Tools for a Pipe Welder

Pipe welders use a variety of hand-held and electric tools in the pipe-making process.

Employed primarily on construction sites and oil rigs, pipe welders are responsible for new construction and maintenance of various sizes of piping used to transport water, oil and other liquids to its proper destination. Tools used in the repair and maintenance of pipes range from hand-held iron wrenches to huge electronic onshore welding machines used to integrate cement pipes over 20 feet in length together.

Welding clamps

After a pipe welder uses a blow torch to meld together two large metal pipes, it is essential that the welder places a welding clamp into place to keep the two pipes welded together until the metal hardens into place. These round clamps are constructed out of heavy metals like cast iron in order to put enough pressure on the pipe connection to hold the two pipes in place. Varieties of welding clamps include the WT clamp, the double manual clamp and the hydraulic pipe clamp.

Foldable marking tool

In order for the pipe welder to mark exactly where an incision must be made so that the pipe can be cut in the proper place, a foldable marking tool is used. This pipe welder instrument is made out of metal and weighs over four pounds on average, consisting of a one to ten-inch pipe hole surrounded by a bendable metal frame. The pipe welder then places the pipe hole over the pipe he intends to cut and presses down on the outlining metal frame, causing a distinct mark to form on the pipe's surface. The welder can then begin cutting on the mark made by the marking tool.

Pipe flange aligner

When a pipe welder needs to fit two different pieces of pipe together before actually welding them, the welder can use a pipe flange aligner tool to set them into place. After setting the pipe flange into place between the two pipes, the aligner is used as a tool to pin the flange holes together, resulting in a very tight and compact fit that insures that an accurate pipe welding procedure can begin. The pins featured on a pipe flange aligner are made out of hard steel so that these pins can hold the pipes in place for long periods of time.

Gas blow torch

Featuring an extremely hot blue flame when turned on and lit, a pipe welder's most important tool is the gas blow torch. Averaging about eight inches in height and weighing around five to six pounds, a gas blow torch is used to weld metal, copper and steel pipes together while the welder works on land. The main torch components are the welding needles which must be positioned over the pipe area needing to be cut, along with the fuel gas cylinder's main throttle control. This small knob is used to turn the blue flame up or down, depending on the type of heat needed to melt the pipe pieces together.

References

• How blow torches work
• Pipe Welding
• Welding Difficulties

Resources

• Flux Cored Welding