TractorByNet.com - View Single Post

Baby Grand · 06-13-2009, 10:03 PM

When I went to welding school we started with "fusion" welding (oxyacetelyne). The instructor wouldn't let us touch any of the other gear until we were able to butt weld two 2x4" mild steel 1/4" plates and then hammer-fold the plates 180 degrees in a vise without any tearing in the weld. After that he cut us loose on the stick, then MIG and finally TIG machines. Mike is dead-on about the value of learning with the gas first. You have to be able to control the puddle size, shape, velocity & the heat to have any hope of getting the weld right. These are the basic variables and they apply to all the other welding methods, too.

Years later, I took a blacksmithing class and learned how to Forge Weld:
>Heat 2 pieces of steel to "sparkling" yellow-orange in your coal or gas fired forge.
>Quickly place the first piece on the face of the anvil and apply a coat of borax to the faying surface.
>The second piece is quickly removed from the forge, held in the desired orientation and given a few sharp blows with the hammer.
To make a successful forge weld you have to have the piece perfectly prepared, get the right heat, and make a few, accurate blows in a matter of seconds. It's really difficult, but dead simple and very satisfying when it works.

There's all kinds of welders and all kind of weldors.

-Jim

06-13-2009, 10:03 PM	#86 (permalink)
Baby Grand Gold Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Windsor, CT. On the bed of former Glacial Lake Hitchcock. Posts: 312	Re: Welding When I went to welding school we started with "fusion" welding (oxyacetelyne). The instructor wouldn't let us touch any of the other gear until we were able to butt weld two 2x4" mild steel 1/4" plates and then hammer-fold the plates 180 degrees in a vise without any tearing in the weld. After that he cut us loose on the stick, then MIG and finally TIG machines. Mike is dead-on about the value of learning with the gas first. You have to be able to control the puddle size, shape, velocity & the heat to have any hope of getting the weld right. These are the basic variables and they apply to all the other welding methods, too. Years later, I took a blacksmithing class and learned how to Forge Weld: >Heat 2 pieces of steel to "sparkling" yellow-orange in your coal or gas fired forge. >Quickly place the first piece on the face of the anvil and apply a coat of borax to the faying surface. >The second piece is quickly removed from the forge, held in the desired orientation and given a few sharp blows with the hammer. To make a successful forge weld you have to have the piece perfectly prepared, get the right heat, and make a few, accurate blows in a matter of seconds. It's really difficult, but dead simple and very satisfying when it works. There's all kinds of welders and all kind of weldors. -Jim __________________ Fair is where you take your cows to be judged.