Welding with oxy acetylene

[Crow#21957]

If I ant to extend a tang about 1 to 1 1/2 in. And weld a extension to the old one woth oxy /acet. What should I use for the ro a actual welding rod ,,a nail or round steel rod staock from Ace. This is only for cosmetic reason to hide a bad spot in wood of stock

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Coat hanger

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

If I ant to extend a tang about 1 to 1 1/2 in. And weld a extension to the old one woth oxy /acet. What should I use for the ro a actual welding rod ,,a nail or round steel rod staock from Ace. This is only for cosmetic reason to hide a bad spot in wood of stock

Good old bailing wire works. Just don't use galvanized.
Larry

 

[Harleyvet02]

I'm with Mike. Coat hanger is what I use for mild steel. The older the better and clean off any of the "varnish" some used to have.

 

[IanH]

I'm laughing, when I saw the thread title I immediately thought "Duh, coat hanger wire". I've used miles of the stuff for various projects....and I do have some proper mild steel, copper-washed rods in the cabinet. I guess I'm "savin' those for somethin' important".

 

[CuNosecap]

I'm really trying not to be the jerk here, but why use trash metal with all the who-knows-what impurities when you can use the proper rod really easily. And cheaply as OA usually requires no flux or coating etc.

 

[WALT53]

Coat hanger

Yup a good old coat hanger or some 70 s wire from your local welding shop.

 

[IanH]

I'm really trying not to be the jerk here, but why use trash metal with all the who-knows-what impurities when you can use the proper rod really easily. And cheaply as OA usually requires no flux or coating etc.

Because coathanger wire isn't trash metal. It couldn't be drawn into wire if it was.

 

[Cruzatte]

....and it makes good pins, too.

 

[Barry Strickland]

I ran out of coat hangar wire a few years ago and had to go commercial product. Wire coat hangars are hard to find around here now.
Barry

 

[andy52]

While steel hangers will work premade rods are better and easy to find.
I rarely use Oxy-Acet anymore a good TIG welder is much better.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

You guys don't use steel hangers for your clothes in your closet?

 

[Norman Brooks]

You guys don't use steel hangers for your clothes in your closet?

I used steel hangers (for welding projects and other stuff) until my wife started buying plastic hangers. That way she had hangers to use to hang clothes up on...

 

[SOLANCO]

Since retiring my dress shirts do not go to the laundry often. But when they did the cleaners gave them back on wire hangars. Had hangars coming out of my ears until I found out the cleaners would take them back.

 

[ZUG]

Copper washed welding rod is for welding and coat hangers are for hanging clothes on. People used coat hangers because they were cheap and ubiquitous. They work but they do not give as strong of a weld joint as a proper welding rod does. So if you need a filler rod for a welded joint of any strength use the proper welding rod not a coat hanger.

 

[IanH]

He's putting a 1/2" extension on his tang to cover up a wood blowout, not building a roll cage.

 

[waksupi]

Being an old country boy, I've even used barbed wire.

 

[1sgt]

Copper washed welding rod is for welding and coat hangers are for hanging clothes on. People used coat hangers because they were cheap and ubiquitous. They work but they do not give as strong of a weld joint as a proper welding rod does. So if you need a filler rod for a welded joint of any strength use the proper welding rod not a coat hanger.

The proper classification for steel welding wire is RG -45. Rod, Gas, 45000 tensile strength.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

When I used to do gunshows guys would pick up my rifles and asked me if I built them by hand . I would say yes. The very next question would always be "HOW'D YOU MAKE THE BARREL" I'd always tell them I wrapped coat hangers around a mandrel and welded them together. They would nod their heads and walk away satisfied.

 

[Kabulrocks]

For something small like this, you will need a small tip for your torch and some 1/16” diameter rod. As @1sgt said, RG-45 is for gas welding, but you can also use TIG filler rod ER-70S. RG-45 is near impossible to find in 1/16” diameter unless you order it, but the TIG rod is common at most farm stores, etc. that sell welding supplies.
Most homeowner/DIY gas welding rigs have tips that are way too big for welding small items. Be careful with the torch or you will easily burn the end of the tang off.
Unless you are practiced up on puddle control, you might find someone that can TIG the extension for you.
These tips are from my lessons learned in gas welding an airplane fuselage.