welding in the movies

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Hi.  The other day I saw The World's Fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins.  Either Mr. Hopkins knows how to weld or they did some cinematic magic with a couple scenes.  To my memory, most of the actors portraying welders in the movies never touched an electrode holder before in their life.  In particular, remember the opening scene in Flashdance where the lead character is making some bright light, spatter and sparks but can't possibly be producing a real weld?
Reply:So, what is your question.  JohnSMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:I was watching Prison Break last night (the wife likes it) and noticed that the guy was looking out of the bars on the window with no glass in this dirty, old, corroded, moldy, run down prison in the damp Panama jungle.  Problem is the bars appeared to be fresh welded, cold rolled thin-wall tubing and 1 1/2" X 1/8" flat stock within less than an hour or so. No oxidation whatsoever on the steel or welds!!Do they think everyone is stupid enough to buy this crap?   YES!!!Hobart 140 Handler w/ gasHyperTherm Powermax 380 Plasmaoxy/acetylene
Reply:Maybe they used a welding double? Now that would be a job... stunt welder to the stars!
Reply:Why, on that tv show 7 days, are they always cutting something in the room with the sphere?  One would think it was sorta a clean room.Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
Reply:How do they weld without burning the paint?, I wanna learn that trick.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:It's called JB weld.Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
Reply:John,Right.  I guess the questions are:  Have you seen a Hollywood-type movie that accurately portrays a welding (or cutting) operation?  If so, what is the movie, and do you think the actor himself/herself may actually have the welding skill implied by the scene?A bit off topic, a pet peeve is the obligatory movie scene in a "bombed-out" factory with sparks flying all over the place or ladles/pools of molten metal, all with no apparent welders, cutters, foundry workers or steelmakers anywhere about.  Example is the climax of one of the Terminator movies, I forget which one.David
Reply:Originally Posted by Landing ...Have you seen a Hollywood-type movie that accurately portrays a welding (or cutting) operation?  ...do you think the actor himself/herself may actually have the welding skill implied by the scene?...
Reply:I remember the A-Team being pretty convincing.Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
Reply:Remember all the welding scenes in the Dukes of Hazzard?Hobart Stickmate LX AC/DC, Millermatic 252 & 30A spoolgun, Thermal Arc 185 TIG, Miller BWESmith Oxy-AcBridgeport 2J , South Bend 42" 9AHusky 7.5 HP 22.3 CFM 80 gal compressor
Reply:I've seen things in a weld shop that should be made into a movie....but nobody would believe them.....
Reply:Originally Posted by LandingExample is the climax of one of the Terminator movies, I forget which one.David
Reply:You just never know what skills they might have. Harrison Ford is supposed to be a world class carpenter (that's what he did before he made it). One of the Carradine brothers, David I think, has his own foundry and is considered to be somewhat of an expert on the subject. As far as movies go I cannot recall ever seeing a realistic cutting or welding operation in one.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:Anyone remember the movie "Thief" with James Caan? They cut into the safe with an oxygen lance. They built a heck of a fire with the rig and everything looked pretty kosher until one of the guys started spraying the sparks (a lot of sparks) landing on the carpet on the floor with a little CO2 fire extinguisher and putting them out. All around it was an excellent movie.
Reply:Hang on, do you guys means to tell me that stuff that happens in movies isn't true?
Reply:Originally Posted by Jolly RogerYou just never know what skills they might have. Harrison Ford is supposed to be a world class carpenter (that's what he did before he made it). One of the Carradine brothers, David I think, has his own foundry and is considered to be somewhat of an expert on the subject. As far as movies go I cannot recall ever seeing a realistic cutting or welding operation in one.
Reply:That's right.  Now everything you read on the internet is true.  LOLDennisThermal Arc 185-TSWMillermatic Challenger 172VictorO/AAtlas Craftsman 12 by 24 LatheEsab PCM-875Wholesalem Tool Mill-Drill
Reply:I know there are several episodes of Stargate SG-1 where they use a plasma cutter to get through a heavy door. I like how they normally use a full welding helmet, while in real life I generally just use my shade 5 cutting glasses.
Reply:While there was no actual welding in the movie No Country for Old Men < (link), I love the seen where Woody Harrelson is questioning Josh Brolin about being a welder It's a great movie!Talent is a flame. Genius is a fire.- Bern Williams
Reply:What, nobody ever watched The Perfect Storm? Sully's intro is a shot of him blasting sparks in the direction of the camera with an Oxy Acetylene torch. And then, the very believable shot of Billy Tyne swinging from a boom, torch in hand, even under water without snuffing the flame and with one hand, he cuts through the chain to free the Andrea Gail from an uncontrollable stabilizer. {Not that I doubt the endless possibilities on the water!!} How about the Poseidon Adventure? Freed through plate steel one inch thick!!Oh, even more beleivable, the crew of the Seaview in episode after episode breaks out the UW welding crew to make repairs after tangling with all manner of hideous underwater obstacles!! ..and what about Gojira?? Hmmm....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
Reply:Moz,If they used a welding double it was pretty convincing.  The Hopkins character (Burt Munro) is welding along and flips his hood up--it's Hopkins.
Reply:There is also a scene in the beginning of Conspiricy Theory with a fellow sparking something that was SUPPOSED to look like welding.  It looked a lot like he was just striking the arc over and over...just not as bright.One think to keep in mind, Sir A. Hopkins is dern good actor.  Good actors study their subjects a lot.  I bet he ran a few beads before the first scene was shot...that was a great movie, BTW.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I think Russell Crow learnt to play the violin for a role had once. He just would have learn to play a few songs on it, but it would have been tough.Actors learn to ride horses, fight with swords, speak other languages, play musical instruments, dance etc etc etc for their roles. I suspect many of them would able to learn to lay a few beads if the director felt it was a good idea.Raining again here. Worst summer I can remember.Scott
Reply:Originally Posted by LandingA bit off topic, a pet peeve is the obligatory movie scene in a "bombed-out" factory with sparks flying all over the place or ladles/pools of molten metal, all with no apparent welders, cutters, foundry workers or steelmakers anywhere about.  Example is the climax of one of the Terminator movies, I forget which one.David3rd Shift was so much fun. God I was a bum, but the girls were fun!! Steel Thunder Welding LLC. St. Thomas VI USAMM350PBOBCAT 3MAXSTAR 150 STH375 EXTREME PLASMA6.5 HP COMPRESORDEWALT 18, 24, AND 36 VOLTO/A TORCH SETAND SO MUCH MORE I DONT REMEMBERALL IN MY 2005 2500HD EXTENDED CAB L/B
Reply:The absolute WORST movie scene with welding was RED OCTOBER.Laughable, as they were doing a repair with a stick welder  out of position on stainless in a reactor room of a submarine.Even a scratch start inverter TIG would have made more sense.Movie directors really need to start doing their homework. I AM AVAILABLE for consultation.  HAHAHAHHHAH
Reply:Originally Posted by LandingA bit off topic, a pet peeve is the obligatory movie scene in a "bombed-out" factory with sparks flying all over the place or ladles/pools of molten metal, all with no apparent welders, cutters, foundry workers or steelmakers anywhere about.  Example is the climax of one of the Terminator movies, I forget which one.
Reply:I just saw No Country For Old Men  in the theatre.No welding scenes, but a little welding talk between the characters, Lewellyn (a welder on the run with 2 million cash) and Carson (a bounty hunter).It went something like this: Carson-  What do you do? (making small talk)Lewellyn- I'm retired.C- Well what did you do?L- I was a welder.C- Acetylene, mig, tig?L- All of  'em. If it can be welded, I welded it.C- Cast iron?L- Yup.C- I said weld, not braze!    ... Pot metal?L- What'd I say? (irritated)
Reply:yeah I made reference to that movie a few posts back...great film!Talent is a flame. Genius is a fire.- Bern Williams
Reply:under siege has a decent cutting scene in it where seagull opened a hatch to free the crew.the rest of the scenes like when the bad guys were welding that same hatch closed with a o/a torch then it turned into a stick welder were terrible
Reply:Did you notice in the movies - They usually don't bother talking to the welder, unless they need help getting rid of a body!
Reply:Annapolis- The movee have some ship welder, bad welding redo inspect by the guys dad, the guy wearing AD helmet with star and stripe...Unit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles...
Reply:The mini-plasma torches in Aliens 2. The bystanders look at the flame I believe?DanMy instructor said someone will catch on fire during class...He wasn't joking!!
Reply:Serenity... space ship have problem and they redo the hull to get out of the planet... nice space pirate movee...Unit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles...
Reply:a new movie "one missed call" has a zombie weldermakes me laugh
Reply:Originally Posted by noobiexa new movie "one missed call" has a zombie weldermakes me laugh
Reply:which movee...? It's a trend I dont like zombie brain eater... but I love resident evil 1,2,3 and 28 days later, 28 weeks later... I love paranoid movee... have me think of the future... still can t find zombie with a welding equipment.I have 600 over movee in my collection... will check on welding issue when I have my long holidays break... Attached ImagesUnit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles...
Reply:I saw some welders welding the other night on the new transformers movieNothing Ever Got Done By Quitting, Never Give Up.
Reply:There was some good foundry action in The Deer Hunter.
Reply:The macguyver one where he welds a connecting rod with a nickle or a quarter or whatever it was has to be an all time classicJoewww.CummingsHauling.com
Reply:oh yeah and where mac welded a new tab onto a spark plug with a battery and a nail haha, there was another one i know it wasnt mentioned but i cant remeber the name at the moment...Nothing Ever Got Done By Quitting, Never Give Up.
Reply:Yesterday morning some version of Planet Of The Apes was on television.When a CO2 tank was heaved up on the table; I though, now what?Well the torch of coarse. They lit the CO2 torch,   and started cutting with the usual heavy carburizing "movie set" flame!Something else I noticed: Two school-boy looking cops were muscling an ape around.I wondered to myself - Could even the whole police platoon, actually out-wrestle just one unwilling ape !?!    Last edited by denrep; 07-05-2008 at 12:37 PM.
Reply:Those Damn Dirty Apes!!!  http://all-a-cart.comWelding Cart Kits and accessories
Reply:Today  I asked a few guys for their opinions of how many men it would take for the men to win the "many men vs one angry ape challenge."Opinions varied from: "It doesn't matter how many men you have; you can only get four men on an ape's arm and he can shake those four like flies." To:  "Ten of the badest MFRs around couldn't take an angry ape." Whatchya think? Would YOU try it??   Last edited by denrep; 07-05-2008 at 11:12 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Rick MoranI was watching Prison Break last night (the wife likes it) and noticed that the guy was looking out of the bars on the window with no glass in this dirty, old, corroded, moldy, run down prison in the damp Panama jungle.  Problem is the bars appeared to be fresh welded, cold rolled thin-wall tubing and 1 1/2" X 1/8" flat stock within less than an hour or so. No oxidation whatsoever on the steel or welds!!Do they think everyone is stupid enough to buy this crap?   YES!!!
Reply:In one fo the Star Wars movies Chewbacca welds with something that looks like a stick welder...but he can't seem to strike and arc and keep in going...As for legit actualy welding/cutting in that show Home Improvement his oldest son Brad uses a torch to cut some exhaust tubing I think and it is certainly a real cut based on the time it took, the cutting flame and the legit level of sparks...that and a piece of the tubing falls on the floor.I like in the movie K-19 Widowmaker they weld...it takes like 6 people to go in and fix this leak...and its not really fixed it turns out.'Mike
Reply:Originally Posted by BurnitThats because it was 3rd shift, those guys dont do ANYTHING!
Reply:Originally Posted by ironman715In one fo the Star Wars movies Chewbacca welds with something that looks like a stick welder...but he can't seem to strike and arc and keep in going..
Reply:Sorry double post.Last edited by Donald Branscom; 07-06-2008 at 12:46 AM.