Meld Metals with Welding and Brazing

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

If brazing turns out to be your thing, and you want to invest in equipment that delivers more heat and costs less to operate, consider an air/acetylene torch. It requires only one cylinder of compressed acetylene gas (you can buy or rent small, portable tanks). The torch mixes the acetylene with ambient air to create a moderately hot, blue flame. Air/acetylene torches generate plenty of heat for larger brazing jobs. The best units combine a push-button ignition system and a tool caddy that wraps around the tank and holds goggles, tank wrenches or replacement torch tips. A system like this costs $100 to $150, and it’s portable, economical and useful for many jobs.

WADE INTO WELDING

You can weld in several ways, but all the processes boil down to the same basic premise: Apply enough heat to melt metal parts so they fuse together, and then let the weld area cool. The heat can come from a burning gas, such as acetylene, or from a high-voltage electric spark that jumps (arcs) from the welding tool to the metal you’re welding. Regardless of the heat source, good welds are stronger than the surrounding metal, in part because metal is added to the weld from a rod or wire that melts into it. With the proper equipment and materials, you can weld cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum and other metals.

When it comes to acquiring welding gear, you’ve got three main options to consider: oxygen/acetylene torches, stick-type electric arc welders and wire-feed electric arc welders. Each option varies in cost, size and effectiveness. The best system for you depends on your expected usage and your budget.

Gas welding is like brazing in that it’s done with a torch, but instead of using molten bronze to “glue” metal parts together, welding generates enough heat to actually melt the metal on each side of the joint.

To weld, you use a hand-held steel welding rod that melts, adding metal to the weld pool. This added steel fills gaps and boosts joint strength. You hold the torch in one hand and the welding rod in the other, then heat the metal parts at the joint line until a pool of molten steel develops. Move the torch and rod in half-inch diameter circles to keep the weld pool moving along the joint.

You need a really hot flame for gas welding, and that’s where the oxygen/acetylene torch comes in. Two cylinders of compressed gas feed this welding system to create an extremely hot, blue flame that’s suitable for work with all kinds of ferrous metals. Oxygen/acetylene torch systems are available for less than $175 and include gas regulators, hoses and different torch heads for brazing, welding and cutting. The torch heads used for both brazing and welding are relatively simple.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print