Fig. 30.—One Shop in which Instruction in Steel is being Given, at the Ordnance Welding School.
Note the construction of the welding tables. Two or more may be placed together, to give as large a surface as desired.
(44) Many times when working near a hole which may be threaded, the welder has much difficulty in keeping his metal from entering the hole. At other times it is necessary to back up preheated work such as aluminum, to prevent its collapsing. Ordinary clay or putty cannot be used for this purpose. The simple reason being that when metal is heated it expands and the clay or putty in giving off its moisture contracts, showing two opposite reactions. Retort cement is a name given furnace cement mixed with shredded asbestos, this, as well as carbon flour, has been found to be very satisfactory for filling in holes and backing up pre-heated work. Retort cement is purchased in airtight containers, hardening very quickly when brought in contact with the air, so at all times it should be kept in containers similar to those in which it is purchased. It cannot be reclaimed once it is hardened.
(45) A blacksmith forge will be the medium of saving much valuable gas and time in a welding shop. It will heat up parts to be welded in very short order and while in this condition they may be welded and then thrown back into the forge and allowed to cool very slowly.
(46) Several pails of water should always be located where welding is being done to prevent fire from flying sparks; to cool the torch tips and filler-rods, when working on large jobs; to keep certain parts of work being welded cool, and to harden or temper other parts.
(47) A simple and efficient manner of handling flux in the welding shop has puzzled many welders, on account of the flux containers being easily upset, their inaccessibility and the action of the air upon large quantities of flux. A simple method of overcoming this is to cut in two, a two and one-half or three-inch pipe coupling and mount it by welding on a square piece of one-eighth inch plate, as shown in [Fig. 31]. This type of container is very hard to upset; may be used when working on preheated jobs; is easy to get at on account of its shallow nature, and, as it only holds a small amount of flux, it can be cleaned out frequently and a fresh flux will always be available.
Fig. 31.—A Good Flux Container for the Welding Table.
(48) Additional equipment beneficial to the welder will be a quantity of various sized carbon rods and blocks; asbestos paper; goggles; V-blocks for lining up shafts and an assortment of mechanics’ tools, such as wrenches, hammers, chisels, hack-saws, and other things which might be used in dissembling or assembling various kinds of machinery.