Making heavy duty chain - GIF

[PJs]

I like those tongs.

Me too, think you might be able to truly call these "Duck Bills".

[wizard69]

I have given some thought to the issue of chain welding. I have concluded that it is a matter of least resistance, or in this case shorter distance. Less steel between the "electrodes" or clamps. Surely some current travels the long way but most must take the short path. Seems that this means that there must be extra capacity of current to get a good weld. Just my own musings.
Eric

Maybe but if you consider the current that goes the other way wasted energy then such welding must be inefficient compared to say a wire welding process. You would have to figure that hundreds of amps (maybe thousands) are being dumped into that large chainlink.

[Frank S]

Maybe but if you consider the current that goes the other way wasted energy then such welding must be inefficient compared to say a wire welding process. You would have to figure that hundreds of amps (maybe thousands) are being dumped into that large chainlink.

But when you consider that the metal is actually being melted to be fused at the molecular level leaving no dissimilar heat effected zone no external filler metal can come close to the quality or speed of the process being used

[suther51]

Perhaps the "wasted" current is actually heating up the entire link so that the weld so not cooled to fast, like a built in post heat?
Eric

[Jon]

These keep getting better.

[Jon]

[jdurand]

Not welded?

[Frank S]

Not welded?

If you will notice the previous links are welded this gif is just showing part of the chain building process