[TheForge] Re: New Discoveries: Ersatz EZ Weld

[Jerry Frost]

Yeah, that's right. Been too long since I took a 
welding class. <sigh>

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.


From: "David E. Smucker" <davesmucker at hotmail.com>


> Frosty,
>
> The data I have says iron oxide as Fe2O3 has a melt 
> point of 1566 C and iron (pure) at 1538 C.  Alloy 
> steels should be lower including carbon steel.  Not 
> that it makes much difference as those two 
> temperature are rather close.  My understanding, and 
> it may not be fully correct is that the reason a 
> cutting torch works is that when iron "burns" or 
> oxidizes in the O2 steam of the torch the reaction is 
> exothermic and drives the cutting.  This doesn't 
> happen with aluminum for example and you can't cut it 
> with a torch -- only melt.  None of this helps me 
> understand why putting Fe2O3 in a flux makes a better 
> flux -- but it seems to.
>
> Dave