Proper Handling of Welding Rods

by Martin Rice

Welding rods get no respect. Out in the field I've seen guys throwing 50lb. rod cans from the truck onto the ground, torching cans open diagonally, beating the wrong end open with a chipping hammer and every other conceivable tool, and leaving open rod cans out in the open.

Let's look at what's wrong with each...

First and foremost, ALWAYS open the "right" end of the can. Some cans and boxes even say "open other end", or "don't open this end", or "the other end moron!." (last one made up by me.) The reason you need to open the right end is because you can damage the flux coating. You want to open it on the side where the rod is bare for the stinger, or electrode holder. There's a lot less chance of damaging the flux that way. 7018 is very prone to flux damage while 6010 is a lot tougher.

Most guys out in the field aren't gonna' be thinking about the welding rods inside the can as they toss them from the truck to the ground. When the cans get manhandled the flux gets jarred loose on the welding rods inside. It's bad enough when the flux gets chipped off the end of the rod, flux chipped from the middle and you can pretty much kiss that rod goodbye. It's worse, if you don't realize it's chipped because right in the middle of a good weld you'll suddenly be welding with no flux. No flux equals no shielding from the atmosphere, and that equals a garbage weld.

You can use a lot of different ways to open rod cans out in the field if you are careful. I've even used the P38 C ration can opener I had in the army.If you use an oxygen/acetylene torch you need to be real careful not to burn the flux on the rods inside.

You can open a rod can with a chipping hammer, but it's not advisable. You gotta' be sure and hit it just right, at the edge of the can. You should hit the edge with the hammer follow-through swinging away from the can, not striking down into the can at the top. (I'm sure the electrode manufacturers are cringing when they read this!)

Of course the best way is whatever the can is designed for, some of them open like a sardine can, but a lot of times it doesn't work so you gotta' improvise.

Leaving open cans out allows moisture to get into the flux. Moisture in the flux can cause porosity, or worm holes in the weld. Rods should be stored in a proper oven or unheated container if they don't need the moisture protection. 7018 needs an oven, while 6010 doesn't need the heat, but still needs to be kept protected.

See http://rodovens.com/welding_articles/storage_chart.htm for proper storage of rods.


About the Author
Martin Rice teaches college level welding, in addition to writing articles for www.RodOvens.com.

Five Reasons To Build & Operate A Hobby FoundryBy

Colin Croucher

01: To Be Able To Melt Metal Just For Fun.

People do all sorts of things "For Fun" they drive fast cars & motor- cycles, they also jump out of planes & parachute to the ground, some climb mountains, & others play lot's of different types of sport, you could name another hundred things that people do everyday just "for fun". What do you like doing just "for fun"? Are you a practical hands on type of person? Not afraid to get your hands dirty? Then you might be the type of person that will enjoy having a little fun and enjoy the challenge & rewards of hobby metal casting. But, understand that hobby foundry work is not for everyone, it's hot dirty work, but it's great fun on a cold winters day, there is something addictive about pouring molten metal into a green sand mould, to smell the sweet aroma of the vegetable oil bonded sand cores as they cook in the sand moulds from the effect of the molten metal.

02: To Enable Custom Parts To Be Made.

The desire to learn about metal casting usually begins when you have a need to make a special part that you know only to well will cost a small fortune to have made at a commercial foundry, especially if a pattern has to be made before you even think about producing a casting. Many people around the globe reproduce their own high quality aluminium and bronze castings for vintage and veteran cars motorcycles. Many of these people also machine and finish their own castings ready for use. Of course you need to have a well-equipped workshop to carry out all of these operations.... but the point is, it is all possible, and it can be done right in the home workshop. Metal casting is an amazing, but quite simple process, you can take something from a design concept, through to pattern production, which is then used to make the impression or cavity in the sand mould, where the molten metal is poured. When the metal has solidified & cooled, the shiny new metal casting is removed from the sand. The process may sound complex, but it is not really, once you learn and begin to understand what to do.

03: To Reproduce Old Machine Parts.

There are large numbers of old antique machinery lying around in museums, farm sheds and backyards that are well past their use by date. Many of these machines could be brought back to life with some old time practical knowledge such as that required to do metal casting, perhaps you could be the person that will set to and "save" some of these old machines from the scrap heap, it is such a shame to see so many old historic machines discarded to the scrap heap, most just need a few parts and some fettling to get them up and running again, they could be displayed as working exhibits at fairs and vintage farm machinery rallies. Old machinery provide a great interest to people who have a connection with things from yesteryear.

04: To Reduce The Cost Of Car & Motorcycle Restoration Projects.

Rebuilding/restoring old cars and motorcycles is a very painstaking occupation, trying to source new parts to replace old worn or broken parts can be a tiresome, expensive exercise. Just imagine the huge time reduction that's possible with your projects if you could simply "make them your self", you could learn how, just as thousands of other people have. Can you imagine the personal rewards and satisfaction you'll feel when someone compliments you on your handiwork at a vintage rally, especially when you can say to them "I made all of these parts in my own workshop". Isn't this true restoration work, making replacement parts by hand, just as they did in years gone by.

05: To Complete Your Metal Craft Journey.

There are literally tens of thousands of people around the globe who can fabricate many things from metal using normal metalworking skills and tools, but many of these same people are quite lost when it comes down to knowing how to go about melting and casting metal. Learning the art of metal casting will provide you with a well-rounded set of metal working skills, no longer will you have to find other people to "cast parts" for you, because once you have learnt the skills, (which are not difficult to grasp), you will be able to create all manner of things from metal. Call it multi-skilled if you like, but there is nothing quite like have a wide repertoire of skills that you can call on to help create the things you want to. A well-rounded metal worker should be able to weld & fabricate using heavy or light steel, as well as sheet metal, and to make the metal working skills complete, learning about metal casting or foundry skills will help expand your total knowledge way beyond the normal parameters.
Col Croucher.

To find out more about hobby metal crafts and how you can employ the methods & techniques to build & create your unique projects visit our web site http://www.myhomefoundry.com to download a free ebook to begin your understanding and intrigue of metal craft.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colin_Croucher

Brass: One of the Biggest Misnomers in History

by James Monahan

Aside from home ornaments and jewelries, you have probably heard the term brass on brass bands. Do you know why a brass band is called a "brass band"?

Some people may actually believe that brass bands are called as such because the instruments the musicians use are made of brass.

By definition, a brass band is a group of musicians who plays brass instruments along with percussion instruments. Brass instruments are technically defined as instruments whose tones are produced by vibrating the lips through a resonator. Examples of such brass instruments are the trumpet and the horn.

According to music scholars, the term "brass instruments" is a misnomer. Not all brass instruments are made of brass. Some brass instruments are actually made of wood like the cornett. Some other woodwind instruments, on the other hand, are made of brass but are not exactly categorized under the brass instrument family. An example of this brass woodwind instrument is the saxophone.

Therefore, brass bands are not called "brass bands" because the instruments the musicians use are made of brass. The word "brass" in the term brass band actually refers to the type of sound an instrument makes.

But what exactly is "brass"?
Brass is an alloy or a combination of copper and zinc. Usually, brass contains more than fifty percent of copper but it is generally harder compared to copper. It is a malleable and ductile alloy that can be hammered into leaves or strips and designed according to one's desire. These characteristics make brass a prevalent option for decorating wares.

Brass has a yellowish color which makes it look so much like gold. Because of this, brass has been used as a cheap substitute for gold and the term "brassy" used to refer to denote one being tasteless and showy.

There are different categories of brass depending on its zinc and copper ratio. Alpha brasses contain less than thirty-five percent zinc and are best utilized when they are cold.

Alpha-beta brass is 35%-45% zinc and is commonly used while it is hot.

Beta brasses have 45%-50% zinc content. It can only be used while hot and is preferred by metalworkers to use for casting. Beta brasses are also harder and stronger compared to other types of brass.

Brass that contains more than 50% percent zinc is called white brass and is usually too brittle to use.

Calamine brass is a combination of calamine (a zinc ore) and copper. It is a specialized type of brass because it uses a different type of zinc (calamine) instead of the usual metallic zinc used to create brass.

Another particular type of alpha brass is a brass that contains 75% zinc and 25% copper. It is called Prince's metal or Prince Rupert's metal named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine who was a commander of the Royalist cavalry during the English civil war.

Brass has been used all through out history in different fields - may it be in art, or in trade and commerce. In ancient times, Romans used brass to make coins, decorate their jewelry and to adorn their armor.

After the middle ages, the use of brass increased as craftsmen incorporated it in making clocks, plates, chandeliers and other household items. A particular town called Dinant (currently called Belgium) was the most profuse creators of brassware during those times. They created large brass dishes and exported these wares into the Netherlands.

The Islamic East was also known for creating brass wares and braziers. Evidences of their craftsmanship can be found in Venice where 15th century well-wrought bowls, dishes, and candlesticks were shipped there by Eastern merchants.

Brass was also particularly popular in 18th century colonial homes in North America. Brass chandeliers made in England and the Netherlands in the 17th century are quite prevalent adornments in these colonial houses. In addition to this, brass drawers incorporated into furniture were considered to be well-liked during that era.

Although brass has survived the time and enjoyed its popularity during those ages, brass is considered as a modern alloy. It was only utilized up until the 16th century. In ancient times, people use the word "brass" as a term to refer to any alloy mixed with copper. The brass that ancient people used to refer to was probably bronze, an alloy of copper and tin. Nowadays, people already have a clear distinction between brass and bronze.

Aside from being a popular material all through out history, brass has also undergone different "misrepresentations" when it comes to its name. But even if it is less regarded than gold, brass has stood the test of time and has proven to be a material of high class.

About the Author
James Monahan is the owner and senior editor of BrassLinks.com

Metal Casting For The Hobby Metal Worker

by: Col Croucher

The practical hands on creative person will enjoy the personal rewards of the ancient craft of metal casting. Armed with the correct knowledge, it is quite feasible to melt and cast metal in the home workshop, thousands of people the world over are involved in it right now... there's no reason why you couldn't try your hand at hobby metal casting too.But don't attempt metal casting if you have no prior knowledge or experience in this field, first of all you need to learn about the basic techniques, and methods used in this ancient metal craft.

There are also many personal safety aspects to consider, remember, you'll be handling molten metals at extremely high temperatures. There is an element of danger involved in the hobby, but with a commonsense approach to safety, and by being extremely careful, accidents should not happen.So just where do you learn about hobby metal casting techniques?There are many books available about the subject, some are highly technical and perhaps difficult to understand. Many books are written purely for the metal casting industry. The ordinary hobby worker would find industry specific technical writing difficult to understand, and find it next to impossible to reduce the high-tech writing down to a hobby level of understanding.

One of the best ways to learn the craft is to have, or arrange for someone to train or coach you over a period of time in your own small foundry... you'll quickly learn how to create sand moulds, how to build equipment, and many other things that you need to know.But, for most people, one on one mentoring is just a dream. And, as time goes on, there are less people around to provide a personal hands on method of teaching metal casting.The only way most people can obtain this kind of training is by enrolling in a foundry course at a trade school, trade school tuition, while being very good, could be an expensive option for many people. Some people, due to distance from trade colleges, may find it impossible to attend a trade teaching facility.

What is the next best option for someone wanting to learn about the fascinating craft of Metal Casting?The internet is one of the great providers of information today... there are thousands of web sites on the net, which deliver information on all kinds of subjects.You need to find one that is specific to the information you are searching for. While some web sites list hard cover books for sale, which can take days, or even weeks to be delivered, the ultimate way to get the information you want almost straight away is by downloading high quality, subject specific information in ebook form, which focus on the best practical methods to use for consistent results.Information rich ebooks can be downloaded and installed on your computer with all the information you require in less than ten minutes, within the comfort of your own home.

There is no need to fight your way down to the local shopping centre, or put up with the never-ending streams of traffic on the roads.It's just so easy to order and pay for ebooks from your own computer.With just a few clicks of your mouse, you'll have all the information you'll need to get you up and running with hobby metal casting in no time at all.

One of the most popular hobby metal casting web sites on the net is: http://www.myhomefoundry.com/ this is an Australian owned web site, which provides quality information for the hobby foundry worker. You can also download free ebooks and sign up for the free hobby casting ezine while your visiting the web site.The information seeking hobby foundry worker can download free ebooks as samples to read before deciding to get the full version ebooks.The author also provides an ongoing support service to help the novice through the early learning period... very few ebook authors provide that kind of service, and you certainly wont get service like that from any other book reseller. Hobby Metal Casting is a rewarding pastime.

About the Author
Information rich ebooks for the hobby foundry worker. http://www.myhomefoundry.com/ The Home foundry Australia

Home Made Hand Tools For Hobby Foundry Work

By Colin Croucher

If you have been thinking about making a start in hobby foundry work in your home workshop, you may be forgiven for thinking that the tools and equipment are going to cost you an arm and a leg, this need not be. Sure, you could trot off to the downtown industrial tools supplier and take home an arm full of expensive tools.

But if you take a good look at some of the tools, you'll discover that the design principles and fabrication could well be undertaken in the home workshop if you have metal fabrication skills and a reasonable amount of basic metal working equipment.

Take for instance "crucible lifting tongs", once you understand how these tools operate; you could quite easily make a set or two over a weekend. The basic design action operates on the "scissor principle" but they don't cut anything, they are designed to "clamp securely" onto the crucible to lift it out of the furnace when the metal has melted. Great caution needs to be taken while carrying out this operation, as one slip due to faulty or badly designed tongs, and you could have a disaster on your hands.

The best way to design and build a set of tongs is to copy a well made set, or to follow directions set out in a textbook or ebook downloaded from the net, we'll give you some links a little further on in this article.

Some of the most frequently used basic tools you'll need in the hobby foundry are; Bench ramming moulders tool - Tube sprue cutter - turned wood sprues - slick & oval spoon - hand riddle or sand sieve - draw pins, screws & hooks - rapping bar and spike - gate cutter - strike off bar - sand carving tools (made from old hacksaw blades). The tools mentioned above seem to be the ones that will be most used in your hobby foundry... and all of them can be home made if you have metal & wood working skills, it will take time and effort to make the tools required but they wont cost you a red cent if you make them from scrap materials, and if you are like most hobbyists you will know where to "scrounge stuff".

You may have to experiment with different ideas before you arrive at the most satisfactory design, but you will learn a great deal about why things have to be made in certain ways.

Do you own a wood lathe? Even a most basic machine will suffice in the home workshop, you could even make your own if you were keen enough,I guarrantee there are tens of thousands of home made wood lathes sitting in hobby workshops the world over. A wood lathe will repay itself many times over when you start to make patterns for your hobby foundry.

Your bench-ramming tool can be quickly turned to shape on your wood lathe, in fact, while you're at it, make two or three of them in different shapes & sizes, they will all come in handy when ramming and moulding patterns of differing sizes, you could get away with a single tool, but you wont regret making extra tools.

After a pattern has been completely rammed in a sand mould, and before the metal is poured, the pattern has to be removed without disturbing any of the surrounding sand. Draw pins and spikes are used to remove timber patterns from sand moulds.

Simple draw pins can easily be fabricated from long slender wood screws, particleboard screws are ideal. The easiest way to convert woodscrews into draw pins is to braze-weld a short length of 1/4" dia mild steel rod onto the head of the screw...that is all you need to do... make a set of them with different gauge screws as well long and short ones and you should have the field covered as far as lifting pins or draw spikes go... simple isn't it.

Blunt hacksaw blades are usually thrown in the bin, from now on you should save them, as many useful little hobby foundry tools can be made from old saw blades, quite often small sand carving tools can be quickly made by grinding and shaping using a normal bench grinder.

By being resourceful and thinking how you can use scrap materials, you should see now that there is absolutely no need to spend large amounts of money to get the tools and things you need for your hobby. If you are not sure about your own building & fabricating abilities then you should always ask advice.

Col Croucher.
Metal craft has been a lifelong interest, ever since my grandfather introduced me to the blacksmiths forge at a young age on the family farm where I grew up. Several decades later, I become addicted to melting and pouring molten metal into sand moulds. Then began the move into publishing ebooks for the hobby foundry worker. We now have a very large number of global customers. To learn more about hobby metal casting visit: http://www.myhomefoundry.com/ there are free ebooks to download and a world wide ezine to subscribe to.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colin_Croucher

Building A Hobby Crucible Furnace

By Colin Croucher

Efficient melting of metal in the hobby foundry requires a simple, but well designed, easy to operate melting furnace. A well-designed furnace does not necessarily mean it will be expensive to build, or that it is complicated to construct and operate.

If you're just beginning your metal casting journey, there will be a multitude of questions that will need to be answered; and if you follow some simple methods, your learning curve will be dramatically reduced.

A well-built furnace will take you another step along the path to being able to maintain an important piece of equipment for your hobby foundry set up. Without an efficient furnace your hobby metal casting experience could well be one of total frustration & disappointment.

It is possible to build a furnace from scrap materials found around the workshop. This is not to say that it will look trashy, or poorly made, the point being made here is that you do not need to build everything from new materials. The only material you will need to buy is the special high temperature resistant refractory to line the furnace walls with, plus a few brass connectors from the local plumber for the gas feed line and some brass rod to custom-make your own special gas jet for the burner. The rest you can quite easily make yourself if you have metal working skills.

One of the biggest problems the hobby foundry worker has to overcome, is to acquire the knowledge to build a high-energy output burner, the subject of burners can raise many arguments amongst hobby foundry workers, and there is a straightforward solution to building an efficient burner, by following simple instructions any practical person can fabricate an efficient burner that will quickly melt metals such as aluminium and bronze without effort. The process to build a high output furnace burner is really quite simple, but there are a few small parts that need to be machined on a lathe.

If you don't have the luxury of a lathe in your workshop, perhaps a friend can help you out. Although, many hobby metal workers do own a metal lathe these days, it is almost a must have for the average home engineer in this ever-increasing DIY age. You will also need a MIG or ARC welder (Max 180 Amp) to fabricate the furnace.

Be very careful with your gas pipe & joint connections, although there are no great line pressures involved with the gas feed to the burner, but any small leak could lead to the possibility of a dangerous explosion.

Propane gas expands between sixty and one hundred times once exposed to air. So be aware, gas is the most efficient fuel you can use to fire a crucible furnace, but it can also be an extremely dangerous material. You need to follow any building instructions carefully and not be tempted to take any shortcuts as they may lead to personal injury.

If you are a resourceful, practical person, you could build your own crucible furnace for less than $70.00US, this is a mere fraction of the cost of a commercial unit, and should be equally as efficient, and provide many years of reliable melting service.

Like many things in life, you can learn from established proven methods, or you can spend many months floundering around by yourself, not knowing what to do. To dramatically reduce your journey to metal casting success; learn from fourteen years of metal casting success, visit our web site now. http://www.myhomefoundry.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colin_Croucher