Weld aluminium with Dillon's soft 0.5 bar flame
Aluminium melts at 660 °C and burns through easily if the flame is too strong. Dillon's unique mixing chamber produces an extremely concentrated 0.5 bar flame — full control, minimal heat spread, and seams you can hammer and file.
See also: Gas welding with Dillon – the basicscast iron repair
Aluminum needs precise heat control – the small nozzles in the kit give a precise, controllable flame.
Why aluminium is difficult with ordinary gas welding
Conventional oxy-acetylene at higher pressure produces a turbulent flame that scatters heat in all directions. In thin aluminium this quickly leads to burn-through, deformation and failed seams. Aluminium demands precise heat control.
Dillon's soft 0.5 bar flame — why it works
The soft flame lays a protective gas atmosphere over the melt and concentrates the heat exactly where you point. Together with aluminium wire and flux you get controlled welding even in 1 mm sheet — full penetration without burning through.
What you need to weld aluminium
See aluminium welding in the workshop
Tips for best results
Clean the surface before welding
Brush away the oxide layer with a wire brush or scrape the surface clean. Clean aluminium welds easier.
Always use aluminium flux
Flux breaks the oxide layer and lets the melt flow out. Without flux the joint fails.
Keep the flame soft and moving
Don't let the flame stay still — keep aluminium moving to avoid burn-through.
How to gas weld aluminium – step by step
1. Clean and degrease
Brush the joint with a stainless steel brush used only for aluminium, then degrease. Clean aluminium welds more easily.
2. Apply flux
Mix the aluminium flux with water into a paste and brush it onto the joint and the wire.
3. Set a soft, neutral flame
Set 0.5 bar on both gases and adjust to a neutral flame. For thin sheet use a small nozzle – size 0, or 0.5 which comes with the Pro Kit.
4. Wait for the flux, then add wire
When the flux turns glossy and fluid, the metal is ready. Add the wire and keep the flame moving so the sheet does not burn through.
5. Wash off flux residue
Flux residue is corrosive. Wash it off with warm water once the joint has cooled.
When gas welding suits aluminium
Thin aluminium sheet
Sheet down to 1 mm where a TIG welder feels oversized – full penetration without burning through.
Cast aluminium
Cast aluminium can be welded with the right wire and flux.
Jobs without three-phase power
Dillon runs without electricity – all you need is acetylene and oxygen.
Pick the right wire
Unknown or mixed alloy and general repairs: aluminium wire 5 % Si. AlMg and marine parts: 5 % Mg. Pure aluminium (99.5 %): pure aluminium wire.
New to gas welding?
Read the basics on pressure, a neutral flame and how to lay your first seam with Dillon.
Read the gas welding guideGas welding aluminium FAQ
Can you weld aluminium with gas welding?
Yes. With aluminium flux, the right wire and a soft flame, gas welding works very well on aluminium. Dillon’s 0.5 bar flame gives the heat control thin aluminium needs.
Why is aluminium hard to gas weld?
Aluminium forms an oxide layer in air at once. The oxide melts at around 2,000 °C while the metal underneath melts at about 660 °C – and aluminium does not change colour as it heats up. Without the right technique you burn through before you see it.
How thin can I weld aluminium with Dillon?
Down to 1 mm. The soft, concentrated flame gives full penetration without burning through or warping the sheet.
Do I need flux for aluminium?
Yes, always. Flux breaks the oxide layer and lets the wire flow out. Wash the residue off with warm water afterwards, as it is corrosive.
Which filler wire should I use?
Aluminium wire 5 % Si for unknown or mixed alloys and general repairs, 5 % Mg for AlMg and marine parts, and pure aluminium wire for pure aluminium (99.5 %).
Which nozzle suits thin aluminium?
A small nozzle: size 0 comes with the Standard Kit and 0.5 comes with the Pro Kit.
What do I need besides the kit?
Oxygen and acetylene, regulators for both gases (0–1 bar), a low-pressure twin hose, DIN 5 welding goggles and gloves – plus aluminium flux and aluminium wire.
You need a Dillon torch
Ordinary high-pressure gas welding doesn't work for precision in thin aluminium — you need Dillon's soft 0.5 bar flame. Standard Kit or Pro Kit includes torch, tips and accessories.
Learn more
Related guides
Gas welding with Dillon
Soft seams, runs without electricity, reaches materials MIG can't.
Standard or Pro?
Compare the kits and see which fits your needs.
Repair cast iron
Structural repairs with soft 0.5 bar flame and control.
Why 0.5 bar?
Soft concentrated flame without turbulence — why Dillon is different.
Dillon vs ordinary gas welding
Softer flame, better control, workable seams.
The starter guide
Free guide to gases, pressure and your first seam.