What is the trick to get aluminum apart?

[Bill Coleman]

On 3/15/03 11:42 PM, Dan Pividal N4VET at OTAKEBI at aol.com wrote:

>I have an old Butternut vertical and two of the sections have welded together
>over time.
>I have tried all sorts of tricks to get the sections of aluminum apart.
>Does anyone have any trick that has worked for them?

Yes! The answer is HEAT!

A few years ago, I had an A3S boom splice that had gotten stuck to the
two boom pieces. I used a Bernz-O-Matic torch and copious amounts of
WD-40.

The first thing to try is WD-40. Now, WD-40 isn't a lubricant, because it
is far too volatile to stick around for any length of time, but it does a
fair job of penetrating a corroded joint. Apply some to the join, allow
it time to seep in (10-30 minutes). Try to work the joint, rotating the
pieces in opposite directions.

If the joint is too stiff, apply heat with the torch. Try NOT to leave it
in one spot. Move it around very quickly, and don't let it get too hot.
This type of torch can quite easily anneal the aluminum alloy -- which is
exactly what you don't want. Get it above 900 degrees, and you'll lose a
lot of the structural strength of the aluminum.

Alternately apply heat, cool, twist, appy WD-40, twist, heat, etc. Unless
it is really bad, it should eventually come apart.

>Yes, I did put on the special grease, two years ago, that came with the
>antenna to prevent this from happening.
>Seems it did not work.

Unfortunately, the "Butter it's not" stuff contains embedded particles of
copper. Copper and aluminum undergo a dissimilar metal reaction which
causes the corrosion. Use No-Al-Ox or Penetrox instead. It uses Zinc
particles, which does not influence the Aluminum to corrode so quickly.




Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901

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