Helping out a neophyte... bending forks

[LawnLad]

I'm quite the novice when it comes to metal work. I think ignorance has caused some trepadation or fear over time to working with metal. I happen to like wood. Well, that not being the point here... I recently bought a Hobart MIG, 110 v, and torch set up.

I'm learning as I go here, so thanks for being patient with someone who knows nothing. Perhaps enough to know that I shouldn't do any welding at this point of consequence.

I bent a pallet fork for my Dingo a while back and I"d like to straighten it. I bought a head for my torch to heat the fork so I can bend it back in shape. Before i fire up the torch, what should i know? I do not want to ruin the fork by heating/cooling incorrectly.

The dealer who sold me the torch head told me to be careful about my gas mix, as it might be easy for the flame to be sucked back into the torch. Does this make sense? The tip I bought I heard someone refer to it as a "rose bud". I hope I'm making sense.

[chip hayden]

i'm not sure what alloy the forks are but, they could be hsla steel. this can't be heated much over 350F without annealing the steel. someone else will probably give you a better answer on this matter.
put flashback arrestors/anti-reversion valves in your hoses. if you are using a rosebud don't exceed the 1/7th drawoff rule. the cfh on the tip has to be less than 1/7th the cu. ft. of the fuel gas. example; l, 50cfh tip needs a bottle of at least 350 cu.ft. otherwise it will pop and fart and you"ll draw the acetone out of the tank and ruin the rbber components in the system. have fun, chip.

[Alan Bechard]

Not sure if you followed the last very correct response or not. You sound really new to the field of welding.

Forks are special steel, welding, heating, bending them around, is not something that you want to learn on. Don't mess with them until you have a ton of experience.

A Rose bud uses a ton of Acetylene. You need a really big tank to run one satisfactorily. I am betting you have something like a plumbers B from the fact that you have a 110 mig and bought this at the same time.

I would truly hope that if you just bought your torch that it came with flashback protection on it. Most new torches sold as kits do.

Check with your local Vo-tech or ask around and find an experinced welder / fabriactor to work with you a bit to bring you up to speed and keep from getting hurt.

I usually work the deal to where the person helps me with step and fetch and the stuff I hate (painting comes to mind) and I show them how to weld and fabricate.

Hope this helps. Al B