Butt welding steel rods
 

I'd appreciate a detailed description of O/A butt welding, end to end
of mild steel rod. I use 3/16" and 1/4" mild steeel welding rod. I have
been using a HF ring roller to put arcs and curves in the rod. Now I'd
like to join the curves on multiple planes. Emmo (from this NG) has
mentioned it several times. Do you precision fit the ends, hold the
rods together and add filler rod? Or do you puddle up the ends and then
push together? Pushing them together at puddled temp seems like I might
need an extra set of hands. Also,holding the work on the correct plane
has proven to be a real challenge. Any advice on holding or clamping
devices would also be appreciated. I will be using the joined rods to
form a sculpture. I use a Meco Midget torch. Thanks!
-Mike

mclorson wrote:
I'd appreciate a detailed description of O/A butt welding, end to end
of mild steel rod. I use 3/16" and 1/4" mild steeel welding rod. I have
been using a HF ring roller to put arcs and curves in the rod. Now I'd
like to join the curves on multiple planes. Emmo (from this NG) has
mentioned it several times. Do you precision fit the ends, hold the
rods together and add filler rod? Or do you puddle up the ends and then
push together? Pushing them together at puddled temp seems like I might
need an extra set of hands. Also,holding the work on the correct plane
has proven to be a real challenge. Any advice on holding or clamping
devices would also be appreciated. I will be using the joined rods to
form a sculpture. I use a Meco Midget torch. Thanks!
-Mike


Best way I've found to fit stuff like this is to push it down in a
sandbox and work it into position. Try fitting with just a little gap,
put a drop of filler on each side of the joint or just one drop and
carry the heat across.

John

Hi Mike,

I have responded via email, but essentially, I use Oxy-fuel, a lot of heat,
no filler, no jigs or clamps, holding one piece in my left hand and the
other in a vise. Lots of practice, grinding when necessary.

Good luck!

"mclorson" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'd appreciate a detailed description of O/A butt welding, end to end
of mild steel rod. I use 3/16" and 1/4" mild steeel welding rod. I have
been using a HF ring roller to put arcs and curves in the rod. Now I'd
like to join the curves on multiple planes. Emmo (from this NG) has
mentioned it several times. Do you precision fit the ends, hold the
rods together and add filler rod? Or do you puddle up the ends and then
push together? Pushing them together at puddled temp seems like I might
need an extra set of hands. Also,holding the work on the correct plane
has proven to be a real challenge. Any advice on holding or clamping
devices would also be appreciated. I will be using the joined rods to
form a sculpture. I use a Meco Midget torch. Thanks!
-Mike

On 24 May 2005 09:48:52 -0700, "mclorson"
wrote:

I'd appreciate a detailed description of O/A butt welding, end to end
of mild steel rod. I use 3/16" and 1/4" mild steeel welding rod. I have
been using a HF ring roller to put arcs and curves in the rod. Now I'd
like to join the curves on multiple planes. Emmo (from this NG) has
mentioned it several times. Do you precision fit the ends, hold the
rods together and add filler rod? Or do you puddle up the ends and then
push together? Pushing them together at puddled temp seems like I might
need an extra set of hands. Also,holding the work on the correct plane
has proven to be a real challenge. Any advice on holding or clamping
devices would also be appreciated. I will be using the joined rods to
form a sculpture. I use a Meco Midget torch. Thanks!

Weld up a simple clamping jig.

Take a short piece of angle iron, weld a U made of rod to it.
Then saw about a 1/4" gap in the angleiron. Clamp the rods in the V
of the angle with visegrips or whatever with a little gap between
them (no precision necessary) over the gap in the angle, and weld 'em
together with a bit of filler rod.

On 24 May 2005 09:48:52 -0700, "mclorson"
wrote:

I'd appreciate a detailed description of O/A butt welding, end to end
of mild steel rod. I use 3/16" and 1/4" mild steeel welding rod. I have
been using a HF ring roller to put arcs and curves in the rod. Now I'd
like to join the curves on multiple planes. Emmo (from this NG) has
mentioned it several times. Do you precision fit the ends, hold the
rods together and add filler rod? Or do you puddle up the ends and then
push together? Pushing them together at puddled temp seems like I might
need an extra set of hands. Also,holding the work on the correct plane
has proven to be a real challenge. Any advice on holding or clamping
devices would also be appreciated. I will be using the joined rods to
form a sculpture. I use a Meco Midget torch. Thanks!
-Mike

My Meco Midget just arrived yesterday with #1 thru #4 tips. That is
one sweet little torch! I was amazed to discover that I could
butt-weld 1/4" round with the #1 tip and .060" aluminum sheetmetal
with the #2.

Yes Don, it is sweet. I got the ultra lite hoses and I am very pleased.
It weighs practically nothing. I 've been using a #2 tip to weld 3/16"
rod. Found I got better results with a #3 ..for now anyway. I need a
lot more practice. The Tinman says the torch gets hot using a #4. I
didn't have that problem with the #3 tip. Thanks for the advice on the
clamp by the way. Its a little difficult to visualize, but I think i
got it. I may need further description. I am actually going to cut
4"angle iron into 2- 2" pieces then attach a light guage "U" across
the split. Clamp the rods to be welded to the angle and more or less
bend the "U" rod to line up the rods to the proper alignment. Make
sense? The "U" rod will have to be replaced when it fatigues or breaks.

-Mike

On 25 May 2005 14:34:06 -0700, "mclorson"
wrote:

Yes Don, it is sweet. I got the ultra lite hoses and I am very pleased.
It weighs practically nothing. I 've been using a #2 tip to weld 3/16"
rod. Found I got better results with a #3 ..for now anyway. I need a
lot more practice. The Tinman says the torch gets hot using a #4. I
didn't have that problem with the #3 tip. Thanks for the advice on the
clamp by the way. Its a little difficult to visualize, but I think i
got it. I may need further description. I am actually going to cut
4"angle iron into 2- 2" pieces then attach a light guage "U" across
the split. Clamp the rods to be welded to the angle and more or less
bend the "U" rod to line up the rods to the proper alignment. Make
sense? The "U" rod will have to be replaced when it fatigues or breaks.

Whatever works. Soft copper tubingmight work well for your bendable
part. It'll work harden after a number of uses, but you could anneal
it by heating it with your torch.

I thought John M's sandbox idea was good too.