Welding Tips and Tricks

Greetings to all !

Yes, this post might be called - out of realm - but, I wanted to show you how we were completing our most strategical pipelines in Europe, that are fueling most of the Europe with petroleum and mixed gas. Also, you can know these pipelines from some political news etc.

Petroleum pipeline is called DRUŽBA (friendship)
Mixed Gas pipeline is called BRATSTVO (brotherhood)

Some pipeline welding facts:
- we were always welding uphill, only in special situations downhill
- we never used cellulose electrodes, only electrodes that were made in Czechoslovakia
- electrodes we used were produced by ŽAZ VAMBERK, now it belongs under ESAB, specifically we used E-122-B, E-121-B electrodes (you are calling them E7018, but we made special E7018 for pipeline welders with special features, that regular E7018 does not have) and E-117-R (E7014 electrodes with titanium dioxide coating, not E6013)
- all pipeline parts were made "ready to weld" by oxy-acetylene torch and some small parts were also welded by oxy-acetylene
- most of the time pipeline welds (if were not optically controlled) were controlled by X-Ray. Final pipeline test was by pressure

Welding machines:
Most of the time, we were using rotary welding machines, also made in Czechoslovakia, for example TRIODYN K220, welding machines were powered by diesel aggregates

Welders:
Certified welders from Czechoslovakia and also some from Soviet union
Every welder had our typical welding mask, now you can find it by name TRIO 98

Now, lets get back to the history:

What year was it when these were taken? How old are you? Did you work on any of this job? I love seeing things like this.

theaceofgates wrote:What year was it when these were taken? How old are you? Did you work on any of this job? I love seeing things like this.

All these photos were taken sometime between 1959 - late 1970s. These are from archives (TASR). I have beeen working on high pressure water pipelines, but my family members and friends were working on these pipelines. It was also well payed job (mainly in 80s when you had opportunity to go somewhere abroad). My job was welding smaller diameter pipelines (biggest were 55cm), welding armatures and also I was welding zinc coated parts of pipelines (really unhealthy, but it was needed). And for a while welding of stainless tubes in one of our NPPs.

I am planning to add here more biggest welding projects in former Czechoslovakia - Mochovce and Bohunice NPPs, SLOVNAFT, Gabčíkovo electric dam, and some transit water pipelines.

Welder was really wanted job, everything in past (in Czechoslovakia) was made by concrete and steel, even our most common buildings - blocks of flats - every concrete block is welded to another, every pipe was made from steel, every vessel... everything.

I am adding some more detailed photos from pipeline weldings

Cool pictures. Things haven’t changed much in 75 years.