Underwater

[jplisson]

Can somebody explain underwater welding to me? Tell it like Im 5 years old in a nutshell. Mainly, how come the welder isnt electrocuted?

[offrdfun73]

Ok here goes. It is a process called wet sticking and yes you can and do get shocked. The proper way is to touch the rod to the part to be welded and then you get on the com and say make it hot. Your tender will then throw the switch and make the leads hot. When you are getting close you say off or make it cold. You never let the rod off of the metal or zap. In a lot of cases a bare electrode is droped into the water for a ground you never get between the bare ground wire and the part being welded. This process is used but not that often. It is said to be 60-80% of the strenghth of a regular weld. The reason for this is hydrogen cracking. The electroloses from the arc seperated the H and O2 from the water and contaminates the weld. The ideal method is done in and enclosure. A box is built around the part to be welded and air is pumped in. Then the part is welded. Just a side note please do not try to weld underwater untill you have been properly trained. It is very dangerus and needs special equipment. Hope this helps if you have specific questions let me know and I can find out the answer for you from a 20 year veteren.

[Rick Moran]

Sounds like a good explanation. Thanks for that.

[jplisson]

Thanks. I love the "dont try this at home" bit... Are there really people who would? Lol, picturing myself with the welder beside the bathtub!

[Rojodiablo]

Originally Posted by jplisson

Thanks. I love the "dont try this at home" bit... Are there really people who would? Lol, picturing myself with the welder beside the bathtub!

Oh yeah, I am all over that one with a 12 pack in me!!! Offroad, that was a great simple explanation. Thanks for posting it!!

[offrdfun73]

Any time guys. Belive it or not my best friend the diver guy owns a dive shop here and he has had guys come in and say wow I just keep getting shocked. We are surounded by water and some real dim bulbs.

[G3farms]

thanks for the explanation, I always wondered how that worked.

G3

[tin_bender3]

Funny thing....A girl I used to work with asked me to come to her mothers house and do some welding on her boat dock...yeah the damage was under water and no I don't do under water.....You never know when that might just come up....

Like the guy that asked me to weld a steel mounting plate to the bottom of his cast aluminum mail box post....there are some things ya just caint fix...