Northern California
 

Hello,

I recently registered while reading an older thread on Atomic-Hydrogen welding, one of my areas of interest. Next spring, I'll be trying to ship an old GE atomic hydrogen welder from the east coast, to my residence in Northern California.

My main focus in welding is Oxy-Acetylene. I consider myself a good weldor of mild steel, and now I am moving on to learning cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and magnesium. I am also going to pickup a cylinder of Hydrogen next tank exchange, and play with Oxy-Hydrogen welding. As my name may indicate, my favorite torches are of the Oxweld sort.

I've got a little machining education as well, and own a small metal shaper in need of repair, and may also purchase a small h/v milling machine, time will tell if that works out.

Thanks for having me!

just simply O/A...O/H
 

Welcome Oxweld.

The old Oxweld torches were sumpin'.
Got a 1920's version that will do .250" aluminum. A manly handful.
Saw an old film of atomic H2 welding -- then passed up an old rig -- no time for non-productive pursuits. Passed up earliest tig machine, too. No time.
Welding aluminum with 1935 victor cut-torch using O/H gives nice results, but the lever is too tempting.
Had I that nice (elusive) flux .... I'd weld Ti .... like the Yak exhausts.
A handful of flame... rod....flux....eyeball shields .... flow it together..... or take lunchbreak ..... just flamebroil some sanddabs..... like the guys at old Ryan Airc.

yeehaw .... got Bialetti pot?
:)

Titanium flux
 

Kent,

An honor to hear from you, I've rented all your videos and bought one each of your welding fluxes.

As to your short comment on titanium flux, I was under the impression that titanium could not be welded via Oxy-Acetylene Welding, only brazed. Is/was there really a flux for titanium gas welding?!

If you ever start up your classes again, I'd love to come by for one, I'm not too far from your shop.

I don't have a bialetti pot... but my percolator seems to make coffee just fine.

gas welding misc stuff
 

Hi Oxweld,
Thinking of doing a workshop within next months? Jan-Feb?
.... Barring chain requirements ...

The earlier Yakovlev piston-engined airplanes had ti exhausts. Gas welded.
I spoke with a number of engineers familiar with the factory. They agreed that the flux was impossible to acquire - made for the companies making the parts.
I tried for 10 years. Gave up.
It's not that my production required it. I can use TIG like all the Western World.

Glad to see you on the forum here.

Years ago, I gas welded some steel lamp buckets together, after having the sections spun. 1914 Stearns "Tonneau" model (sleeve valve engine - was quite a success on the AACA Grand National show tour.)
Lamp bucket on left is welded, cleaned and ready for final surface finishing - welds disappear completely, both inside and out. :)

Attachment 64787

crystallographic,

Yes, I think sometime in jan-feb would work O.K. for me, snow permitting.

Confirmation that the flux existed is exciting, I'd love to attempt some Ti welds with custom flux. Have you looked at this patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20070125986A1/en

Might be a good starting point for those interested.

Your lamp bucket welds are very impressive! The unfinished weld looks very nice, almost a shame to blend it. I suppose I will have to make something and post it now as well!

Thanks for the welcome!

Dates for next workshop: Dec. 3,4,5.

Some patents need "more experimentation." Like this one you list here. Money and time for product development in short supply. Need proven product. Now.

Yes! Glad to have you here.

Oxweld torch welding aluminum tanks, ALCOA book, 1942
 

Attachment 64825

I have always liked this image - young man welding thick aluminum tanks (see filler wire diameter) ...
With a stack of them behind him....
But his reflection in the surface of the tank says so much about his welding method/approach .....

But, then again, it may be self-explanatory to most ...?

That's a very cool photograph, hard to tell which torch he is using, perhaps a W-1?

His reflection looks serious to me, he'd have to have been skilled to construct those tanks. I wonder what they were used for.

Happy Thanksgiving.

...His torch looks exactly like my W-1 ....
Reflection indicates procedure.
Order of tacks and order of welds give reflection quality.
Aircraft tank factory.
Very Happy Thanksgiving ....

Darn wish I’d known about the workshop. When’s the next one? Will the schedule be posted on the tm website?