im i the only one who still gas welds?

I do! I use the Henrob (Cobra) torch. works great. keeps a concentrated heat to just where you are welding. Highly recommend it. I use it on aluminum, stainless steel, steel, and also use it for cutting.
Did I mention that I use it for sheet metal, thin aluminum (down to 22ga.), and sheet stainless.
And you can cut with it!
learned from THE Man -Ron Fournier.

 

I gas weld in emergency like when the I the garage I work at runs out of argon, usually to weld exhaust together, make them fit.
Sometimes end up using coat hangers.

But at home I just take my time and wait to get more gas.

But I think everyone should learn how to gas weld first.

I seen people weld aluminum with gas but I tried and failed miserably I need a Tig for aluminum.

 

I have both TIG and gas and have built dirt bikes with gas welding 4130 tubing and never had it break but since I got my TIG I have gone away from gas but I am going to to start again especially getting proficient at gas welding aluminum. My next project is to build an aluminum wing tank for my lakester project and I want to gas weld the body panels together. I have a CD called "Learn the Art of Traditional Sheet Metalwork" by an English guy, David Gardiner and he gas welds everything and what he does is very impressive. The trick, as with everything, is practice, practice and then practice some more.

Rex

 

I'm using a Henrob for sheelmetal work. It ends up a better job, with lot less grinding, more hammer and dolly work. I use the mig to tack the panel in place or for ch***is work.

 

My dad started me on gas welding. I still prefer it my my mig and tig. Anything over an 1/8 inch and I'll use the mig. I don't know about everywhere else, but gas is expensive here in Colorado.

 

I talked to a piano tuner who preferred gas welding, but usually used MIG for speed and convenience. Never did ask him what he was welding though. He said he had heard of a guy who made a gas welding rig the size of a small backpack and kept it in his car for emergencies.

Personally the only time I got to try it I forgot to put in the solder.

 

Lindsay Publications, Inc. has a great reprint of a World War II training manual ***led "Aircraft Welding" by L.S. Elzea. No. 22911 for $15.95.
Link here: http://www.lindsaybks.com
I have several Lindsay books and they are all practical, hands-on stuff. I've seen this one, I just don't have it for my library yet.

 

what size nozzle do you recommend for a beginner doing 18g and 20g....oxy acetalyne....thanks in advance

 

A friend of mine's gramps had been a lead welder at Mare Island through the war years and beyond, you could name any two metals you could think of, and he could tell you how to weld them together and what kind of welder and rod to use. More than once I saw him gas weld 3/8 plates together, and challenge us whippersnappers to break them apart- lots of seat with sledgehammers, no broken welds
Kinda miss him messin' with us, "Hey Cholly, when you yayhoos get done messin' that up, I'll fix it for ya"

 

I use a Henrob and it works great, I have since stepped up to a Tig and am amazed at what I can do. But, if you are still interested in gas welding and the resources to back it up, you cant get any better than Henrob Jim. You can find his site by doing a google search on "Cuts like plasma" It will take you to his site and shows videos of what he is able to do with it.

I tried out the Henrob at a Metalmeet meet and was impressed with the unit. Not getting any kickbacks here, just happy with the product and what I have heard everyone else's experience. All the guys over at Metalmeet are happy with the sales and service.

 

gas and arc are all i know HOW to do,,lol

 

I still gas weld, just before Christmas my son wrecked his 10 speed, I replaced the bent upper and lower tubes with new 4130 and gas welded them in.

 

Learned to gas weld long ago in high school shop cl***.Still remember the bend before break test we had to p*** when **** welding two pieces together.

 

I gas weld all my headers, ex. systems, small brackets etc. Otherwise it's stick welding. Even did my stainless pushbar w/ stick. I have a small mig ( Lincoln 100 )that's about worthless. Can't seem to get consistent good welds with it. Thats my 2 cents.

 

Yup, part of life as an A&P who works on rag and tube puddle jumpers.

 

Hey ,

For welding this thin of sheet I'd go with a 00 or 0 sized tip. Start with 10# of oxy. & 5# acet. you may have to adjust this as most of the larger regulators don't do a great job at lower pressures.

" S****y Devils C.C. "

 

When I was a kid my Dad and uncles rebuilt Piper Cub airplanes. You know the tube and rag style planes. I was always in the shop and when I was around eight years old I was given my own shop table, and hand tools. I started O/E welding when I was eight. I'm 66 and still practice at least once every two to three month even when I'm not fabricating in steel. I love being able to still weld with the torch after 58 years. I've attempted to teach a lot of guys how to weld with the torch over the years, but most don't have the finesse. There good at cutting things, but the welding isn't easy.
Over the years I have made it a fast rule DO NOT LEND OUT YOUR TORCHES. Every time I did they came back broken. Years ago I purchased the Airco duel gauges. They where almost $300. That would be $3000 in today's money. I use an inexpensive Harbor Freight set today. I have had the Dillon set up for about twenty five years. I think they changed the name.
At one time I was building Pitts aerobatic airplanes. The fuselage was made of 4130. When welding 4130 you can't have even a breeze in the shop.
Anyways I'm new to HAMB. You have to love this website.

 

Using oxy-acetylene as a teen, I've melted more coat hangers than I care to recall.
I'm glad my uncle was around to "fix" my welds.

 

I watched tig work and if I had $2000 I would get one. Mig wore out & I could replace it but it never tripped my trigger. When I built my gas tank, started out with gas mig &new steel, I could tell there were voids, not enough control. I will stay with arc & flame, then I know what I got as I go.

 

Me too...retired from the little aircraft stuff now, but still use the torch. Also have an arc welder and a MIG...all three have their places, but for thin stuff and 4130 tube the torch does it best.

 

I love gas welding, I have a small jewellers oxy acetylene torch with 5 different sized tips.

Bought it on that auction site

It works really well on sheetmetal, I used it on the body of my 26 RPU, a couple pics on my build thread.

 

Hell yeah, and it works great! and you can cut with it. and drop axles, and all kinds of nifty stuff.

 

i do i every now and then but im big on tig welding....smaller heat effected zone doesnt take any longer than a gas weld and you can still hammer weld

 

I googled gas welding aluminum, I spent the next 6 hours watching guys gas weld aluminum with little jeweler type torches. I was in heaven. I welded up a steel plate with no permission or anything just went in the old mans garage and took his cutting torch, yeah cutting torch and welded up some plate. The old guy says God son that looks like pure ****, what the hell did you do? I was all insulted, pissed off, man I just lost it at him I was so insulted, I got all red faced, I said Gol damn pops, first, I did it with a FF'in cutting head and second I am only 8 years old WTF man can't you cut me some FF'in slack. Well I got a beat down, ate some soap, farted a few bubbles and the old man showed me how to gas weld. Hey ****, the first one looked better. HeHe.

 

Without my torch I might as well quit...... Arch weld the big stuff ,Gas weld razor blades.........

 

Welded that way for about 15 years when i first started doing exhaust work until we finally got a mig still try to stay in practice every one in a while..

 

thanks for the tip

 

ditto!

 

A few years ago, before I had my Tig or the Henrob, I was contracted to build a round oil tank for a Harley. I got a piece of Semi truck exhaust pipe and hand hammered two end caps. I decided to gas weld the ends on and thought it looked pretty good, nice beads and all. When the guy brought the bike over to show me the finished product, I noticed he didnt grind the welds down on the tank. He said it looked so good with the weld beads that he decided to leave them. You cant get that good looking bead with the mig, only with the TIG can I get the good looking weld beads that show up with gas welding.

 

I have a arc, mig and a cobra. Arc not used much but good for the heavy stuff. Most of my work is with a 220V mig. I am new to the Henrob but use it for heating and bending ornamental iron work. I plan to keep working with it as time goes by.
My neighbor who started out in the shipyards in S.F. in the '50's always amazes me with his Oxy setup. He has generously given me lots of instruction on the Oxy. Ace. but I still have a hard time cutting thru 1" plate without leaving any slag. No Problem for him. He is very protective of his torches and tips and talks of the old timers in his day never loaning out their torches. You want to learn to weld, first thing "buy your own torch and I will show you everything you need to know"