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Posted By: gfretwell Cad Weld on steroids - 02/20/06 06:23 AM
Tonight the Discovery Channel has a show on the Cardinals stadium. They are exothermically welding train track rails together. The shot is a container of thermite stuff about the size of a picnic jug. Other than that it looks like the same deal.
Posted By: Celtic Re: Cad Weld on steroids - 02/21/06 04:47 AM
You should see the grinder they use to clean up the rail!
It almost looks like a grinder attached to a sheet rock/lumber cart that rides the rail so they can grind the rail weld down smoothly and uniformly.

Yes, the shot is huge - so is the flash and resulting "mushroom cloud".
Posted By: Trainwire Re: Cad Weld on steroids - 02/21/06 01:07 PM
You oughta see the gizmatron that they use when they resistance weld them.

I use tiny cadwelds when I electrically bond the rails together in the gate circuits.

This link has a brief history http://www.hollandco.com/Crane_Rail...body_flash_butt_welding_of_crane_ra.html
TW

Edited because I always think of a better way to say it after I have posted [Linked Image]

[This message has been edited by Trainwire (edited 02-21-2006).]
Posted By: C-H Re: Cad Weld on steroids - 02/21/06 03:21 PM
I have a picture of a resistance welding machine that weld rails. It's big and there is metal spray everywhere...

{Edit: See picture below. The picture is from Shanghai Mountain Welding. I have their catalogue somewhere with a high quality print, but it is lost in big pile of things from suppliers who we aren't interested in.)

There is a busy railroad close to the office and last summer I watched two gentlemen termite welding the rails outside. This was in June/July and very warm (yes, warm in Sweden!) and they worked with bare torsos. Something doesn't go to plan and one of them grabs a big metal bar and start poking at the bottom of the container. BOOM! A cloud of molten metal surrounded the container and the guy. I was about to pick up the phone to get an ambulance but amazed watched him get back on his feet, seemingly unscathed.

I will never ever get into termite welding...

[Linked Image from global-electron.com]

[This message has been edited by C-H (edited 02-21-2006).]
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