[Keith_J]

I'm not a regular yet but this looks interesting. I'll ask my teacher this week if I can give it a try. I'm not sure we have the right filler wire on hand.

Has anyone tried to just do a fusion weld?

:edit: Looks great dunkster!

One of the secrets to this, as I understand it, is to light up on the filler wire and wet it to the cans, otherwise most welders will just blow out the cans.

I'm one of the "regulars" referred to above. I've not attempted this one.

Steve S

Many thanks for this tip. All I have in filler now is 3/32" 4043 so next trip to the toy store, I'll get some thinner wire.

[maker of things]

Keith, if anything get thicker filler. I had the easiest time with 1/8 4043. Previously tried .045, 1/16 and 3/32 as well. This parlor trick uses a lot of filler and it is very tough to feed filler in fast enough with small diameter filler. I had a lot more problem with blow through with the thinner fillers.

[exnailpounder]

Keith, if anything get thicker filler. I had the easiest time with 1/8 4043. Previously tried .045, 1/16 and 3/32 as well. This parlor trick uses a lot of filler and it is very tough to feed filler in fast enough with small diameter filler. I had a lot more problem with blow through with the thinner fillers.

He's right. Thicker filler is easier. You're not puddling the cans, your'e melting the filler and letting it melt into the cans....more like brazing than actual welding. You can use small wire if you are good at feeding cause you have to keep jamming in wire to advance forward. It's just a trick and not really welding.

[maker of things]

He's right.

Well, technically you're right since I got that from you.

I was even picturing it like hot glue. Melt the glue (filler) onto the cans, not heating the cans and adding filler.

For me, once I did this, it changed my view of some of the old guys who would seriously use welding beer cans as a way to measure how good a welder they were. I am proof that welding beer cans and being a good weldor can be mutually exclusive.