Playing with fire

[Comet]

My uncle sold me one of his cutting torch/gas welding sets. I finally got it set up and started playing with it this weekend. What a cool tool. And I didn't blow myself up! My question is this. I have never gas welded before, but want to learn so I can do some hammer welding. How hard is it and where can I learn to do it. I've got several welding tips, cutting torches and heating tip. It's a Victor Journeyman series, so it's a pretty good set up.

 

[Jeepless]

http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/80518/

 

[Comet]

Thanks Jeepless. I guess I didn't ask my question right. I got the hammering part, and that article was helpful. But it didn't say much, if anything about the welding process or steps.

 

[Jeepless]

AWH, got ya....my bad I just did a google search ..

 

[Comet]

No worries, it was a good article. I printed it out. I'm googling myself (why does that sound dirty?:redneck: )

 

[Dude]

My uncle sold me one of his cutting torch/gas welding sets. I finally got it set up and started playing with it this weekend. What a cool tool. And I didn't blow myself up! My question is this. I have never gas welded before, but want to learn so I can do some hammer welding. How hard is it and where can I learn to do it. I've got several welding tips, cutting torches and heating tip. It's a Victor Journeyman series, so it's a pretty good set up.

when and were do you want to learn?? I seem to know a thing or two about it.

 

[Comet]

Seriously man? Where do you live? I'm not in any rush, but definetly interested.

 

[Jeepless]

No worries, it was a good article. I printed it out. I'm googling myself (why does that sound dirty?:redneck: )

OH yeah, now I do know a little about "googling" BUt I think we shouls save that for a different thread.:clappy:

If you find any good reading let me know, I would love to learn a little more myself.

 

[CrustyJeep]

I'm googling myself (why does that sound dirty?:redneck: )

Because you're a dirty old man :flipoff:









(Takes one to know one :redneck: )

Aww, where's to good :laugh: smiley ... And where's the frown one?

 

[Dude]

Seriously man? Where do you live? I'm not in any rush, but definetly interested.

I live in Redmond, we would probably just do it at your place. I don't have a Ox/Aclt set up any more.

What are you looking to weld?? I have done mild steel and aluminum, which is a lost art in it's self. To be honest with you it is a lot like tig welding in a way, but you have to watch you heat build up in gas welding.

 

[Comet]

Cool, I'm in N. Seattle. Let me get some crap done on my Jeep and get a little organized and I'll let you know. I want to learn for my '61 F100 I'm working on, so it's not a priority right now as I got to get the Jeep running so I can move it in/out of the garage.

 

[Dude]

That's cool with me, you know where to find me.

Are you going old school on the sheet metal??, you will get good at tapping and stretching/shrinking before you are done. another art that is getting lost. You will have to try some leading, that's an art by itself.

 

[Comet]

Yeah I wanna learn on this truck before I go screw up a hot rod. I'm looking for a 30/31 Model A coupe body, so I imagine I'd be needing these skills for that. And yes, leading is something else I want to learn.

 

[Dude]

I haven't learned leading really good, I only had the opportunity to try it once a long time ago, I take more off than I put on!! LOL!!

but I would like to master it also.

 

[Comet]

I hear the key to adhesion is cleanliness. Both the sheet metal and the application stick. And I also hear that in the beginning you do go through lots of lead. People tend to over heat the lead. Bill Hines, the "Lead Sled King" (he was on Monster Garage for that all-star build they did that sectioned custom on) did a good article in either Ol Skool Rodz or their sister rag (which I am forgetting at the moment). Step by step how to.

 

[Hardtop]

Pick up some coat hangers, and practice your self to death. The best tip on gas welding is to heat both surfaces evenly. And practice on differt types of materials after the hangers run out. Copper, bronze, brass.

 

[spidertoy]

hey comet, I learned how in A&P school it is way easy, just have to watch the heat as others have said, but it definitely lets you control the puddle much better, brazing is also fun, I get to do a bit of leading at my work, have to make custom shaped weights for aircraft controls

 

[Dude]

Pick up some coat hangers, and practice your self to death.

and don't forget to burn the paint off if the hanger is painted. Or use mechanics wire, not the cleanest of welds but good to practice with.

Comet, you also need to learn what a "neutral flame" is, it should come to a nice point on the end of the flame with a small blue point at the beginning

 

[Comet]

Yeah, I need to see a pic of a good neutral flame. I hear about it all the time, and I think I have it, but I'd like to compare to something visual, and not just words. I've got an old welding text book I just remembered about. I bet there's something in there. Now if I can just find it!

 

[mattb1]

when i learned gas welding i was taught to crank the actyl till the soot was almost gone, than crank up the oxy till the little yellow flame in the kernel is sitting just on top of the little blue flame in the kernel. thats neutral flame...

carburizing flames (yellow kernel above the blue one) add carbon to your metal. this can be good or bad...

oxydizing flames (no yellow kernel at all, sharp blue point at the kernel) are what your looking for when you want to cut.

gas welding is fun, it's just alot of prep. learn to do it without a rod first to get puddle control down (circles work better for gas than horse-shoes.) then buy some brasing rod and learn the brasing technique (think TIG)