Acceptable Stress in final welds for mild steel

[Shield Arc]

1. Welding tip.
2. Cutting tip.
3. Rose bud.

 

[Arc weld]

I like to use oxygen & acetylene torch for heat shrinking. Most of the time I just use a cutting tip. For really thin material I'll use a welding tip. For large beams I'll use a rose bud.
Yes heat the red area. You can let it cool by it's self or spray water on the heated zone to speed things up. No, once you heat something, and it cools it moves, then stays there. The technique is easy, the trick is, how much heat to apply!

I've seen a couple guys automatically cool with the water when they didn't need too. The movement won't come right away. It will start to move while cooling off and may take a minute or two to see the results. There's probably a temperature range when it's cooling that makes the most difference but I don't know what it is.

 

[Budweiser John]

Sorry, should have paid closer attention. Bottom line, make the heat forces work to your advantage. Reasonable welding skills will save you thousands. Practice makes perfect

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

[Budweiser ad voice: Here We Go!]

SA, no offense, but if you're gonna post stuff like this:

"oxygen & acetylene torch" - Best ones? What should I buy if I've never used one before? Should I even have one? (Yea, I know really dumb question).

"welding tip" - OK, this is about welding, but what does it look like????

"cutting tip" - What does that look like?

"rose bud" - OMG - just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse!!! What the heck does a bunch of roses have to do with welding???? Wait, are we taking heating or welding, I'm lost.....


"spray water" - thank god, finally something I know about!



Never mind, maybe it's better to start another thread and not derail this one.

Thanks (from the torch-challenged ones)!

Never ask a welder what the "best" of anything is. lol. There are plenty of good brands out there. Walk into you local welding store and ask what journeyman size class torch is on sale and buy it. (Journeyman is actually a Victor name but it will convey the size). Buy or lease the largest cylinders you can afford.

Even with the price of acetylene ( I recommend getting the propane kit as well for your torch) I tell people who are getting a plasma cutter in lieu of a oxyfuel torch, that they need to get the oxyfuel torch first. For heating there is no substitute. All a plasma cutter can do is cut/gouge. An Oxy Acetylene torch can be used to coax, encourage, and whip a piece of metal into/ out of shape. It can be used to weld. It can be used to cut. And my latest application on memorial day, when I forgot I was out of lighter fluid, start fires.

 

[aczlan]

[Budweiser ad voice: Here We Go!]
SA, no offense, but if you're gonna post stuff like this:
"oxygen & acetylene torch" - Best ones? What should I buy if I've never used one before? Should I even have one? (Yea, I know really dumb question).
"welding tip" - OK, this is about welding, but what does it look like????
"cutting tip" - What does that look like?
"rose bud" - OMG - just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse!!! What the heck does a bunch of roses have to do with welding???? Wait, are we taking heating or welding, I'm lost.....
"spray water" - thank god, finally something I know about!
Never mind, maybe it's better to start another thread and not derail this one.
Thanks (from the torch-challenged ones)!

On the other hand, how many times do you want him to answer the same questions? Such questions make me wonder, how much should a newbie get off their duff and research on their own?
If I read something I don't understand, I'll look for it, online. For example, the 4th result for "oxygen & acetylene torch" is: Oxy-fuel welding and cutting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (the first and 3rd are Harbor Freight and Northern Tool torch sets).
The Wikipedia page will answer all your questions above with pictures.

Aaron Z

 

[PhysAssist]

On the other hand, how many times do you want him to answer the same questions? Such questions make me wonder, how much should a newbie get off their duff and research on their own?
If I read something I don't understand, I'll look for it, online. For example, the 4th result for "oxygen & acetylene torch" is: Oxy-fuel welding and cutting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (the first and 3rd are Harbor Freight and Northern Tool torch sets).
The Wikipedia page will answer all your questions above with pictures.

Aaron Z

Hi Aaron,

I agree, and give you (and SA) mega credit for being, shall we say, uncomplicated, and answering the questioner's post with a factual and philosophical answer, you are clearly much nicer and more honest people than I am.

I say this because in my twisted and suscious mindset, I read the questions and the staccato manner in which they were posted and immediately presumed that the poser (of the questions) was being disingenuous and facetious (or maybe the word originaly "typoed" in there-factious, was more correct) in posting them.

Of course that may be just because I just got done reading the long (13-pages) thread about improving your welding and was a little shell shocked, or maybe I am just a bad person.

Be that as it may, you are right and while we do benefit from the pros answering questions, sometimes the lessons stick better when you have had to do a little work to get the answers. Besides, you never know what you are going to find out while you are looking it up.

Finally, and even further off topic, I love your RAH quote and have pretty much read everything he ever wrote, and even the stuff Spider ghostwrote for him after so unkindly removed any chance of new masterpieces by shuffling off this mortal coil, God bless the old reprobate.

Thomas

 

[aczlan]

Be that as it may, you are right and while we do benefit from the pros answering questions, sometimes the lessons stick better when you have had to do a little work to get the answers. Besides, you never know what you are going to find out while you are looking it up.

Excellent point, I hadn't thought of that when I replied, but when you have to work for something (vs having it given to you) you retain ti much better.

Finally, and even further off topic, I love your RAH quote and have pretty much read everything he ever wrote, and even the stuff Spider ghostwrote for him after so unkindly removed any chance of new masterpieces by shuffling off this mortal coil, God bless the old reprobate.

Its a quote that I try to live by, life gets boring if you don't learn something every day.


Aaron Z

 

[cqaigy2]

Good posts, thanks for the lesson!

When i don't understand something simple like what is a 'welding tip' or 'suscious mindset', i found i can use my mouse to highlight it then 'right' click and select Search Google for "suscios mindset" and that pops up a tab with information that most find will get them on their way.

BTW i really did look up suscious because PhysAssist has a pretty good vocabulary and it was pretty early with out coffee.

 

[FTG-05]

The way I look at stress (in steel) is pretty simplistic:

Stress = Force/Area.

You can't do much about the Force. So maximize the Area: full and deep penetrating welds, orthogonal weld joints, doubler plates and gussets. I like to keep it simple, if I screw up the welding, the joint design, gussets/doublers (if any) will help spread the stress to below critical levels.

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

[Budweiser ad voice: Here We Go!]

SA, no offense, but if you're gonna post stuff like this:
"oxygen & acetylene torch" - Best ones? What should I buy if I've never used one before? Should I even have one? (Yea, I know really dumb question).
"welding tip" - OK, this is about welding, but what does it look like????
"cutting tip" - What does that look like?
"rose bud" - OMG - just when you thought it couldn't possibly get any worse!!! What the heck does a bunch of roses have to do with welding???? Wait, are we taking heating or welding, I'm lost.....
"spray water" - thank god, finally something I know about!
Never mind, maybe it's better to start another thread and not derail this one.

Thanks (from the torch-challenged ones)!

Go with oxy/propane - it's cheaper to run and saves you from having to buy an acetylene tank

You can cut and heat with it, just not weld (most people generally prefer other types of welding anyway)

...And quit being "torch challenged" and go get one!