On Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:15:27 -0400, dave wrote:

looking to heat up a pretty big chunk of steel, preferably near (or
maybe even "at") red. my oxi-acet gas bottles are near empty. rather do
it electrically than get the bottles filled. I have an old miller
dialarc HF welder. what to use for the 'electrode' (heating rod,
really)? I'm hoping for "minimal if any metal transfer" in the process...




You are heating a "pretty big" chunk of steel to near or at red heat. Use
firebricks or ceramic fibre to surround it and reflect the heat back and a
propane torch to heat it. Acetylene or arc heating is like towing a camper van
with a Funny Car.


Mark Rand
RTFM