Double R Starter & Alternator Rebuilders

With brands like Lincoln, Miller and Victor, we have all things welding.  We also carry Makita, Fiber Metal, Norton and more.  After this many years in the business, we can answer any question you may have. You can find all these great products and knowledge right here in Fort Stockton.  We are located at 2111 West Dickenson.  The Preston Family took the reins of Double R Welding Supply in 2008 but has been in the business of welding gasses and welding supplies since 1984.  We provide high quality Oxygen, Acetylene, Carbon Dioxide, Argon, and Helium.  If you need something to burn, “we have what you need.”  Give us a call at 432-539-2516 and get your products delivered to your location, or come on in to the store and our friendly and knowledgeable staff will help you to get what you need to get the job done.

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide also finds use as an atmosphere for welding, although in the welding arc, it reacts to oxidize most metals.  Use in the automotive industry is common despite significant evidence that welds made in carbon dioxide are more brittle than those made in more inert atmospheres, and that such weld joints deteriorate over time because of the formation of carbonic acid.  It is used as a welding gas primarily because it is much less expensive than more inert gases such as argon or helium.

When used for MIG welding, CO₂ use is sometimes referred to as MAG welding, for Metal Active Gas, as CO₂ can react at these high temperatures.  It tends to produce a hotter puddle than truly inert atmospheres, improving the flow characteristics.  Although, this may be due to atmospheric reactions occurring at the puddle site.  This is usually the opposite of the desired effect when welding, as it tends to embrittle the site, but may not be a problem for general mild steel welding, where ultimate ductility is not a major concern. 

Oxygen

Oxy-fuel welding (commonly called oxyacetylene welding, oxy welding, or gas welding in the U.S.) and oxy-fuel cutting are processes that use fuel gases and oxygen to weld and cut metals, respectively.  French engineers Edmond Fouché and Charles Picard became the first to develop oxygen-acetylene welding in 1903.  Pure oxygen, instead of air (20% oxygen/80% nitrogen), is used to increase the flame temperature to allow localized melting of the work piece material (e.g. steel) in a room environment.  A common propane/air flame burns at about 3,630 °F (2,000 °C), a propane/oxygen flame burns at about 4,530 °F (2,500 °C), and an acetylene/oxygen flame burns at about 6,330 °F (3,500 °C).

Oxy-fuel is one of the oldest welding processes, though in recent years it has become less popular in industrial applications.  However, it is still widely used for welding pipes and tubes, as well as repair work.  It is also frequently well-suited, and favored, for fabricating some types of metal-based artwork.

Acetylene

Approximately 20 percent of acetylene is consumed for oxyacetylene gas welding and cutting due to the high temperature of the flame; combustion of acetylene with oxygen produces a flame of over 3600 K (3300 °C, 6000 °F), releasing 11.8 kJ/g.  Oxyacetylene is the hottest burning common fuel gas.  Acetylene is the third hottest natural chemical flame after cyanogen at 4798 K (4525 °C, 8180 °F) and dicyanoacetylene's 5260 K (4990 °C, 9010 °F).  Oxy-acetylene welding was a very popular welding process in previous decades; however, the development and advantages of arc-based welding processes have made oxy-fuel welding nearly extinct for many applications.  Acetylene usage for welding has dropped significantly.  On the other hand, oxy-acetylene welding equipment is quite versatile – not only because the torch is preferred for some sorts of iron or steel welding (as in certain artistic applications), but also because it lends itself easily to brazing, braze-welding, metal heating (for annealing or tempering, bending or forming), the loosening of corroded nuts and bolts, and other applications.  Bell Canada cable repair technicians still use portable acetylene fueled torch kits as a soldering tool for sealing lead sleeve splices in manholes and in some aerial locations.  Oxyacetylene welding may also be used in areas where electricity is not readily accessible.  As well, oxy-fuel cutting is still very popular and oxy-acetylene cutting is utilized in nearly every metal fabrication shop.  For use in welding and cutting, the working pressures must be controlled by a regulator, since above 15 psi acetylene will decompose explosively.

Argon

Argon is used in some high-temperature industrial processes, where ordinarily non-reactive substances become reactive.  For example, an argon atmosphere is used in graphite electric furnaces to prevent the graphite from burning.

For some of these processes, the presence of nitrogen or oxygen gases might cause defects within the material.  Argon is used in various types of metal inert gas welding such as tungsten inert gas welding, as well as in the processing of titanium and other reactive elements.  An argon atmosphere is also used for growing crystals of silicon and germanium.

Argon is an asphyxiant in the poultry industry, either for mass culling following disease outbreaks, or as a means of slaughter more humane than the electric bath.  Argon's relatively high density causes it to remain close to the ground during gassing.  Its non-reactive nature makes it suitable in a food product, and since it replaces oxygen within the dead bird, argon also enhances shelf life.
Argon is sometimes used for extinguishing fires where damage to equipment is to be avoided.

Helium

Although the extraction process, using low-temperature gas liquefaction, was not developed in time to be significant during World War I, production continued.  Helium was primarily used as a lifting gas in lighter-than-air craft.  This use increased demand during World War II, as well as demands for shielded arc welding.  The helium mass spectrometer was also vital in the atomic bomb Manhattan Project.

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