Laser / Tool Welder

[Energy Concepts]

Laser / Tool Welder;

Anyone know of a Laser / Tool Welder
in the Portland / Seattle area?

A Vanagon enthusiast would be Great !

I need some specialized welding on my bus ...

[rmcd]

What kind of work do you need done?

I'm worried that maybe you are going to weld a puppy or laser on shark.

I have a buddy that did a lot of the rust repair on my vanagon. Look at my build thread if you need that kind of help and send me a PM with your digits and I'll be happy to ask if he is interested in the work.

Typically he charges cash only and in the neighborhood of $50/hour. He's very good. His shop/lift is in Oregon City area of Portland.
Thanks
Rob
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VW LT40 build. Like a Vanagon but 30% larger in every direction and 40% slower even in metric.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=749359&highlight=

[bluebus86]

what do you need welded? tell us as that might help generate more useful recommendations. lasers are not often used for car repair. a tool welder? you need a tool welded? more detail please.
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Help Prevent VW Engine Fires, see this link.....Engine safety wire information

Stop introducing dirt into your oil when adjusting valves ... https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=683022

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[82WestyMan]

Just out of curiosity...
Why are you going to all this trouble instead of just getting a new hose made?
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"The floggings will continue until morale improves"
"I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell" - Harry S. Truman
82 Westfalia - w/ a Raby 'Camper Special' engine

[MarkWard]

What about using silver solder instead of welding.
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☮️

[rmcd]

Oil and filter service company or pacific rubber company can whip out custom hoses and fittings while you wait. I have had AC and oil hoses made by both. I'd bet that hose with all the crazy fittings would cost 60 bucks.

TIG Welding a high pressure thin wall fitting with rubber hose is going to be problematic and expensive.
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VW LT40 build. Like a Vanagon but 30% larger in every direction and 40% slower even in metric.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=749359&highlight=

[Energy Concepts]

[jberger]

Any shop with a TIG machine can handle that. I have done a few myself, I have a box of 1/16" stainless tig wire that I just can't seem to get rid of, but fits the bill. In this case you probably don't even need filler, just wash the two together.

[bluebus86]

a hydroulic hose rair place might be able to do it, or send you in the correct direction. try tractor , construction equipement or big rig repair places.

of course your idea of a bath of water is good, the main thing is a nice extremely hot flame or arc to get a small localized area hot quickly to avoid heat travel to the rubber.


good luck
_________________
Help Prevent VW Engine Fires, see this link.....Engine safety wire information

Stop introducing dirt into your oil when adjusting valves ... https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=683022

[Sodo]

Water bath would do it but absolutely unnecessary. A wet towel around it will tell you all you need to know about heat travelling up the fitting to the rubber. No steam at the rubber end = no significant heat. Very easy to deal with it because you don't need all that much heat to do that weld. If it steams, then squeeze the towel a little, steam quits, you'll figure it out.

Silversolder would be an excellent way if you can get some overlap in the joint. If it's just a butt-to-butt then probably want to braze or TIG if you can find the guy who can do it. Driving around the countryside looking for welders can take awhile. Calling hose makers and verifying they don't know what fittings you don't know the words to describe is another time-consuming task.

Plumbing, while so easy in concept can take a lot of time. If you were in Seattle I'd TIG it.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

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[Terry Kay]

The hose runs the complete length of the crimping collar ferrule.

To keep that cool enough to not jeopardize the rubber on the hose will be difficult.
Usually, and most of the time a speciality fitting is constructed, then assembled onto the hose.

Brass rod, silver solder both have the same amount of tensile strength, anywhere from 40,000 to 70,000 psi per square inch.
No difference.

The Tig weld would be the best, as long as you're getting good penetration down into the accessory fitting.

All 3 ways will develope plenty of heat in that hose, and I would suggest having a fitting manufactured away from the rubber, and then assembled.

It's a high pressure hose, you wouldn't want to find out later you messed up the hose when you welded or brazed the fitting.
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T.K.

[Energy Concepts]

[Sodo]

My power steering hose was brazed in 2009 by SmallCar and it's still fine (AFAIK). Brazing will heat the fittings for a long time. Silversolder is lower heat, thus faster. If you can get a tight, overlap joint, regular solder could do it.

====== NOTE =======

if that's 3/8" pipe, and hydraulic pressure is 1500-2000 psi, then whatever weld you do, needs to hold about 165-220 lbs in tension. Can you hang your body weight on your weld?

It's not hard to weld/braze/solder a pipe to hold 1500-2000psi hydraulic pressure.

=================



Silversolder and Brass are 40-70,000 ksi.... ???? Terry that sounds ambitious for brass. I don't think I'll commit that to memory just yet. Steel ER70S MIG wire is 70,000ksi. 7018 rod is 70,000 ksi. 6011 is 60,000 ksi. This is steel.

TIG would be the fastest of course, thus minimum heat to the rubber. If you have a TIG.... get ahold of some other junk hoses with crimped ends and test your methods & skill level before doing it on the real thing.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[jberger]

You don't NEED to buy a micro tig torch for this job.. if you want one, that is a different story. Put a fine point on your tungsten and I'd start with 50-60 amps. Do you use a foot pedal or a thumb wheel for control?

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[Sodo]

EC I just learned to TIG about a year ago, no instruction. Just watched some vids (Youtube "welding tips & tricks").

I TIG'd these fittings (temperature wells for transmission oil temp control system) with a 3/32" tungsten sharp point. This is a SS tube welded to a mild steel fitting. I cut the end, pounded points together then welded the gaps to make a globe end, obviously overkill but just for sport of it.

I use a foot pedal. No filler because it's so small I can barely hold the torch that steady with both hands, not a chance one-handed with a filler rod in the other hand. Just do a lap joint where the fill comes from the joined parts.

Your power steering fittings are probably about this size (that SS tube is 3/8" OD). As I wrote earlier 2000psi is appx 200 lbs pulling on this weld, it's not so much. If theres any overlap, even 1/16", solder will hold it. TIG steel is many times stronger. Just make up some practice fittings of similar size/shape and when you prove to yourself you can do it then weld the real thing.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[Energy Concepts]