Sid,
I'm currently taking a welding class at a local community college
and we have gone over MAPP gas for welding. MAPP is a substitute in
the Oxy/fuel welding gases for the more commonly used Acetylene.
Basically you can use it for steel welding and brass brazing sheet
metal together. The welding kit you saw would work if it also
included some kind of Oxygen cylinder with it. MAPP gas with only
atmospheric oxygen will not get hot enough to weld. Hot enough to
brass braze though. I used to braze copper tubing together for
sprinkler systems with my dad when I was a kid with a MAPP gas torch.
Brazing is a common auto body welding application, when they cut out a
section and braze another section of sheet metal in it's place. Remember
to only tack spots in opposed positions on the metal piece until it is in
place. Superheating a single area of the sheet metal will bend and warp
it and make it hard to cleanly attach the opposing side.
Clipped.
<<MPS is a stabilized mixture of methylacetylene and propadiene with
other additives and is often sold under the name MAPP gas. The
methylacetylene part has a triple carbon bond like acetylene and it
can be unstable also. The mixture is sufficiently diluted with other
additives so that the final product is much safer than acetylene under
shop conditions. It is a rather hot fuel gas that burns quickly and
it concentrates its heat well. Its flame has good heat transfer
characteristics, preheating the work easily and it allows perhaps a
slightly faster cutting speed than other gasses, including
acetylene. It's not quite as hot as acetylene though, but welding with
it is possible, using special techniques.>>
Good luck with your welding! I just picked up a 110V MIG welder
that will see some duty on my '66 very soon. Good gas/gasless 110V
MIG's are running $250-400 used, $450-550 new.
Stan Wada
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