Stupid Possibly Dangerous Question

[Damaged]

Hi all,

Been in the garage all day, it may have been down to paint fumes but I was wondering if the following would be possible...

I have some 6mm flat bar that I need to bend, I don't have any oxy / acet but I do have a big vice and an old Oxford arc set...

What would happen if I replaced the elecrode holder with a clamp and put both this and the return clamp on a section of bar?

Would I be able to generate enough heat to be able to bend the bar in a vice or am I just being daft?

 

[Paul.]

not a good idea,
most probably you'll just blow the supply fuse or breaker, if not you'll overheat the welder,, Ive seen oxfords boil the oil when in use all day, but a dead short like that will probably just kill it.

 

[fingers99]

If you can get hold of one of those arc-brazing kits, that'll do it. Otherwise, like Paul, I think you'll kill the Oxford.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Mick, if you can find one somewhere, look out for one of those carbon arc 'brazing torch' attachments. I've used one for heating stuff up before, in the abscence of gas equipment they'll do the job for smaller stuff. I know it won't help you now but it may in the future .

 

[Wozzaaah]

Jinx!

Great minds think alike eh Fingers?

 

[Welderpaul]

6mm will bend in the vice with no heat....
Same would happen as when a rod sticks - welder starts to hum loudly, then your left there in the dark!

 

[snowcat]

6mm will bend in the vice with no heat....
!

You know what tool he needs Dontchaa..... starts with M ends in R

 

[Paul.]

Ive got a carbon arc torch, its been quite useful for straightening etc, even done a bit of brazing with it, the carbon pencils are hard to get hold of nowadays, and it gives everybody within 50 ft a suntan

 

[Wozzaaah]

Massive hammer?

 

[Welderpaul]

Massive hammer?

Miracle Bender!

 

[fingers99]

Ive got a carbon arc torch, its been quite useful for straightening etc, even done a bit of brazing with it, the carbon pencils are hard to get hold of nowadays, and it gives everybody within 50 ft a suntan

Ah, yes, the suntan! I think the pencils for the spot welding attachment that FROST do (for example) will fit them.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Hehe, I knew what it was Paul . I'll bet that'd bend 6mm with ease, my clarke 'parts bender' works reasonably well on 6mm flat and that's nowhere near as robust as the MB.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Here are some on ebay.

And here's what the attachment looks like. You move that yellow slider on the handle until the rod tips arc between each other and produce an electric 'flame'. The leads are connected to the + and - on the welder.

 

[Paul.]

Ive got the antique version, like a giant pair of spring loaded scissors with the electrodes at the points, haven't used it for ages, ill post a picture tomorrow,
Maybe start an obscure and obsolete tools thread!.

Here it is,

 

[rtbcomp]

Mick, if you can find one somewhere, look out for one of those carbon arc 'brazing torch' attachments. I've used one for heating stuff up before, in the abscence of gas equipment they'll do the job for smaller stuff. I know it won't help you now but it may in the future .

I've used one of those with some success on 1/4" steel.

Mine was the type with two carbon electrodes set at an angle, but I only used one electrode and struck the arc between it and the steel, it was not that easy to maintain the arc though.

After some faffing about I hit on the idea of running a weld (arc) where I wanted the bend and striking the arc from the carbon to the weld bead, worked a treat!

 

[Paul.]

I've used one of those with some success on 1/4" steel.

Mine was the type with two carbon electrodes set at an angle, but I only used one electrode and struck the arc between it and the steel, it was not that easy to maintain the arc though.

After some faffing about I hit on the idea of running a weld (arc) where I wanted the bend and striking the arc from the carbon to the weld bead, worked a treat!

There are two different methods to carbon arc, when arc is struck between two electrodes its non transferred arc,similar to a gas flame, and with a single electrode called transferred arc a bit like Tig but without the shielding gas, an old welder I used to work with (long since departed), told me that this method was used to make motors and dynamos, have you seen the single run of weld that fuses all those stacked plates together in a motor body

 

[rtbcomp]

There are two different methods to carbon arc, when arc is struck between two electrodes its non transferred arc,similar to a gas flame, and with a single electrode called transferred arc a bit like Tig but without the shielding gas, an old welder I used to work with (long since departed), told me that this method was used to make motors and dynamos, have you seen the single run of weld that fuses all those stacked plates together in a motor body

I found the arc didn't last very long using 2 electrodes as they burnt away, with a single carbon you can adjust for that like when stick welding.

 

[Damaged]

Many thanks for all the replys.

Much appreciated.

 

[Seattle Smitty]

Can you use a late reply, from a new member? For light bending, you could try an arc-air electrode, held in your stick-welding handpiece, DC Straight polarity, maybe 25-30A. I haven't done this because I already have a twin-carbon arc torch that I sometimes use for bending and other jobs. Twin-carbon work is best done with AC. The carbon runs a lot hotter than a stick electrode, so don't cook your stick torch. Use at least a #12 lens in your helmet, or darker.

I'm asking for (and offering some) info on carbon arc on this site, so if you find me offering similar info in different threads, well, I'm about 98% redundant by nature, I think.

 

[rodofgod]

Hi All!

mickjbriggs, bad idea, you would need industrial heavy duty gear to achieve this! go with the 'carbon arc' if your arms get tired of swinging that big hammer!

Apart from the 'carbon arc', there used to be a MMA electrode that just heated things up, no metal got deposited and it was quite good, used them for heating bearing mounts up! Don't know if their still being made? Think it was by a firm called 'Lastec'!? Anyhow, if all else fails, just use a long arc with a normal electrode, wash it over the area to be bent for a few seconds and then bend! May need a bit of grinding afterwards.....!

Regards