INFORMATION SHEET

Course Name : BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION

Course Unit : FABRICATION AND WELDING TECHNOLOGY

Course Level : YEAR 11 SEMESTER 11 Course Code: SOG 2202

INTRODUCTION TO GAS WELDING

BACKGROUND

Oxyacetylene gas welding involves the use of highly flammable and potentially
explosive gases.

SAFETY.

1. Never use Acetylene gas at a pressure over 15 psi.

2. Never use damaged equipment.
3. Never use oil or grease on or around Oxygen equipment.
4. Never use Oxygen or fuel gas to blow dirt or dust off clothing or
equipment.
5. Always use a striker to light your torch.
6. When opening an Oxygen or fuel cylinder valve, always crack it open first.
7. Always make sure regulators have their adjusting screws released by
turning them counter clockwise till free before opening cylinder valves.
Stand to the side of a regulator, not in front of it when opening cylinder
valves.
8. Always wear the proper welding goggles, gloves and clothing when
operating Oxy-Acetylene equipment.
9. Always have a fire extinguisher handy when operating Oxy-Acetylene
equipment.
10. Always replace cylinder caps when finished using cylinders.
11. Do not rely on the color of the cylinder to identify its contents as some
suppliers may use different color codes.
12. Always use the proper regulator for the gas in the cylinder.
13. Always keep the valve wrench on the Acetylene cylinder valve when in
use. Only open valve a maximum of 1 1/2 turns.
 14. Always be aware of others around you when using a torch.
15. Be careful not to let welding hoses come into contact with torch flame or
sparks from cutting.

GAS WELDING EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES

PORTABLE WELDING EQUIPMENT

1) Cylinders
o Acetylene cylinders: They are short and wide. Colour coding is
brown/maroon
o Oxygen cylinder: They are long. Color coding is black
2) Hose pipes, back fire arrestors, regulators, gas welding torch
3) Tools such as adjustable wrench, spindle key, gas lighter, wire brush, tongs
ACETYLENE WELDING TIPS

Metal Tip Rod Oxygen Acetylene

Thickness Size Size Pressure Pressure

In. No. In. PSI PSI

1/64 - 1/32 000 1/16 3 3

1/32 - 3/64 00 1/16 3 3

1/32 - 5/64 0 3/32 3 3

3/64 - 3/32 1 1/8 3 3

1/16 - 1/8 2 5/32 4 4

1/8 - 3/16 3 3/16-1/4 4 4

WELDING GOGGLES SPECIFICATIONS

Application Lens shade no.

Brazing 3 or 4
Light cutting ( up to 1" )
3 or 4

Medium cutting ( 1 to 6" ) 4 or 5

Heavy cutting ( over 6" ) 5 or 6
Light welding ( up to 1/8 ) 4 or 5

Medium welding ( 1/8 to 1/2 ) 5 or 6

Heavy welding ( over 1/2 ) 6 or 8
GAS WELDING DEFECTS

1) Inclusion

Causes
o Joint design faulty
o Insufficient nozzle size
o Too large filler rod

Remedy
o Check root gap, root face

2) Poor appearance

Causes
o Flame too large or too small
o Incorrect use of filler rod
o Incorrect flame setting
Remedy
o Check procedure, slope and tilt angles
o Readjust flame
o Clean nozzle

3) Undercut

Causes
o Nozzle too large
o Incorrect manipulation

Remedy
o Check torch angles

4) Distortion and warpage

Causes

o Incorrect design of weld

o Overheating
o Incorrect weld sequence

Remedy

o Preset work
o Use alternate welding technique

BRAZING

Welding dissimilar metals has always been a problem because of a number of

reasons like different metal points, oxide removal etc. conventional welding
processes may not be able to join certain combinations of metals. In such cases,
it may be necessary to use non fusion welding methods such as brazing or
soldering.

In non-fusion welding only the filler rod melts and bonds it-self on the unmelted
base metal.

Brazing very often is done using brass filler rods alongside a special powder flux
which acts as the cleaning agent.

During brazing, heat is applied to the joint area and the molten brass filler rod
will flow through the joint by capillary attraction. (Capillary attraction is the force
that enables a liquid flow through a narrow gap). Therefore brazing does not
occur if the gap between the joint is big.
PROCEDURE:

o Clean Before You Braze

Contaminants on the metal surface can inhibit the capillary process for the filler
metal. This will reduce the strength of the joint being brazed. Chemical and
mechanical cleaning processes can be used.

a) Chemical

 petroleum spray
 chlorinated solvents

b) Mechanical

 sandblasting (exercise caution to avoid damage to metal surface)

 machining
 grinding
 brushing (wire brush)

o Allow for Correct Joint Clearance

The two metals being joined need to have a close and optimal fit in order for
the capillary action of the brazing alloy filler metal to be drawn in. An engineer
will anticipate the right amount of fit in order to maximize strength.

o Setting Up Joints To Be Brazed

Properly secure work pieces in position using magnets and tack them in their
proper positions before brazing.

o Apply flux

Flux helps with oxidation problems caused by oxygen in the air and gas. Too
much oxidation will interfere with the capillary effect of the filler alloy.
 o Brazing

The brazing method selected depends on the type and size of the job to be
performed. For smaller jobs oxy-acetylene torch brazing is a common approach.
In other types of jobs, the brazing processes such as resistance, induction and
atmosphere furnace brazing can be more efficient. One tip when brazing is to
realize that filler metals attract to the highest temperature surface. Therefore if
you heat directly on the joint surface the brazing alloy may not fill the joint.
Instead, the goal is to heat the interior facing surfaces to the correct
temperature, and by situating the brazing alloy close to the joint to be brazed.

o Cleaning After Brazing

Residues can often be removed with a hot water bath after the filler has
solidified. If this doesn't crack the residue off, try a water jet and wire brush. As a
last resort a mild acid bath. Follow the manufacturer’s directions in order to
avoid acid etching on the brazed metal.

o Consider A Multi-Purpose Brazing Rod

Simplify the types of brazing rods needed by using a versatile product such as
the HTS-2000. It works on all non-ferrous alloys including "all" aluminum alloys
(even the ones that cannot be welded), magnesium aluminum mixtures, zinc,
die cast, pot metal, copper, bronze, Nickel, Titanium and galvanized parts.