CADWELD Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the benefits of a CADWELD connection vs. mechanical connections?

a. The current carrying capacity of the connection is equal to that of the conductor.
b. The connection is a permanent molecular bond that cannot loosen.
c. The connection will not corrode.
d. The connection will not increase in resistance.
e. They are easy to make. Only minimal training is required.
f. They can be visually inspected for quality.
g. They use lightweight equipment and require no external power source.
h. They provide reliable long life connections that are ideal for below grade or
applications providing personnel or equipment protection.

2. Why wouldn’t I want a Heavy-Duty mold? Won’t it last longer?

This mold, designated by an HD mold prefix (HDTAC2Q2Q), will not last any
longer than a standard mold. A heavy-duty mold is designed for reclaimed cable
(cable previously buried in the ground), which is hard to properly clean. A heavy-
duty mold will use a larger weld metal size to burn through the “dirt” in order to
make a good connection and sometimes the mold price will increase. For these
reasons, a heavy-duty mold is not recommended for applications using new
cable.

3. What is the mold made of and how long will it last? What should I use to clean
it?
The mold is made of graphite and will generally last 50 connections. Since graphite
is a very soft material, it should be cleaned with something soft such as a natural
bristle brush (not a wire brush). Our T394 mold cleaning brush does a great job.
Care should be taken not to erode the mold openings, as this will decrease mold life
and performance by causing the weld metal to leak out.

4. What are the weld metal and starting material made of?
Both are made of Copper Oxide and Aluminum (not gunpowder or magnesium). The
weld metal looks like pepper while the starting material more closely resembles a
gray powder. The starting material is packed at the bottom of the weld metal tube.
The part number refers to the gram weight of the weld metal inside the tube.

5. What is the shelf life of the weld material?

Provided that the weld metal is kept dry and free from excesive vibration, it will last
indefinitely.

6. What is this little disk and what does it do? Do I need it?
Yes! The disk is tin plated steel. It acts as a valve during the exothermic reaction
allowing the molten copper to separate from the aluminum oxide slag. Failure to
include the disk, or if it is improperly seated, will cause a poor connection. The disks
are packaged with the weld metal, but can be ordered separately.
7. My “shot” won’t fire. What’s wrong?
a. Are you using the starting material that is packed at the bottom of the weld metal
tube?
- The starting material is supplied which has a lower ignition temperature - the
ignition temperature of the weld metal is too high to ignite with the flint igniter,.
b. What are you using to ignite the starting material?
-The T320 flint igniter is the only recommended tool for the job. A torch, match,
and lighter don’t get hot enough to ignite the starting material.
c. If the weld metal tube has been subjected to excessive vibration, the starting
material and weld metal could intermix. If this happens, it is very hard to ignite.
Use a new tube.

8. After I make a connection to a steel surface, it looks good, but then pops off with
a slight tap. Why won’t it stick?
a. Is the surface free from paint, galvanizing, and other foreign substances?
-As with any welding process, the surfaces must be totally clean. The reaction
will burn through the foreign substance, but won’t have enough heat left to burn
into the steel surface. These connections will typically have a black residue on
them. Our T321 rasp does a good job of cleaning the steel surface.
b. If you are using a grinding wheel to clean the surface, what type of wheel is it?
-A resinoid (resin bonded) wheel makes a clean surface but leaves a resin residue
on the surface. This acts as a release agent that prevents the weld from “sticking”.
-Use a vitrified grinding wheel to clean the surface. It leaves no residue.
-The best tool for the job is our T321 rasp. It is cheap and does a great job. A
metal file will also work well.

9. Should I use a ONE_SHOT or standard CADWELD mold to make my cable to

ground rod connections?
As a general rule, it is more economical to use the ONE-SHOT when less than 12
connections need to be made. After 12 connections, the standard CADWELD mold
becomes more cost-effective.

10. Can I get the CADWELD process in a smokeless version?

Yes. The CADWELD EXOLON process was developed for computer room, tunnel,
and other low-ventilation areas where the normal CADWELD emissions are not
desirable. It uses an electronic ignition and filter system to effectively eliminate the
normal CADWELD emissions. Any mold can be ordered in an EXOLON version by
adding an XL prefix to standard mold part number. For example, a TAC2Q2Q would
become an XLTAC2Q2Q. Similarly, the EXOLON weld metal is also designated by
the XL prefix (150 becomes XL150). The weld metal has no starting material and
comes packaged with the required disks, filters, and igniters. A battery pack is also
required. The EXOLON connection is slightly more expensive and therefore not
recommended for outdoor applications.