11.27.2005

Since you can't use oil based products on Acetylene torches, what is the best way to keep torches and tips clean?

Tips are cleaned with little kits that contain a file and some little toothy wire rods. You simply burnish the end of the tip with the file and push the appropriate size wire rod down the hole or holes in the tip.

Do not use any thread sealer. Just keep everything clean and completely free of oil or grease. Typically, the torch head to torch body connections are hand tight only. The torch to hose body connections are wrench tight but not incredibly so. Barely tight enough to not leak is what you want.If your threads are dirty use a tooth brush or something with soft bristles. Brass is soft.

Welding the Roswell UFO...

In a funny moment in the Google Welding Newsgroup (which I read often), a poster threw this out...

My granddaddy was living near Roswell in 1947 and now he died and I found some parts of the Roswell UFO in his old barn, some odd alien device.

How can I weld these UFO parts, it's a unknown alien material ???

I want to repair the alien device and sell it for big $$$ !!! If you help me and it works, I will pay anyone who helped me $1 Million !

As you can imagine, the responses ranged from humorous to dismissive.

11.16.2005

Harris Calorific, Airgas Join Forces for Laser Offering, Including New Configurator

This press release comes from Business Wire.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 2005---In a joint press conference at the 2005 FABTECH International(R)/AWS Welding Show today, Gainesville, GA-based Harris Calorific, Inc. and Airgas, Inc. (NYSE:ARG) announced an agreement to jointly market gases and gas control equipment for carbon dioxide lasers used in materials processing.

With this agreement, Airgas has chosen to exclusively market Harris Calorific laser gas control equipment. Airgas, in turn, will have exclusive use of a new customized Airgas Laser Gas Configurator developed by Harris Calorific. The Configurator will help Airgas' nearly 1,000 sales force select the right gases and gas handling equipment for their customers' laser equipment.

The Configurator is programmed with data on more than 600 different carbon dioxide lasers and can quickly determine the required lasing, purge and assist gases, pressure, flow, and gas control equipment, based on the laser, the types of materials being worked and the laser runtime.

"Our combined knowledge of the laser marketplace will help Airgas and Harris better serve laser cutting operators, so they can be more productive U.S. manufacturers," said Tom Thoman, vice president - gases, for Airgas, Inc. "This will be an important element in the full product offering that we bring to our laser cutting customers."

"We are excited about joining forces with Airgas," said David Bell, manager - Special Products Group for Harris Calorific, Inc. "Based on Airgas' extensive customer base, we know they work with many existing laser customers. Our new Airgas Laser Gas Configurator will help laser owners optimize their performance."

11.15.2005

Huge welding auction in Seattle...but it's tomorrow...

They have a ton of stuff on auction at the Seattle Shipyards tomorrow, Nov. 16. They have a 28 page PDF catalog listing more than 1,300 welding related items. You can download that from the auctioneers' page, here.

Some of it includes:
  • LODGE & SHIPLEY AVS engine lathe, 22" swing, 72" center distance, 3-jaw chuck, tool post, TRUE TRACE tracer attachment
  • LODGE & SHIPLEY engine lathe, 18" swing, 12' bed, collet chuck
  • LE BLOND engine lathe, 14" swing, 30" center distance, 3-jaw chuck, tool post, s/n: B11819
  • GRAZIANO SAG 17 lathe, 17" swing, 60" center distance, tool post, collet chuck
  • BULLARD 54" vertical turret lathe, SONY Magnascale X-Y digital readout
  • GISHOLT 4L turret lathe, 28" swing, 3-jaw chuck, s/n: 990-2
  • WARNER & SWASEY 1A turret lathe, 20" swing, tool post
  • BRIDGEPORT vertical milling machine, 9"x42" power feed table, 1 hp, s/n: 70759
  • LAGUN FTV-2S vertical milling machine, PATHFINDER X-Y digital readout, power feed table, s/n: SE3017A
  • ACER vertical milling machine, ANILAM X-Y digital readout, 9"x42" power feed table
  • BURGMASTER Econocenter NC milling/drilling machine, GE Mark Century controls, 39"x62" table
  • HERCULES radial arm drill, 8" column, 3' arm
  • METAL MUNCHER ironworker
  • SUNNEN MBB1600 hone, s/n: 43869
  • HARIG Super 618 surface grinder w/6"x18" mag chuck
  • PARKER hydraulic tube bender, s/n: 1652
  • DENISON 50 TON hydraulic press
  • WHEELABRATOR shot blast cabinet w/6' table
  • Sand blast system w/(4) hoses, storage system
  • TRINCO 36/BP sand blast cabinet w/dust collector, s/n: 45830-6
  • (4) horizontal band saws
  • AMROX 12 spd drill press
  • 60' cutting & burning table, BURNY IV controls, (2) THERMAL ARC PAK 45 plasma cutters, 8'x40' plate capacity
  • (2) LINCOLN Idealarc 1000 welders
  • LINCOLN R3S800 welder
  • (3) LINDE 600 welders
  • (2) LINCOLN Idealarc DC600 welders
  • (26) LINCOLN R3R500 welders
  • (9) LINCOLN R3S400 welders
  • LINCOLN Idealarc 400 welder
  • MILLER Synchrowave 350 welder
  • (28) MILLER XMT 304 welders
  • (24) POWCON 300 SM welders
  • AIRCO 300 amp welder
  • MILLER 300 amp welder
  • MILLER CP200 welder
  • (2) AIRCO Pulse Arc welders
  • (2) WESTINGHOUSE welders
  • (7) MILLER Mk VIII 8 bank welders
  • BIRDSELL 8-bank welder
  • (5) MILLER XRA wire feeders
  • (30) MILLER S32P wire feeders
  • (10) LINCOLN LN25 wire feeders
  • QNW 650 CFM compressor w/ZURN air dryer
  • (4) SPEEDFLO airless paint pumps
  • GRACO airless paint pump
  • KREMLIN airless paint pump
  • (2) MTM 4000 psi portable water blasters
  • (8+) COFFING, CM 1-ton chain hoists w/jib
  • Assortment of chain hoists, lifting magnets, overhead cranes, welding equipment, welding leads, welding positioner, cutting tables, air hose, work benches, vises, machine vises, hand & power tools, pedestal grinders, SYNCHRO-LIFT boat lift, (3) 20'x45' portable sheds, 66'x96' steel shed w/bridge cranes, 50'x120' carpenter shop, 60'x120' steel shop building w/bridge cranes, other shipyard buildings, stores & supplies, too much more to list!

Friction Stir Welding - What's it mean to you?


Friction stir welding, a process invented at Cambridge, involves the joining of metals without fusion or filler materials. It is used already in routine, as well as critical applications, for the joining of structural components made of aluminium and its alloys. Indeed, it has been convincingly demonstrated that the process results in strong and ductile joints, sometimes in systems which have proved difficult using conventional welding techniques. The process is most suitable for components which are flat and long (plates and sheets) but can be adapted for pipes, hollow sections and positional welding. The welds are created by the combined action of frictional heating and mechanical deformation due to a rotating tool. The maximum temperature reached is of the order of 0.8 of the melting temperature.

It's a manufacturing process welding type that really shows potential for things like building cars and other production items.

Wikipedia calls it the "Frictional heat is generated between the wear resistant welding tool shoulder and nib, and the material of the work-pieces. This heat, along with the heat generated by the mechanical mixing process and the adiabatic heat within the material, cause the stirred materials to soften without reaching the melting point (hence cited a solid-state process), allowing the traversing of the tool along the weld line in a a plasticised tubular shaft of metal. As the pin is moved in the direction of welding the leading face of the pin, assisted by a special pin profile, forces plasticised material to the back of the pin whilst applying a substantial forging force to consolidate the weld metal. The welding of the material is facilitated by severe plastic deformation in the solid state involving dynamic recrystallization of the base material."

Some places to check it out include...

11.09.2005

Welding curtains protect eyes, reduce debris, flashburns

I've seen these used in a lot of shop environments, and think they work pretty well...

Welding curtains are an inexpensive way to segment off an area and keep it free of debris and dust from the welding area and sparks from everything else. The barrier material is available in many different configurations. It protects workers adjacent to welding operations from welding hazards like sparks, spatter, and ultraviolet light.

These barriers are free-standing sewn curtain panels, as strip curtains, or as bulk rolls of film or strip. Sewn curtain panels are offered with, or without a self-supporting frame. Screens with frame have optional casters. Strip curtain material is available in a bulk roll, with strip door hardware, as replacement strips, or with specialized hardware to build custom work stations.