Oxy-acetylene gas welding on chassis?

[rockthegunj]

Our university doesn't have great facilities in our lab. However we do have a very good oxy-acetylene gas welder in our team.

Say we were to weld the entire chassis in this way, will it be strong enough? How can we test if it will be strong enough?

[rockthegunj]

Our university doesn't have great facilities in our lab. However we do have a very good oxy-acetylene gas welder in our team.

Say we were to weld the entire chassis in this way, will it be strong enough? How can we test if it will be strong enough?

[emerjer]

I'm not too sure about the material properties of oxy welds....But to test it you could make a tri-pod stand and stack a bunch of weights on it until it breaks..That should get you a quick answer if it's strong enough.

I've never ran into a team that's used oxy before...

Try getting a sponsorship from a local shop or distributor to expand your resources.

[drivetrainUW-Platt]

There is nothing wrong with Oxy welding. I am not sure what kind of steel you would want to use or what filler rod, but before tig welders thats how they did it back in the day. Brazing was popular too.

[murpia]

Anyone got any good links or data on brazing processes, or 'bronze welding' as I think it's sometimes called?

Regards, Ian

[Jersey Tom]

It requires some miiighty fine attention to detail. Fitup with like .005" gap. No joke.

[mrdben]

Use Nickel Bronze filler rods and brazing. Cleanliness and good component fitting are very important as they should be with all welding. Nickel bronzing is the method of choice on the space-frame chassis used in formula one during the pre monocoque days. It is still currently used on some formula cars and most superkart chassis. Its low heat requirement makes it very desirable from a strength and distortion point of view.

I believe aircraft manufacturers used oxy welded 4140 tubing for airframes during WW2?

[rockthegunj]

Ummm ... ok.

Actually this is the first time we're doing such a thing at our place. How do we get an idea of what sort of stresses the welds are supposed to take?

What do teams so? Do they incorporate this is theie design process, or do they just weld and hope?

<quote>
Fitup with like .005" gap.
</quote>

Tom, I didn't quite get you there ... could you elaborate please?

Thanks!

[Jersey Tom]

For the most part we always just triangulated as much as we could and welded and hoped for the best.

I've never brazed anything before. But from what I'm told, the fitup between tubes needs to have no more than a couple thousandths gap for the brazing alloy to wick in via capillary action. That's just what I'm told.

Whereas with TIG welding you can get away with .063" gap and be allright, though the better the fitup the quicker and easier the weld will be.

[Peter7307]

rockthegunj,
Given your first post the one major resource you have now is someone who can oxy weld competently.

This factor may well override anything related to technical specs of the process.
In other words a competent oxy welder will produce a better result than a less experienced welder with a more technically advanced machine like a MIG.

Pete.

[Jersey Tom]

Though a MIG is dumb easy and quick to use. TIG isnt even that bad. A little guidance and some practice and Cro-Mo aint bad at all.

And I much prefer welding thin stuff than thick.

But if all you got is OAW, thats what ya gotta roll with.

[hardensteel]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by drivetrainUW-Platt:
There is nothing wrong with Oxy welding. I am not sure what kind of steel you would want to use or what filler rod, but before tig welders thats how they did it back in the day. Brazing was popular too. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I also agree. There is nothing with OAW. I have been a welder for 25 yrs, with 5 cert in 4 State. Just weld what ever the frame/stuff is made of. It will take longer than a Mig/Stick, but it will be fine. As soon as the metal start to puddle add filler, and keep adding until there is a crown. The crown is the same as under the frame, so you can grind without any real worries.
I know that this is a quick answer, but I think you will be fine. As long as you keep add filler it will be fine.