Thought you folks might enjoy a couple pics of someone's forgotten welding rig.
I don't know any of the rig's history. I caught it heading for the shredder.
Check out the horn, siren and spotlight. Attachment 22686
Must have been quite a show when he pulled in!
Here's the rear mounted welder engine and compressor: Attachment 22687
Several generators too. Maybe for jump starting?
No detail overlooked... fire extinguisher mounted on tool box.
The welding head is gone, but you can see where it was coupled to the Chevrolet engine.
On the right is the compressor; for air-arc maybe?
Check the welder control panel - 120v outlets and cable studs. Attachment 22685
Notice the frame mounted air over hydraulic brake cylinder.
Re: My rigs a little old... that don't mean she's slow! - Old welding rig pics
Originally Posted by Sandy
You can sort of let your mind wander with somethig like that. Pretty sweet.
Ya know, those guys built this country. No air conditioning either.
Yep. That is real history right there, a long, long story behind that truck. Thanks for showing it Denrep.
And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Re: My rigs a little old... that don't mean she's slow! - Old welding rig pics
Originally Posted by RJ Lindblom
That is way cool. I have a soft spot for old trucks.
Yeah, I'm glad I didn't find it! Must have been awesome in its day.
Even looking at the mount for the air/hydraulic brake setup. You'd figure that there must also have been something set up over the right rear wheels as well. How old? 38-46 Chev maybe, windscreen winder in the centre of the dashtop.
The control panel on the back would have been a nice piece of nostalgia to collect. All in all, it all looks a very professional rig, not just an assembly of equipment.
It's a great shame to see all these things headed for the shredder, history lost forever.
Denrep, that would have been better than many things from yard sales!
"One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don't get as much government as we pay for." (Charles Kettering)
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I was thinking.... that we needed a thread dedicated to old Photographs, (at least 25 or 30 years old), of anything related to welding. This could include shots of work in progress, specific methods, equipment, even steel making/rolling pictures. Maybe one of your father or even yourself on site and outfitted for work (no, not sitting in a bar after work, even if work boots are still on!).
I propose/request, no demand! (will that really make a difference?) one basic rule:
Each Post Must Have One or More Old Pictures and All Pictures Must Be Old! but new to this thread (not already posted in this thread; other threads are ok though) .
"For you in Rio Linda," that means don't just post a message to say you liked/hated the last shot!
Since I don't have any photographs of my own available, I will start the thread with one borrowed from another site; I might even tell you about it some time! [BTW, everything on that site is in the public domain].
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Acetylene Annie: 1942
July 1942. Ford plant at Willow Run, Michigan. "Steady of eye and hand, women workers at the great Willow Run bomber plant are among those throughout the country who are relieving serious shortages of skilled workers by doing such semi-skilled jobs as the one here. She's welding parts of the cooling system direct to the supercharger." Medium format negative by Ann Rosener.
Ed Conley http://www.screamingbroccoli.com/
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Klutch 120v Plasma cutter
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Beer in the fridge
That picture depicts something I always thought was ironic. Maybe the younger readers don't realize it, but during the war almost all jobs making the war material used by the US and its allies were filled by women. These jobs included welding, mechanics , heavy machinery operators, etc. All the able bodied men were either hiding or fighting in the war.
After the war the women relinquished their jobs to the men, got married, and started having children - that is where I came from. After years of staying home, the women started trying to get back in the work force and had a hard time. They weren't considered for many of the jobs they did during the war. Even today, many men don't think they are worthy of jobs like welding, and don't have a place in construction. I am not one of them though. I don't see anything wrong with a good looking welder
Last edited by 6010; 08-14-2008 at 02:41 PM.
Reason: spelling
Acetylene Annie,
Kind of Ironic since the Ford plant used hydrogen for its aluminum welding. BTW the torch she is using is a Meco Aviator Jet, such as shown here. Part of my prized collection. I have found that women in general, make much better weldors then men, especially on thin aluminum.
Here are some pictures of my father. He passed away 2 years ago. He was a welder in WW II in the navy, and continued his craft when he got home. He retired as a union pipefitter. Sure wish I could work with him today.
Good judgement comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgement.
February 1942. Firestone Rubber plant in Akron, Ohio. "Conversion. Beverage containers to aviation oxygen cylinders. Before completion of the fourth and final welding operation in the manufacture of shatterproof oxygen cylinders for high altitude flying, all straps are subjected to physical tests to determine the strength of the weld. Occasional radiographic inspections are made to insure the quality of workmanship after the two halves of the cylinder are brought together in this atomic welding machine and made one unit. Here, the operator has just completed the union and is about to remove the whole cylinder." 4x5 nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.
Hey, I got one of those shatterproof oxygen cylinders.I never knew what is was until I saw the photo. I found it in my mother In-laws attic. I will post a picture of it after I dig it out of the storage room. The person used it for compressed air tank. Neat Stuff!
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February 1942. Firestone Rubber plant in Akron, Ohio. "Conversion. Beverage containers to aviation oxygen cylinders. Before completion of the fourth and final welding operation in the manufacture of shatterproof oxygen cylinders for high altitude flying, all straps are subjected to physical tests to determine the strength of the weld. Occasional radiographic inspections are made to insure the quality of workmanship after the two halves of the cylinder are brought together in this atomic welding machine and made one unit. Here, the operator has just completed the union and is about to remove the whole cylinder." 4x5 nitrate negative by Alfred Palmer for the Office of War Information.
Nice Pic,
I actually met a guy that used to use the Atomic Hydrogen process, works quite well on aluminum. Torch is a bit large and heavy though so they used it a lot for automated welding, but it could be done by hand. Still required a flux, but a more narrow weld could be made faster.
April 1942. "Aircraft construction class. The flame of welding torches has replaced the soft lights of a nightclub in Daytona Beach, which has been taken over for a vocational school to train war workers for Florida's pooling program. Pictured above is instructor C.C. Gravelge showing one of his classes the difficult art of overhead welding in preparation for their initiation into aircraft welding jobs on the De Land pool's war contract." Medium format safety negative by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information.
Comments:
Grandma the Welder
My grandmother was a single mom during WWII, and set out to find the highest-paid work available in the local shipyard (Evansville, Indiana). She was an overhead welder since it paid twice (or better) what secretarial work got you. She was good at it, too, and kept it up in various factories till my mom & her brother were in high school, I do believe.
Reply
Master Welder
Originally Posted by Sandy
You can sort of let your mind wander with somethig like that. Pretty sweet.
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