Single carbon-arc welding

Where might I find a detailed description of welding using a single carbon arc electrode? Google finds references to twin-carbon torches, but that's different. Wikipedia mentions "CAW" but says only that it was the first electric welding process and quickly supplanted by the precursors to shielded metal arc welding.

Of particular interest is what sort of flux was used and how it was applied (workpiece, filler, electrode....maybe all three?)

Thanks for reading!

bob prohaska

Reply to
User Bp
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The last reference I remember reading about that was an issue of American Machinist from the 1920s. It's probably been used since, but I haven't seen anything about it.

As for the flux, I have no clue. But I can report that some of the earliest flux coating for *stick* electrodes was paper wrapped around the electrode, secured and dipped in waterglass (sodium silicate).

That was the precursor of today's cellulosic stick electrodes, such as

6010.
Reply to
Ed Huntress

I entered "carbon arc welding" in startpage search , got several links and some utube videos ... I didn't watch any videos , but from the little I read it sounds like they used the arc much as we do with TIG or O/A , as a heat source . Fluxed filler rods like coated brazing rods were probably used - though there was a reference to a gas-shielded process , which likely used bare metal fillers .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

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has a bunch of pictures of single carbon welding with references to the parent sites.

Reply to
John B.

Much the same luck for me. It seems likely flux was used, but I was hoping to find some sort of apprentice's manual. It seems that search engines are obligated to deliver irrelevant links when they can't find keywords. Apparently the process went extinct before any literature accumulated.

For the moment the issue is of receding interest. I've purchased a used TIG setup and will begin exploring that process. It's the right way to weld light-gauge material anyway. The interest in CAW was mostly an entertainment during my search for used TIG components.

Thanks for reading and replying!

bob

Reply to
User Bp

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