Exothermic welder

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GG

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Can someone recommend a good exothermic welder? Do most of you use an exothermic welder when connecting to building steel?

[ June 14, 2005, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: GG ]
 
Re: Exothermic welder

As Hal said, Cadweld is probably the best known. Thermoweld is also good, and usually less expensive -- http://www.conind.com/

Exothermic welds to anything (including the building steel) are probably the best and most reliable connection possible if you do them properly. But the molds are expensive and fairly fragile and have a definite life-span. There are also a lot of different mold configurations. The shot aren't too expensive, though.

If you buy a mold, get it with "wear plates" installed on the wire openings -- the molds will last much longer and are more durable.

But unless you really need exothermic connections, mechanical connections done properly are fine and usually easier.
 
Re: Exothermic welder

HWS - I haven't used any of those oneshots yet. How much do they cost?

If they're not too expensive, then they're probably the way to go if you just need to make a weld or 2. But I'll bet if you have quite a few of the same type of welds to do, the molds are more cost effective?

I have a bunch of different molds that still work OK (if I use some Duxseal and maybe add a little extra shot powder to make up for wear). If you get them with wear plates and take care of them, the molds usually last well over 50 welds -- sometimes 100.

Of course, you can break a mold on the first weld, too. :mad:


GG -- why are you needing to make some exothermic welds? Is it a project requirement, or is it just something that you want to use because it's better?
 
Re: Exothermic welder

Originally posted by tx2step:



GG -- why are you needing to make some exothermic welds? Is it a project requirement, or is it just something that you want to use because it's better?
Click to expand...
Hello tx2step, I mostly do service work but I'm sure in the future the need will arrise for me to ground a service to building steel. I have actually only had to do it once and at that time my X boss had me drill a 3/8" hole through 1/4 steel to bolt a lug onto the steel for the ground conductor. I can still remember the drill nearly ripping my arm off when the drill bit hung up in the steel. If I ever have to ground to steel I would like to just use a cad weld and not have to mess with drilling the steel.
 
Re: Exothermic welder

GG -- unless you have some prior experience cadwelding to a steel beam, then I think you will find it much easier to drill a 3/8" hole in the beam and bolt on a rated lug.

If you decide to go with the cadweld, leave yourself some extra wire and some room on the beam to do it over if you mess up your first weld (fairly likely if you don't have any prior experience).

HWS -- $10 for a oneshot 4/0 to Gr. Rod is pretty reasonable. If I didn't already have the mold for that, I'd probably go with the oneshot's.

[ June 16, 2005, 03:09 AM: Message edited by: tx2step ]
 
Re: Exothermic welder

Always remember to grind any paint off the steal first or you will be wasting shots. Been there - done that- cleaned up the mess ! :D
 
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