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  #21  
Old 09-02-2020, 09:38 AM
billfunk29 billfunk29 is offline
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Default Hydro welder

Quote:
Originally Posted by Onicam1962 View Post
So for me, wanting to get into gas welding aluminum sheet (063 and thinner) would a hydro-welder like this actually work? I have limited space in my garage, and my TiG, MiG, and Plasma are already filling up space. I'd like to avoid having even more gas bottles taking up space.

I bought the flux from Tinman a while back...It's just been sitting, waiting for me to invest in a gas welding setup. The manufacturer of that unit in your link sells directly...in fact, they sell factory refurbs for around a grand.

Would a unit like this be a smart idea, in lieu of a traditional O/A setup? Do the little nozzles on the torch produce enough "umph" to do the job? It appears at though there's a flux that is produced in the chemical process of converting to hydrogen....would I still use the flux I got from Kent? Now that summer is winding down, I'll have more time to spend in my garage with my metal shaping activities.

Mike
I went out and did a little test with the hydro welder we have. I could not get a 14 gauge tip to keep a flame. The image attached is an 18 gauge tip. Standard hypodermic tips. Plastic ones like the image don't last long. All stainless are available. I didn't have flux here to weld, but I could melt .040 Alum.
hydro weld1.jpg

hydroiweld2.jpg

hydroweld3.jpg
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  #22  
Old 09-02-2020, 10:29 AM
BTromblay BTromblay is offline
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Hi,

I would recommend seeing if they have available tip sizes as listed on the tip size chart from TM Tech, per material thickness. With Hydrogen, use one size larger tip then listed for Acetylene, due to the lower flame temp. My concern would be not having enough BTU's to weld effectively.

Tip chart.pdf

B
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  #23  
Old 09-04-2020, 01:02 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billfunk29 View Post
I went out and did a little test with the hydro welder we have. I could not get a 14 gauge tip to keep a flame. The image attached is an 18 gauge tip. Standard hypodermic tips. Plastic ones like the image don't last long. All stainless are available. I didn't have flux here to weld, but I could melt .040 Alum.
Attachment 57337

Attachment 57338

Attachment 57339

Hi Bill,
"18 gauge" is a curve ball for me, at my level of experience.
Due probably to aluminum gauge, steel gauge, stainless gauge, B&S wire gauge etc all being different? Is it possible to use something like decimal inch or mm, please? Or a drill size?

Torch tip sizes vary in diameter per size from each company, so using tip sizes are unhelpful unless including Mfr.
Hypodermics used as welding/brazing tips are probably unfamiliar to most sheetmetal craftsmen - unless they've been exposed to jewelry manufacture, also .... along the way ...?

And - O/A gets those skinny tubes REAL hot, super quick.... Probably why hypos are used by O/natgas-propane-propylene-hydrogen more-so than O/A.
(Just trying to enhance clarity a wee bit, Bill .... )
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  #24  
Old 09-04-2020, 05:08 PM
billfunk29 billfunk29 is offline
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Sorry, gauge is a medical standard for hypodermic needles. All the ones that have the lure lock taper.
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  #25  
Old 09-04-2020, 06:29 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billfunk29 View Post
Sorry, gauge is a medical standard for hypodermic needles. All the ones that have the lure lock taper.

Oh.
Ah, well then it appears to be the Birmingham Wire gauge (derived from Stubbs Iron Wire gauge) and measures the Outside Diameter of the hypo.
I guess piercing things needs an O.D. measurement and not the I.D. for measuring the flow of anything.
And so, from originating back in the early 19th century we now know the current US medical gauge system for hypodermic needles, catheters, cannulae and suture wires.
Who'da thunkit?
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  #26  
Old 09-07-2020, 01:02 PM
crystallographic crystallographic is offline
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Originally Posted by lots2learn View Post
Did you mean the TIG guys use Argon/Helium mix for greater penetration?

Not mixing Hydrogen for tig ...NO.


Yes, Helium adds an agitating component to the arc, helping the arc to clean the joint and also to push deeper into the molten pool for deeper penetration. Newer machines have an electric setting to do that now, without chemistry.

I have a 1980 model "Semit mixer" on the side of my 1981 Miller 250 DialArc, enabling me to mix any two gases at any ratio, at any time. Helium is one, CO2 another, O2 a third .... darn machine never gives me good reason to replace it ... going on - dang - 40 years -???? sheeeesh.

But not so "whizzy" - just simply good tig welding practice.

(Or maybe the Lear Aviation welder I learnt from had good advice...?

And I attended a few Aluminum Association national conferences .... chatted with the guys who write the aluminum welding books ....)


I try to get out and around a little ....
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