Attaching pieces of different metal together is necessary for a variety of situations. Many people try to figure out "how to join two pieces of metal without welding?"
Joining metal without welding is tricky, but in this short article we'll cover the basics.
Welding is a popular way to do this, but there are a range of other methods which can also be used. Keep reading and we'll show you how to fix broken metal without welding.
These include techniques, such as soldering, brazing and riveting, along with the use of adhesives or even nanomaterials.
How To Weld Without A Welder
When you want to join two metals together, welding may not always be the best solution. Learning how to weld metal without a welder is not as dangerous or risky.
Welding can be dangerous to carry out, due to the risk of electric shock, burns from the high temperatures, and issues from toxic gases as well.
It is also an expensive process because of the cost of required materials, tools and labor. A welder alone can easily cost several thousand dollars.
Additionally, it's not easy to just be able to do a weld. Many welders get certified and go through accredited schools to learn.
Welding forms an extremely powerful bond between two metal surfaces.
This is useful for processes where the bond has to withstand a huge amount of stress. Examples of this include joining the components of a car, boat or piece of machinery.
However, there are many situations where an alternative to welding is useful, as a bond of this strength simply isn’t always necessary.
HOW TO BOND METAL TO METAL WITHOUT WELDING
Learning how to bond metal to metal without welding isn't technical. There are numerous methods of joining metal together without welding.
Some of these still require heat, but at lower levels, while others involve different kinds of adhesive technology.
Let's look at how to join two pieces of metal without welding.
NANOMATERIALS
Using nanomaterials, or nanoscale sculpting, is a very new method of joining metals, which is still being developed.
It involves roughening the metal surface with a specific etching method, done by using electro chemicals and 3D printing.
This results in a fine hook-like structure being created on an extremely small scale. Two of these surfaces are then joined with adhesive, which creates a very solid bond.
This technique can be used to join large and heavy components together, in applications such as the building of cars and ships as well.
It eliminates the need for high temperatures that can damage surfaces, especially those that are already treated or painted.
Instead, nanoscale sculpting can be carried out at room temperature and doesn’t require the same number of safety measures.
As this method develops, there is the potential for it to be used in any number of applications, like medical technology.
Pros
Cons
Glue
Learning how to weld metal without a welder by using glue is a great hack. Using glue to join two metal surfaces is a simple process. It involves applying a certain adhesive to the surfaces requiring joining, and pressing them together to form a bond.
A range of adhesives are suitable for metals, including silicone based, epoxy, polyurethane and even double-sided tape.
There are many new products for this purpose which are constantly being developed. Some adhesives contain microscopic nanorods with metallic cores of different types.
The surfaces to be joined are treated with this product, and the different metallic cores fuse together to produce a robust bond.
Pros
Cons
Soldering
While soldering may seem like a similar process to welding, it forms an electrical connection between metals, instead of a mechanical connection. This means that the bond isn’t as strong, structurally.
Solder is a substance which looks similar to coiled wire. It is a soft metal alloy, which is a mixture of metals.
A typical solder is made up of around 99 percent tin, although other metals, such as copper, silver, zinc and bismuth can also be part of it.
This alloy melts at a low temperature, therefore soldering is performed using a lower heat compared to welding.
Instead of melting the metal pieces that will be joined, with soldering, the filler metal is melted instead, and used as a bond in the middle.
Soldering is a particularly good method on electrical circuits. The separate components in a circuit include small devices, like transistors, resistors, capacitors and LEDs. All of these have their own specific job.
These devices are assembled to make many different parts for electrical products, such as calculators, radios, TVs and computers.
Soldering gives a circuit a much more effective and reliable electronic connection.
Pros
Cons
Brazing
Learning how to join two steel pipes without welding is a bit more tricky.
Like welding and soldering, brazing also involves the process of melting metal in order to join two pieces of different metal together. This is a way to learn how to attach metal to metal using the right tools.
When brazing, the filler metal functions more like an adhesive. The filler component for brazing can be made up of various different metals, depending on the required application.
Some of these include:
As these materials have a higher melting point than tin, the process of brazing is performed at a higher temperature than soldering.
This means that the metals you are attaching are also affected by the heat, and the filler metal bonds them together securely.
When soldering, the metal surfaces don’t actually melt as the temperature is too low; the solder simply sits between them and forms the join.
Therefore, brazing is like a mix of welding and soldering. It produces a strong mechanical joint, as the metal surfaces melt as well as the filler substance.
With this process you can learn how to bond aluminum without welding.
Pros
Cons
Riveting
Riveting is the process of using mechanical fasteners to form a permanent bond between two metal surfaces. It is a very easy sheet metal joining technique.
It is shaped in the same way as a screw or a nail, with a shaft shaped cylinder and a head on one end. This is placed through a pre-drilled hole, and then the tail of the rivet is pounded so that it flattens and expands until it is wider than the shaft.
The rivet is held in place by the thicker end, and thus effectively joins two metal surfaces together without the use of heat or glue.
This method can be used for tension loads, where the join has to withstand opposing forces as well. Overall, bolts and screws are the better method for supporting tension loads, however.
Riveting is extremely good for supporting shear loads, which sit at a perpendicular to the axis of the rivet shaft.
It is commonly used in construction projects which use lightweight materials that require strong joins. It is also used to produce chassis for cars.
Generally, riveting is preferred over welding for joining sheet metal alloys, as the high heat can cause the metal to deform and change its material properties.
Pros
Cons
Welding-The Basics
Welding is the process of heating two pieces of metal and fusing them together to form a secure bond.
During this process, it is possible to add a filler or a flux whilst applying the heat.
A filler is another piece of metal that is supplied from a welding rod, which seals up any small gaps between the two metal surfaces.
Flux is a non-metal chemical that helps prevent the molten metal from producing oxides or nitrates with gas in the air—which can weaken the bond.
Welding involves using heat.
This can come from a number of different sources, including oxyacetylene gas, electrodes, lasers, ultrasonics and electron beams.
Final Thoughts
The process of welding forms an extremely strong bond between two pieces of metal.
While this has many benefits, it can also be potentially expensive and dangerous. In some instances, when bonding metal, welding is not completely necessary.
Here we have listed a variety of alternatives to welding that can be used to join metal. Each of these has its own positives and negatives, but there is something for every situation.
Hopefully, now you can find the right technique to suit your needs, no matter what kind of metal you will be joining.
FAQs
1. What can I use to glue metal to metal?
Yes. Epoxies, polyurethanes, and cyanoacrylate-based adhesives all work well for gluing metal to metal, but an epoxy is probably the most versatile if you need a strong, weather-resistant solution.
2. How do you attach metal to metal without soldering?
Metal to Metal Bonding Without Soldering.
-Emery paper, fine sandpaper, or steel wool
- Wet cloth.
- Trisodium phosphate (TSP) or another cleanser with industrial strength (optional)
- Gloves for protection (optional)
- A lint-free, dry cloth
- Epoxy glue for metal bonding.
- A single-use bowl or plate.
- Using a stick or a coffee stirrer.
3. How do you attach metal to metal?
Metal-to-metal bonding techniques include thermal joining such as welding, brazing, or soldering; mechanical fastening with hardware; and bonding with a liquid adhesive or tape. Each method has distinct advantages and disadvantages, despite the fact that they are frequently used in the same applications.
4. What is the strongest glue for metal to metal?
Epoxy glues are the strongest metal-to-metal adhesives available. Most epoxy products instruct you to mix equal parts adhesive and hardener and apply the resulting material to one of the surfaces you are bonding using an appropriate tool.
5. Can Gorilla Glue be used on metal?
Gorilla Weld is an incredibly strong, two-part adhesive that is ideal for heavy-duty applications. Gorilla Weld is waterproof and extremely versatile, forming a strong, permanent bond to metal, plastics*, concrete, ceramics, PVC, and fiberglass, among other materials. * Contrary to manufacturer's recommendations, this product should not be used on polyethylene or polypropylene plastics.
