I am now the owner of quite a few oddball torch tips, all of which fit my Airco
torch. Ernie was telling me yesterday about CJP weld joints, where you have to
prepare a butt joint with a full vee and a backing plate, weld it up 100%, turn
it over and scarf (arc gouge) away the backing plate, and weld it from the back.
This achieves C-omplete J-oint P-enetration. I was quailing at the thought of
how I might be able to do that and lo today into my lap drops a small fortune in
gouging tips. They say in various online catalogs these are useful for both
beveling plates for vee welds, and for gouging away back plates. Only problem is
I don't know how to use a gouging tip. Anyone ever do this and want to try to
explain how? I don't want to go out and do something stupid. A No. 13 rivet
washing tip looks like you could drop a No. 10 set screw right down the oxygen
orifice without it touching *anything*. HUGE. That thing could make a blob of
steel that could go right through a leather boot, for example.

Grant Erwin