Old welding photos

If you have — or are interested in historic welding photos, check out the thread at http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=23328 on the WeldingWeb.

There are several amazing photos on this thread.

Several are related to World War II, including the first photo that shows a woman welding at the Ford Plant at Willow Run, Mich., where, by the end of the war, one B-24 bomber was being produced every 63 minutes on that plant's mile-long production line. There also is a photo of a group of women who welded at the Ingalls Shipyard in Mississippi.

A photo of how oxygen tanks that were used in aviation were welded led to another welder saying that he had found one of those tanks in his mother-in-law's attic.

Other photos show how welding was done on pipelines and in shops, and there is even an old photo of two blacksmiths in Erie, Pa., heat-treating a metal bar on an anvil.

But, along with the still photos, there is a video that shows a gang of 10 men welding a steel ring.

The video doesn't say what the ring is for — it appears to be a part for a large industrial machine or, maybe a power generating turbine — but the guys doing the work are hard at it stoking a fire on the ring to heat and melt the metal, then going at it with sledge hammers to finish the job.

Online Contents

THE PLACE TO BRAG ABOUT YOUR EQUIPMENT

Welders are proud of their machines and helmets.

Dozens of welders have posted photos of their welding equipment on the Welding Web Forum on the Internet, and dozens more posted photos of their helmets and safety equipment on another thread.

The photos include new and old machines, including one old — but still working — stick welding unit that a wag said looks like R2D2's grandfather, but the obvious thing about all of them are that they are well-used.

You can see the machines and post photos of your own favorite machine at
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=20788.

Photos for welding helmets and safety equipment are at
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=9761.

SCULPTURE WELDING

What would you use to weld ⅛-in. stainless wire?

A newby to the WeldingWeb Forum posed that question because he wanted to take up sculpting as a hobby.

The objects he wants to weld are sculptures that have balls rolling down guided channels made from the stainless wire, and the new guy didn't know whether to use gas metal arc welding (MIG) or gas tungsten arc welding (TIG) to do the work. You can see the recommendations from experienced welders at http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=23507.

STORING OXY/ACETYLENE BOTTLES

There are great pointers and detailed tips on ways to store oxy/acetylene cylinders to ensure safety and to comply with regulatory standards on the WeldingWeb at http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=23003. The tips include information on disconnecting regulators, gauges and hoses, and storing cylinders for more than 24 hours.

WELDING VIDEOS ON-LINE

Anyone can post videos related to welding on the Internet site
www.weldingtheater.com.

The site is designed to provide instructive, commercial and fun videos to the welding industry.

Videos on the site provide information on safety and fireproof clothing for welding, and welding and metal cutting equipment.