Oxy Acetylene welding

[Schmidty Boy]

In a recent conversation with a friend of mine, I mentioned my plans to modify a 50cc jog pipe using the "poor man's welder". He told me that although you can stick to pieces of metal together with an oxy acetylene torch and some filler rod, there would be no penetration so the weld bead would essentially act like tape.
I disagree.
Thoughts?

 

[Gordy]

I think it would be better. Most old bike frames were brazed together. Alot of motorcycles used to be brazed together.

 

[cloakedvillain]

With oxy-acel you can melt steel. Big cost is the tanks. 400 USD for a basic torch and regulator set up with tiny tanks.
Oxy-fuel brazing feels safer than welding but you can easily distort the work piece with the heat involved.



View: https://youtu.be/Y2CnJ9lmlQo?si=vVpgZYelTDGghKN5

 

[Gordy]

I managed to do 1/8" steel with a MAP gas torch and high intensity nozzle. You could probably do a pipe like that easy.

 

[Mudflap]

I have an oxygen acetylene rig and a wire welder. Due to the high price of refilling the tanks I only use the wire welder nowadays but much prefer oxy/ace welding most of the time. You can get great penetration with an oxy rig.

 

[Schmidty Boy]

Yeah, I remember a story my dad told me once when he was racing in the Baja 1000 in their limited tube chassis buggy. They were using the standard VW flat 4. He made a pair of headers for that engine that scavenged the cylinder so well that it actually changed the mixture and the car ran to lean causing the pistons to melt and the engine to seize. After a new engine and an adjusted mixture, the car had quite the edge on other buggies in their class. The headers were made using an oxy acetylene torch and filler rod in the garage.

 

[Schmidty Boy]

refueling seems cheaper,
"The MC sized Acetylene and oxygen tanks here both together cost $79.78 to refill. *B tank sized Oxgen tank will cost $56.80 and similar price for the Acetylene (just one tank not two/ each)."

From WeldingWeb

 

[Schmidty Boy]

MC is a little on the small side tho so its probably more for something like a 250 CF or a 420 CF

 

[Gordy]

Cost about 120 bucks last time I filled up full size tanks at tractor supply

 

[Schmidty Boy]

oh, the cost of precision...