Want to do gas welding for your future project?
Want to know the type of gas welding for a better outcome?
Are you a novice?
It doesn’t matter in which group you are.
If you are thinking about doing gas welding and looking forward to success in your future projects then You are at the right spot. Before starting Gas welding, knowing about its variants is necessary.
Among so many welding procedures we are talking about the popular ‘Gas welding’ method. Among welding types, it is popular because of its application.
In many industries, it is considered as the oldest form of welding and the most popular heat-based method.
The low-cost nature of this method helped it create such a huge fanbase of its own. It is also easy to use. You do not have to be an expert to do gas welding.
The type of gas welding differs depending on the gas which you are using to weld. There are 5 common types of gas welding. Below I have discussed them and their uses
I hope you will get the information you need to do Gas Weld.
5 Common Types Of Gas Welding
Oxy-Acetylene welding:
Oxy-acetylene welding requires a mixture of acetylene and oxygen. It is inserted in the welding torch for better performance. It is a well known and common type of gas welding.
Among the available gas mixtures, this provides the best heat to weld. The heat can be about 3200 degrees. Changing the volume of oxygen and acetylene also changes the chemical action of the oxy-acetylene.
Generally, welding is done by the neutral flame setting as the ratio of both gases is maintained as the same.
The best suitable materials for Oxy-acetylene welding are the mild steels. You can also weld on other materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, copper and brass etc.
The gas is really costly and it requires a specific type of handling. You also have to store it carefully.
Oxy-gasoline welding:
If you can’t find acetylene in your surroundings then oxy-gasoline can be a solution to your problem.
Gasoline torches are more effective in cutting steel plates. Sometimes they are found more effective than the acetylene ones. The gas can be brought out of a pressure cylinder by hand pumping.
The jewelry makers generally practice this type of oxy-gasoline welding. Otherwise, the use of this method is the same as the oxy-acetylene welding method.
MAPP Gas welding:
This is a gas type which can be of great use for the hobbyists and recreational welders. It can be used in high volume cutting projects.
As it can be used in high pressure, there is no doubt that it can cut high volume sheets.
Oh! One more thing: Want to know what MAPP stands for?
This is a mixture of Methylacetylene, propadiene, and petroleum.
The gas is highly pressurized and stored the same way as LPG. The gas provides a hot flame as the oxy-acetylene ones and can be used in industrial metal cutting.
Butane/Propane Welding:
In this gas welding procedure, you can use either Butane or Propane as per your choice. Though they have a lower temperature than acetylene gases, they are less expensive and easy to use.
Propane being heavier gas, it requires a different type of injector tip. It is used for soldering, bending, and heating.
Being of lower temperature it often gets hard to weld by propane gas welding. You might not be able to weld the carbon steel alloys as they melt at a high temperature. In the case of other metals, you have to consider the melting points of them.
Hydrogen welding:
The best part about hydrogen gas welding is that it can be used under heavy pressure. This is what makes it a best suit for the underwater welding process.
Hydrogen gas welding works off electrolysis where water is split into hydrogen and oxygen is used as well.
This type of welding is used for small torches to make jewelry. The heat produced by this torch can even melt tungsten. It melts the other refractory metals as well.
You can do hydrogen welding to join parts, repairing, and hard surfacing. It turns into a god saver in case you are welding stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, and other special alloys.
Gas welding flame types:
If you are considered enough to do gas welding the first thing you need to know about the type of the flames.
Depending on the flow and mixture of the gases the flames can be divided into 3 types.
They are;
1. Neutral:
A neutral flame has a balanced ratio of gases. In this flame type the gases flow equally. This has a positive impact on the metals. It is considered the balanced and starting point of the flame.
The outer cone of the flame is 2300 degrees. The inner part of the cone is what used to weld the materials. It is the hottest part.
This type of flame provides a protection against oxidation. The production of carbon dioxide shields the metal surfaces while joining.
Neutral flames can be used to melt and joint non-ferrous and ferrous metals. If you want to join copper, cast iron, stainless steel, mild steel, and aluminum, etc, then using a neutral flame will be a good choice.
2. Carburizing flame:
To get a carburizing flame it is first necessary to create a neutral flame. The slow opening of the gas fuel increases the ratio of it. As its amount increases, a white stream increases along with it in the inner cone.
The flame zones of the carburizing flame can be divided into 3 parts. The inner cone is bluish-white, the middle part is white-hot and the middle part is light blue.
A carburizing flame is used to weld carbon steel, lead, and aluminum alloys. It can weld the metals that can oxidize easily.
Using a carburizing flame removes oxygen and adds carbon. You must avoid this flame in case you are welding mild steel and iron.
3. Oxidizing:
It has less flow of the fuel gases and excess of oxygen. The increasing flow of oxygen causes a quick burn. In an oxidizing flame, the small inner cone becomes purple.
It produces a small hissing sound. When the oxygen gets adjusted, the temperature reaches 6300 Fahrenheit. It is the hottest flame of gas welding.
Some metals are only welded by the use of oxidizing flame. They include cast iron, copper-zinc, and bronze. An oxidizing flame still works for cast iron.
Conclusion:
That’s it, Thank you for reading till the end. The equipment to do gas welding is cheaper and is more portable than other welding types.
Being the oldest method and a reliable one, it is a popular method among small garage and hobbyists.
So, if you are any of the above, you can try the methods of gas welding for your projects without any hesitation.