Gas Welding: Old School and Obsolete, or Still Good?

Gas Welding came out with high button shoes. That is what many people think. To be honest, I am one of them. I like tig welding better. It’s cleaner, more accurate, faster, and can weld just about anything.

So why are people still interested in gas welding? The honest answer is because it works and it’s really good for some things. Some old-school aircraft builders argue that oxy-fuel welding is superior to tig welding for aircraft fuselages with 4130 chromoly tubing.

The argument goes like this. Because 4130 chromoly hardens if cooled too quickly, some people think that oxy-fuel welding alloys the chromoly so it cools slowly enough to prevent hard, brittle welds. But a lot of testing has been done and it has been shown that chromoly pipe that is no thicker than .120″ can be tig welded without any ill effects. That being the case, I always choose tig welding over chromoly fuel welding. oxygen in a ratio of one thousand to one.

Some people also argue that gas welding works best on oil-soaked aluminum castings. I have Tig welded many oil soaked aluminum castings. Sometimes it’s a problem, but with cleaning, preheating, and a little finesse, it always works.

I have not seen anything that can be welded better with gas than with tig. Not one thing. Steel automotive parts, stainless steel food service equipment, nickel alloy heating elements, aluminum cylinder heads, magnesium gear cases, titanium tubes, cobalt alloy jet engine parts… You name it, it can be welded cleaner, better, faster, and better with a tig welder.

Oxy-acetylene welding is still good for welding 4130 chromoly airframe parts when a tig welding machine isn’t available or for welding a muffler or exhaust pipe on a car, or for welding anything from a bike frame to an aluminum can. . It’s portable, relatively inexpensive, and works well.

But let’s face it… Tig welding is better.