Setting a wagon tire

[J. Clarke]

It's about the journey, not the destination. I'd like to do it just so I know I can.

[J. Clarke]

There's a notion, but will that get it properly red hot?

[krw]

Sure, use a little LOX.

[J. Clarke]

That's another good idea, appeals to the small boy in me, and is cheaper than an oxyacetylene rig. So should I go for the 500,000 BTU Red Dragon, the 100,000, whatever Home Despot has, or the 12.99 Harbor Freight jobbie?

Wish I'd thought about using one of those when I was trying to get my muffler off a while back, but I'd have probably just set the Jeep on fire.

[J. Clarke]

Thinking on this yet more, any recommendation on a starter setup for acetylene? Should I go with the Lincoln package that Lowes and Home Despot and the like have, or find a welding store and ask for advice or is there a standard first set that everbody has or what?

If I'm going to spend the money I may as well get set up with something decent that can grow with me.

[Artemus]

There's no need to dig a pit. Just set the rim on the ground and raise it up about an inch or two with rocks or anything that won't burn. Cover the entire rim with charcoal and light it. There's no need for charcoal in the center of the circle. It shouldn't burn with any more smoke than a bbq. Raising the rim gives room for air to get to the charcoal under it and will heat it better. Underhill, the Woodwright, did a show years back on this very subject. The actual fitting required some fine adjustments with a sledgehammer, and be sure to have plenty of buckets of water handy for when the fitting is done. Art

[Ted Frater]

Id go down the propane route.as follows by making a vertical furnace. Get your weed killer big as you can afford. use bricks to make 2 walls 2in apart by 2ft long by 2 ft tall. blockoff one end and the top all bar say a 2in part. put your iron wheel inside between the 2 walls. In the opposite bottom corner leave a 2in gap. Light your propane burner apply flame to bottom hole. Heat steadily for probably 30 mins till the whole of the inside is red hot inc the iron wheel. Have your wooden wheel supported flat on some bricks and your tongs at the ready. Take out the redhot iron place on the wheel and hammer down. Pour lots of cold water on it ant it will shrink up well.all youll get is lot of steam. hope this helps. Ted Dorset in UK.

[RicodJour]

I've started searching YouTube directly. Google doesn't always find pertinent videos.

[dpb]

Jim Wilkins wrote: ...

Not that ancient around here, it seems from the number entrails bags we get in the fields and road ditches... :(

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[dpb]

RicodJour wrote: ...

[Joseph Gwinn]

Also, the heat content of acetylene is far less than that of propane, so propane is better for bulk heating. I learned this from a book on brazing and silver soldering. The author is a UK model builder, and he makes silver-soldered brass boilers for model steam engines.

I have a Home Despot weedburner, and while it does work, it is awkward to use because it lacks a built-in lighter, so you cannot turn it on and off so easily. An ordinary spark lighter didn't work, and I ended up using a small propane torch as a lighter. Clumsy. So, I would recommend getting a unit with built in lighter. I'll probably buy one someday.

I have no experience with the HF unit.

I would think that 100,000 BTU/hr is enough, but you will need the firebricks to make a simple muffle to contain and focus the heat.

If you can manage the charcoal ring fire, that may be easier. Use the weedburner to light the charcoal. Firebricks are still useful. Or half-bricks.

For doing hot work on my wooden workbench, I went down to a local brickyard and bought $35 worth of ordinary firebricks and half-bricks. (Have the shape and density of an ordinary red brick, but are yellow; used to line fireplaces.) When I need to do some hot work, I make a cleverly arranged pile of bricks on the bench and get to work. With a muffle, I can easily get small objects up to a bright orange heat. After it all cools, the bricks go back to their storage pile. The only scorch marks on the bench are where I didn't pile enough bricks in place, and some flame spilled over the edge and impinged on the wood. The backside of a full brick does not get hot enough to be a problem.

Unh. Too much of a good thing.

For a muffler, I would guess that an air-acetylene turbotorch would work. Or air-propane turbotorch. But I've never had to use a torch on a muffler. It was cheaper in time to simply cut the entire old exhaust system off right up to the cast iron manifold using a cold chisel, and replace all that rusty tin. At least on the Volvos of the day, with care you could perhaps save the long pipe (which ran the hottest and so corroded the least), but it was not worth the trouble.

Joe Gwinn

[Gunner Asch]

Got a good rosebud for your torch?

Gunner

"A conservative who doesn't believe? in God simply doesn't pray; a godless liberal wants no one to pray. A conservative who doesn't like guns doesn't buy one; a liberal gun-hater wants to disarm us all. A gay conservative has sex his own way; a gay liberal requires us all to watch and accept his perversion and have it taught to children. A conservative who is offended by a radio show changes the station; an offended liberal wants it banned, prosecuted and persecuted." Bobby XD9

[Gunner Asch]

Check your local Craigslist or put on an add for a torch, tips, ROSEBUD and gauges.

Most of the sets Ive found here in California are the tiny a/c service bottles. Get the biggest set of bottles (and cart) you can find.

Gunner

"A conservative who doesn't believe? in God simply doesn't pray; a godless liberal wants no one to pray. A conservative who doesn't like guns doesn't buy one; a liberal gun-hater wants to disarm us all. A gay conservative has sex his own way; a gay liberal requires us all to watch and accept his perversion and have it taught to children. A conservative who is offended by a radio show changes the station; an offended liberal wants it banned, prosecuted and persecuted." Bobby XD9

[J. Clarke]

It's a no burn ordinance, not a no smoke ordinance. It's the fire not in a fireproof container that's the issue, not the smoke.

[Lee Michaels]

I used to make gym equipment and used acetylene to cut things. When I wanted to heat something up to bend it I used propane. Now if you have other uses for it, OK. But if this is the only thing you are going to do with it, consider propane.

The welding rigs you get at the big box stores are cheapened to specs by the stores. They wanted to sell something at a particular price point. The stuff you buy at a real welding store is much better quality. Of course, you pay for that quality.

I would, at the very least, go to a welding store or two and talk to them. They are far more knowledgable and can steer you in the right direction.

Another thing to consider, the cost of tanks. Each area has their own particular laws concerning tanks. Where I am, you cannot own them. You must rent them. And they can only be transported in an upright position in a secure carrier of some kind. There may be restrictions on even having tanks at home. And if you do, you may need to post signs and notify the fire department. Again, each area is different. This is another reason to talk to the local welding store. They know all the regulations for the local area. They need to if they want a viable business.

[Joseph Gwinn]

A ring of firebrick laying on the ground is by definition a fireproof container. That's what firebrick is made for. So would a sheet of steel qualify.

I would get a copy of the actual ordinance and see what it *really* requires.

Joe Gwinn

[J. Clarke]

And that is more effort than I want to go through for this project. This is supposed to be recreation.

[Markem]

How about one of these.

[krw]

They're probably concerned about sparks flying, catching the rest of the state on fire.

[spaco]

You need to get the whole tire to about the same heat to get the stretch you need. How about using a DC welder, as they do to thaw pipes? That oughta work. They used to use a pine stick to test for the right temp. When the pine stick smokes and feels like it is "slippery" when pushed along the tire when it is touched to the tire, it is hot enough. I think that's about 700° F or so. You will need at least 4 supports under the wheel for the tire to stop at. More is better. Be ready with at least one helper. And have

4 or 5 pails of water sitting right by your setup to cook the assembly so it doesn't scortch to much. The amount of undersize that you will need will depend on how round the tire is and how round the wheel is. Also depends upon how tightly the wheel parts fit. If you start out with a tire about 1/8" undersize and it doesn't shrink up tight, you can shorten it and try again.

I have only assisted in one session doing this to 4 wheels for a circus Hippopotamus wagon, but that's what I remember.

Pete Stanaitis

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J. Clarke wrote: