OT gas welding

I guess I am going to have to learn to gas weld. I never considered it a viable alternative for ordinary welding but I guess I have to now that I have a pacemaker. I have done a little brazing over the years when I had to and a litle silver soldering on HVAC tubes but, never torch welding. Anybody got any advice for quick learning. I don't have much time. I am getting old and have a lot of projects started.

Have pacemaker too. Have done all the no-no's except big generators. Those rules were written by the lawyers, not the engineers who did their best to shield those units. That said, best if you keep arc at arms length, same with chain saws.

Pat:

Check with your Doctor! You may still be able to arc weld using LOWER power settings.

http://www.medtronic.com/us-en/patients/electromagnetic-guide/frequently-asked-questions.html

WELDING

Q: I read in my patient manual that I should avoid welding. Why?
A: Unlike most other household power tools, welding with currents above 160 amps may have a higher tendency to temporarily affect the normal function of your pacemaker or implantable defibrillator.

Q: What if I may need to use a welder?
A: It is recommended you avoid using welding currents above 160 amps. Follow the safety precautions below to minimize the risk of interfering with your heart device while welding with currents under 160 amps.

Welding Safety Precautions

Limit welding to currents less than 160 amps
Work in a dry area with dry gloves and shoes
Maintain a 2-foot (60 centimeter) distance between the welding arc and heart device
Keep the welding cables close together and as far away as possible from your heart device. Place the welding unit approximately 5 feet from the work area.
Connect the ground clamp to the metal as close to the point of welding as possible. Arrange the work so the handle and rod will not contact the metal being welded if they are accidentally dropped.
Wait several seconds between attempts when having difficulty starting a weld
Work in an area that offers firm footing and plenty of room for movement
Work with an informed person who understands these suggestions
Immediately stop welding and step away from the area if you start feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or you believe your implantable defibrillator has delivered a shock
Since welding equipment may temporarily affect the normal operation of your heart device, any decision you make to use this equipment should be made in consultation with your heart doctor. Your doctor can advise you as to the degree of risk these responses pose for your medical condition.

Aprons or vests will not effectively shield your pacemaker or implantable defibrillator from the electromagnetic energy generated by welding equipment.

Learned to use oxy/acetylene welding back in tech school. In the modern real world there is not much flame welding going on. It uses a pretty big tip with a focused pointed flame. Some of the old pipe fitter I worked with when I started say they would rather gas weld than stick weld. They have shown me welds to me when removing old equipment and said it was gas welding joints. It looked like a 6010 stick weld to me but they said look closely there is no flux leftover and no undercut.

Pat,
Google gas welding. I think it was used before arc, and stronger than you think.

My dad has welded the cracked bell housing on the IH H. Bell housing broke because of the pipe loader.

Wear a Faraday cage on your torso. Wire mesh, (real wire screen wire would do). (Welding Principles old text book is needed)
Gas welding has the following elements I suggest (I teach it):
Rule 1 never ever let acetylene pressure in the low pressure hose get above 15PSI (watch a video on acetylene fires and compressed gas cylinders).
For small tips use about 5 psi on acetylene, and 8 to 10 psi on oxygen. Adjust the flame for two colors one bright blue at the tip, and the other a more transparent envelope. The flame is tweaked so the middle flame is just gone. (more will cause the flame to hiss and be pointed.)
If brazing the flame should have a tiny bit of that third flame poking out an eighth of an inch. (reducing flame)
On larger tips use 8 Psi and 12 psi. For cutting, use 8 Psi and 40 psi for up to 1/2 inch.
start and stop the flame on gas only. Turn up the gas until the flame begins to make a turbulent hiss and stays at the tip of the torch orifice. (If it jumps away from the tip, close the valve till it jumps bact to the tip. then add Oxygen to make the flame above.
Use tips appropriate to the work. thin (up to 1/16, use #1 or 2. for 1/16 to 1/8th use up to #5 or 6. For thicker up to 1/4, use a #9 or so.
Dont use a big tip to weld small things it will back fire. Don't use a small tip at higher flow or pressure it will jump away and blow out.
Don't ream the orifice with the cleaning tips , excess reaming will bell mouth the hole and make it worthless.
The flame tip should be about 1/16th to 1/8th away from the work and directed in the direction you are traveling with equal flame/heat on both sides of the work. That is a very short course. Jim

Have had a pacemaker for 2 1/2 years now. I use a Lincoln 140 mig for most of my welding. Do not know how thick of material you are welding but the Lincoln works well for me. I just stretch the lead out as far as it will go.

I learned to gas weld in high school but that was 40 years ago. Guess I could brush up on it. :lol:

For cutting you can use propane which is cheaper than acetylene, but you need to use acetylene for welding. Of course, the propane and acetylene welding tips are different.

Pat,

I have pacemaker -defib (st jude) , I weld to 120 amps
with no problem. I don't know which brand you have ,but
medtronics says limit of 140 amps , st jude says not to
exceed 400 amps . I need to tig weld and can't find good
info on that but it looks like I need a lead vest to shield
the hi freq.

As for gas welding , all of the thin metal with acet . I
do many old manifolds with acet with preheat in brick oven.
Acet is the best way to do cast iron.

george


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Showing back of the broken heater box</p>


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assembled box , back side</p>
more photos