean the material and tools before attempting to weld. I clean the surfaces with acetone followed by 90% isopropyl alcohol. I spray the tools with isopropyl to keep the aluminum from clogging the files and carbide burrs.
