stacked dimes o/a

admin

when i weld with O/A, my welds do not look like a stack of dimes. i dont really care if it is not bad, because i thought if it holds, then it is good enough for the applications i use (bikes, go karts) nothing like cars or anything. am i going too fast? any imput is appreciated.
Reply:pics man, pics"Retreat hell, were just fighting in the other direction"Miller Trailblazer 302, Extreme 12 VS, Dimension 400, Spectrum 375, HF 251D-1, Milermatic 251 w/ spoolgun  Hypertherm 1000Lincoln sp 1702000 F-450 to haul it
Reply:
Reply:Originally Posted by catbed
Reply:Originally Posted by catbedwhen i weld with O/A, my welds do not look like a stack of dimes. i dont really care if it is not bad, because i thought if it holds, then it is good enough for the applications i use (bikes, go karts) nothing like cars or anything. am i going too fast? any imput is appreciated.
Reply:O/A welds are more similar to stick welds but don't stick up as much, the dime stack look is minimal and there is very little change in height that you see in TIG welding. Just work on smooth straight beads.Last edited by 65535; 11-04-2007 at 01:05 AM.
Reply:sample of an o/a weld. Attached ImagesVarious GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:What rod are you using?  What tip?  Are you cleaning the scale off the metal?  What metal thinkness.  Are you getting a puddle on the base metal before adding filler?  Do you have a neutral flame with acetylene?  Looks like your really blowing your puddle around with high pressure or large tip, not necessarily too much heat.  Depending on the size tip, there should be very little noise when the flame is adjusted properly.I have some o/a welds on this forum.  I'll search for the link.Looks good, Doolittle.Last edited by tapwelder; 11-04-2007 at 08:56 AM.
Reply:i am using a 1/16th inch RG45 rod and a number 0 tip. the first picture is 18 gauge steel and the second is 14 gauge. i am getting a puddle but i think i had too much oxygen on one because the puddle was "foaming" sort of.
Reply:Yeah,  I think you are right on the money, Too much oxygen.  Miss on acetylene rich side of neutral, if you have trouble finding neutral.Foamy is the way I would describe oxygen rich puddle also.
Reply:ooh, thats thin.  Id think of brazing on something like that.  You might need to go to a #1 tip as well (at least on the 14 gauge).  And yes, you can go a little on the carbonizing side, but youll have quite a bit of, yep you guessed it, carborizing .  The bubbling comes from the puddle actually boiling, which usually means in my case, that Im not heating the metal quick enough (you have to hold the torch too long to form a puddle).  Realistically, if you dont have a good puddle going 3~5 seconds after laying into your metal, you need to move up a tip size.  Lets say, your puddle is forming nice and quick, your boogying allong, you have to pull the torch away sometimes (I usually do as soon as I start to see the puddle getting to spread and/or it starts to boil) sometimes I wait a minute or two just to let things cool down a bit.  Thin is difficult to do with a torch.  Much more so than that 1/4inch and butt of a 3/8" plate in my pic.  That was done with a #3 tip.I think I also see paint and rust in your pics, clean up as much of that stuff as you can, it contaminates the weld.Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:the rust is from a rusty brush that i brushed it off with. there was no paint or rust on the square tube. ill try getting it shinier. maybe that will help a little.
Reply:Here is some 14 g sheet metal.  It is the corner of a valet cabinet I built about 2 yrs ago.  It was tacked with a stick welder, then backstitched welded downhill between tacks.  It is basically fused, however. Filler was only occasionally added.  The weld is 4 feet long.Sorry about the photo
Reply:This photo was posted on this site quite some time ago, it is someone elses work, but I saved it for reference. I hope the weldor does not mind!  Oxy-Acetylene Weld. City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny