So how do you weld 18" plate?

   / So how do you weld 18" plate? #1  

woodlandfarms

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Today a buddy and I ventured down to the uss Iowa for a tour. I was marveling at the reinforced gun turrets and command and control bunkers and then realized how did the weld these massive plates of steel? Heck how did they work with any of that steel. There was some note about it also being hardened... It is a beautiful ship btw. Lower than I ever imagined but man these 16" guns are huge.

Any ideas?

Carl
 
   / So how do you weld 18" plate? #2  
Submerged arc ...
 
   / So how do you weld 18" plate? #3  
Buy a box of 8 inch diameter 7018 rod and crank up your welder to 21000 amps.
 
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   / So how do you weld 18" plate? #4  
Did you see the welds?

Just think if you did a 45° V grove, you would only have about 32" of space to fill the weld in with. to get your 16" depth. Was that all with stick welding... and a team of slag chippers?

Doesn't the railroad do thermite welding?
Perhaps they could do something similar on the navy ships.
 
   / So how do you weld 18" plate? #5  
You don't do v groove. I watched welding of vessel for a nuclear reactor. it was done by a (I assume) MIG operated by a machine moving the torch (perpendicularly to plates) in and out in the slot between the plates.
 
   / So how do you weld 18" plate? #6  
Buy a box of 8 inch diameter 7018 rod and crank up your welder to 21000 amps.

Saw a thing on TV yesterday where they were "spot" welding the closure plug on radioactive material canisters. It exerts 40,000# of force and used 250,000 amps for 1.5 seconds. Wonder what size work leads that takes?
 
   / So how do you weld 18" plate? #8  
Saw a thing on TV yesterday where they were "spot" welding the closure plug on radioactive material canisters. It exerts 40,000# of force and used 250,000 amps for 1.5 seconds. Wonder what size work leads that takes?

I was working on construction of an elecrolyser for electrolysis of saturated salt solution. It used 120000 A at, if I remember it right, around 60 V. The feed was aluminum bar about 30 by 60 cm or 12" by 24". When you walked below you mechanical watch stopped working. One guy threw a cable tray up to the feeders. It was just sucked in and evaporated in a single flash of light.
 
   / So how do you weld 18" plate? #9  
my grandfather welded ice breaker hulls.
12" thick vee'd 6" on each side.
it was a 3 day rotation for the welding crews.
first day he would hang over the side welding hull, sitting in a bosun's sling. with the engne driven hobart hanging beside him so he could control it. next day he would be inside welding hull. third day was welding overhead on the deck plates.

but remember back then men were men.
 
 
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