Hand welding machine

About the sound

The electric hand welding machine from the 1920s welds single chain links together.
The welder must place a “U” shaped chain link into the clamping mechanism of the hand welding machine. Electricity is conducted through copper electrodes into the open ends of the chain link. The links heat up to about 1200 degrees and start to melt. Before they become liquid, a hand operated cam lever presses them together into a welded bond. The now welded link is then pressed together with muscular strength and held until the welded joint has cooled down. Then the next chain link is hooked in and the process begins again.
The “cleaning” of the chains in the next step completes the production process.
The machine was in use in the chain factory JOTO-Werk in Fröndenberg. The machine is used solely for show purposes. Its location is the Chain Forge Museum in Fröndenberg (Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia), which exhibits the manual and industrial manufacturing of chains.

Sound recordist: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke
Photographer: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke
Video recordist: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke