- Thread starter zardoz
- Start date
Stoving is short for stovepipe welding
It is the welding of pipes (usually large diameter) using cellulosic rods in the vertical down direction. There are often 2 welders, one either side of the pipe, and they start at the top and finish at the bottom of their side. They also have a helper passing them the rods. This way results in very fast welding.
In truth a lot of what they do is technically wrong but by using certain techniques it comes out right in the end.
For example they weld pipe material that is prone to H2 cracking using rods with very high H2 contents (perhaps 6 to 8 times more than a lo hy) but the welds dont crack. This is because the welding is done so quickly the pipe doesnt get the chance to cool and the heat "boils away" the hydrogen.
For years it was the main way of welding cross country pipe lines but now there are machines that can do it using MIG wire. Some are using flux cored wires, both shielded and gasless.
I have tried but I cannot find out why its called "stovepipe". There are various theories but non that stand out as being the right one.
It is the welding of pipes (usually large diameter) using cellulosic rods in the vertical down direction. There are often 2 welders, one either side of the pipe, and they start at the top and finish at the bottom of their side. They also have a helper passing them the rods. This way results in very fast welding.
In truth a lot of what they do is technically wrong but by using certain techniques it comes out right in the end.
For example they weld pipe material that is prone to H2 cracking using rods with very high H2 contents (perhaps 6 to 8 times more than a lo hy) but the welds dont crack. This is because the welding is done so quickly the pipe doesnt get the chance to cool and the heat "boils away" the hydrogen.
For years it was the main way of welding cross country pipe lines but now there are machines that can do it using MIG wire. Some are using flux cored wires, both shielded and gasless.
I have tried but I cannot find out why its called "stovepipe". There are various theories but non that stand out as being the right one.
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I always thought it was because it was a technique nicked from boiler makers, hence stove........ or is this just another urban myth
It might be, I honestly dont know. I have heard quite a few different explanations but none have stood as as being obvious.
I cant fathom why a boilermaker would suddenly decide to weld vertically down with a cellulosic rod, but maybe one did. If he did, he was obviously welding a stove before this eureka moment so why didnt he fix the name "stove" on welding in the flat.
Its probably just me and my cynical mind!!!
There is also firecracker welding where a rod is laid flat in a joint and allowed to melt. Where did that name and technique come from? I think someone has actually explained that one but Ive forgotten what it was.
I cant fathom why a boilermaker would suddenly decide to weld vertically down with a cellulosic rod, but maybe one did. If he did, he was obviously welding a stove before this eureka moment so why didnt he fix the name "stove" on welding in the flat.
Its probably just me and my cynical mind!!!
There is also firecracker welding where a rod is laid flat in a joint and allowed to melt. Where did that name and technique come from? I think someone has actually explained that one but Ive forgotten what it was.
madkayaker
Pro sparkey Pro Welder
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"There is also firecracker welding where a rod is laid flat in a joint and allowed to melt. Where did that name and technique come from? I think someone has actually explained that one but Ive forgotten what it was."
Sound like a good idea get a long thick welding rod set it up and go for a brew
Sound like a good idea get a long thick welding rod set it up and go for a brew
"There is also firecracker welding where a rod is laid flat in a joint and allowed to melt. Where did that name and technique come from? I think someone has actually explained that one but Ive forgotten what it was."
Sound like a good idea get a long thick welding rod set it up and go for a brew
Basically thats the idea. Ive only ever seen it done with a normal length rod but I was told (at college) that they used to make rods 6 feet long and drop them in the joint.
Ive seen rods 700mm long but they were for use on a gravity machine (thats another one)
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I've seen a rod laid in an excessivly wide joint and welded in.
The lad was actually a pipe welder and i thought he was taking the **** when he was setting it up.
He made a nice job of it.
Of course i had to try it.
Not such a nice job - bits of flux/slag kept drifting to the surface of the weld.
The lad was actually a pipe welder and i thought he was taking the **** when he was setting it up.
He made a nice job of it.
Of course i had to try it.
Not such a nice job - bits of flux/slag kept drifting to the surface of the weld.
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Yep, thats one I do all the time on the machines, when gaps have pulled a bit wider (normaly when somethings been chived apart with the gas), shown it by and old boy, normaly a 5mm nice and thick and long.....no idea it was called a firecracker tho.....
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I've never heard it called a firecracker either.
I was just lining the innuendo train up for you
Paul.
Moderator
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Firecracker, yes used to do it years ago when building narrowboats, we used special long electrodes, the way i was taught was to set the joint up with the welder off and a piece of wire wool under the end of the rod, then turn the welder on and the wire wool exploded and started the arc, I wasn't sorry when we got mig sets, you still had to grind back the stops and starts, and weld them manually, and the welds never looked tidy, they bought a gravity welding attachment as well, took longer to set up than it did to burn a rod.
I was just lining the innuendo train up for you
Well someone had to jump on board!
knoba
...break a leg!
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Very interesting!
On the "firecracker". Without regard for job set-up; a 5 foot rod could be left alone to weld the run without the need (strictly) for a weldor operator? The set-up must have to be carefully worked out (root gap, rod thickness, etc.?
Purely as an unsubstantiated and completely naive theory; is it possible that, initially, boilermakers used to use a fire in the boiler pipe casing, as some sort of pre-heat to prevent the weld cracking and a cold-form technique, that included vertical down & cellulosic rods was developed from there?
On the "firecracker". Without regard for job set-up; a 5 foot rod could be left alone to weld the run without the need (strictly) for a weldor operator? The set-up must have to be carefully worked out (root gap, rod thickness, etc.?
Purely as an unsubstantiated and completely naive theory; is it possible that, initially, boilermakers used to use a fire in the boiler pipe casing, as some sort of pre-heat to prevent the weld cracking and a cold-form technique, that included vertical down & cellulosic rods was developed from there?
