Reply to: RE>Re: welders
With all this talk about MIG and Stick welders, I just thought I'd put in a
plug for my favorite welding equipment. It's called the "oxy-acetalene torch",
and for my purposes, its the most versatile welder around. With it you can:
* Do precision work: An oxy-acetalene flame is not as bright as an
electric arc, so the goggles you must wear are not as dim. You can actually
see something before you start welding. Therefor, you can weld exactly where
you want, instead of "in the neighborhood."
* Weld thin sheet metal. You can make little tiny welds that leave nary
a bead. If you want to, you can also learn "hammer welding", which leaves no
bead at all.
* Shrink sheet steel. Does your panel "Oil can" after fixing that dent?
No problem. You can use your torch to "shrink" the steel so that the oil can
goes away.
* Heat things. Stuck exhaust nuts? Shine this oxy-acetalene light on
them, and they'll back off smooth as silk.
* Braze: Want a low-temp process? Get some bronze or nickel-silver
brazing rod. I met a man who builds racing motorcycle space frames out of
Crome-moly tubing held together with high-strength brazing rod. By brazing
instead of welding, he does not destroy the temper of his tubing.
* Big stuff: No problem, just get a bigger tip and turn that flame up.
Admittedly, you can weld thicker stock with a stick welder, but my need for
welding 3/4" steel is quite limited :-)
* Cutting: With the proper tip, like a hot knife through butter.
In conclusion, if I had to get along with ONLY ONE WELDER, it would be gas,
not electric.
- Jerry
p.s. In actuality, of course, I am filthy rich, and have a large selection of
MIG, TIG, stick, and gas equipment.... Right across the garage from the lathe,
the Bridgeport and the twin lifts... OUCH! Stop hitting me! A guy can
fantasize, can't he?
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