Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: thermite receipe?
From: John De Armond
Date: Tue, 15 Feb 94 07:06:10 GMT

drs@col.hp.com (Don Simmons) writes:

> I have a need to weld two items 
>  together and do not want to buy
>  a welder.  Being a rabid "do it myselfer"
>   I wonder - could I use thermite to 
>   do this?   

Not unless the objects are fairly heavy.  IT is very hard
to regulate how much heat gets imparted to the pieces.

>      If so what is a mix(?) - I was
>   thinking of those magnesioum firestarter
>    sticks to kick it off.  
>    What is in thermite and the porportions?

Just call around to your friendly local welding supply stores until
you find someone who sells CadWeld.  This is a commercial brand of 
thermite and is not expensive.  Probably cheaper than buying the 
proper ingredients and mixing.  CadWeld also sells something called
CopperWeld that contains copper oxide instead of iron oxide and 
can be used to weld large copper conductors together or weld large
copper wires to steel.  Handy when you have to nail that 0000 
grounding cable to a friendly local I-beam.

John