Does arc welding exist in Warhammer Fantasy?

[Malidictus]

Earlier today, I was toying around with weapons in the Keep while voice chatting with friends when I saw something that caught my eye. Victor Saltzpyre's Flail - specifically its old Bogenhafen skin - appears to have an arc-welded bracket. You can probably check this out youselves, but I did grab a screenshot:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2392700594

You may need to zoom in, I couldn't get a better image. Look at grey C-shaped bracket which holds the gold chain (the one with the long rivet/pun through it). Look at how that bracket is attached to the octagonal metal base plate. To me, that looks exactly like an arc weld. You can see the distinctive "zipper" shape along the joint, ending in a bead right at the end, as though it was welded left-to-right. You can also see metal discoloration on the octagonal plate below, indicative of overheating the meal (oxydation, if I recall). That's an arc weld, at least that I can see.

So... Is that a thing in Warhammer Fantasy? I know the setting is close to or at an Industrial Revolution level of technology given that the Empire has access to steam engines, ironclads and black powder flintlock firearms, and that Dwarven technology is generally ahead still. I can easily see parts held together by machined bolts and nuts, for instance. There's even a painting in the Keep of Dwarven gunners loading what looks like an APCR shell into a black powder cannon so overall technology level is definitely not primitive.

But welding, though? I've never seen anything else in this game which appears to have been welded like this, and I've seen very few things which appear precision-machined, either - and even then, most of those are on the Outcast Engineer. Most of the gear in Vermintide looks hand-crafted via blacksmitthing, or maybe occasionally cast. Finding a modern-looking arc weld was just really strange to me.

And before anyone asks - no I don't consider this to necessarily be a PROBLEM. I'm easy-going when it comes to minor details like that. I am, however, curious if that really is a thing that I just missed, or if it's an odd art decision.

[Chill]

I imagine it's an overlooked design choice but also it seems like humans should be capable of welding. They can make steam tanks and hellstorm rockets, they have wizards that can transmute metals, and they have wizards that control fire. Sienna could probably weld with her fingers if she tried.

[Malidictus]

Originally posted by Chill:

I imagine it's an overlooked design choice but also it seems like humans should be capable of welding. They can make steam tanks and hellstorm rockets, they have wizards that can transmute metals, and they have wizards that control fire. Sienna could probably weld with her fingers if she tried.

Yeah, given that this sort of weld doesn't show up anywhere else, I'm guessing it's an art design choice that slipped through the cracks. You'd think if metal-to-metal welding were available, you'd see more welded parts, as opposed to everything being riveted together.

As to Bright Wizards being able to weld metal... Hmm. Well, I looked into oxyacetylen welding, which would be the closest to a Bright Wizard. All that seems to need is a very small, VERY hot flame (read something about 3700K) and no filler wire. Should be able to just melt two parts together. It appears to produce a similar "zipper" look on the final weld and it produces a "glob" at the start of the weld, rather than the end like arc welding does.

So I guess "flame welding" might be a thing Warhammer Fantasy, at least in theory. Do you guys know of any precedent for this? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to the setting.

[76561197988918266]

There is lightning magic so probably yes.

[Jakal, Lady kisser]

dwarf engineer's guild does have the tech to do it, but it's 99% more likely that someone at fatshark didn't bother to ask about if that's a thing and used the texture for visual interest.

also to everyone here, there's no magic used for industrial purposes in the empire. ♥♥♥♥'s dangerous.

[Malidictus]

Originally posted by Nazi-bashin' Jakal:

dwarf engineer's guild does have the tech to do it, but it's 99% more likely that someone at fatshark didn't bother to ask about if that's a thing and used the texture for visual interest.

What would their technology level be, do you think? I'm honestly curious. I did a bit of reading up on welding. Both arc welding and oxyacetylene welding didn't really take off until the 1900s - it's when the technology for it became widely available. Even early prototypes trace back to the late 1800s. I know Dwarves and Humans have Steam technology, which would be late 1700s, early 1800s for actual high-pressure steam engines, which is what the Crank Gun seems to use. It's odd that the world has the look and feel of the 1500s-1600s if ostensibly 20th century technology also exists, though that could be explained by secretive guilds not sharing that knowledge.

Originally posted by Nazi-bashin' Jakal:

also to everyone here, there's no magic used for industrial purposes in the empire. ♥♥♥♥'s dangerous.

This rings true to me. I don't know if Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40 000 share a cosmology, but I do recall the latter describing anything to do with the Immateirum (i.e. "magic") as incredibly dangerous and potentially capable of accidentally summoning demons. I do know that Total Warhammer 3 features Bloodletter demons so there does seem to be some amount of overlapl.

I remember my first thought when people suggested "metal wizards" was... Wait, so Warhammer Fantasy has metalbenders? :) Just seemed like an odd choice given the otherwise medieval look of the setting.

[Jakal, Lady kisser]

Originally posted by Malidictus:

Originally posted by Nazi-bashin' Jakal:

dwarf engineer's guild does have the tech to do it, but it's 99% more likely that someone at fatshark didn't bother to ask about if that's a thing and used the texture for visual interest.

What would their technology level be, do you think? I'm honestly curious. I did a bit of reading up on welding. Both arc welding and oxyacetylene welding didn't really take off until the 1900s - it's when the technology for it became widely available. Even early prototypes trace back to the late 1800s. I know Dwarves and Humans have Steam technology, which would be late 1700s, early 1800s for actual high-pressure steam engines, which is what the Crank Gun seems to use. It's odd that the world has the look and feel of the 1500s-1600s if ostensibly 20th century technology also exists, though that could be explained by secretive guilds not sharing that knowledge.

the technology we see in the dwarf's naval fleet (desiel-fueled armored paddleboats with turret-mounted cannons, proximitiy-primed explosive torpedoes, and electrical lighting) and The spirit of Grungi (a hydrogen dirigible that is established to have hydralics in the engine mountings and part of the landing gear, also fueled by desiel or straight gasoline) puts the dwarf's full command of technoogy sometime into the 1920s. this is all very strictly controlled technology however and largely isn't seen as "safe". the average level of dwarf technology is generally much lower, because they prefer things reliable.

[Malidictus]

Originally posted by Nazi-bashin' Jakal:

the technology we see in the dwarf's naval fleet (desiel-fueled armored paddleboats with turret-mounted cannons, proximitiy-primed explosive torpedoes, and electrical lighting)

Wait - diesel-fuelled? I'm admittedly not very well-versed in Warhammer Fantasy lore, but I thought those Ironclad paddleboats were steamers? As I understand, the "Steam Tank" was something of the setting's technological peak, and the knowledge to build them currently lost. Do I just have that wrong? That would be... A lot more advanced than I thought. I take it Dwarven Engineers have oil drilling and refining facilities?

Then again, I think one of the WarCraft games (WC2?) had offshore oil rigs...

Originally posted by Nazi-bashin' Jakal:

this is all very strictly controlled technology however and largely isn't seen as "safe". the average level of dwarf technology is generally much lower, because they prefer things reliable.

Yeah, that bit does make sense. Warhammer Fantasy seems fond of these isolated cabals possessing remarkable tools (magic, technology, artefacts, etc.) that they use but don't share. At a guess, it seems like a neat way to have some really cool toys in the various games without also having to fundamentally alter the very much medieval world order. Industrialisation on that scale would change the setting from the ground up. The same but only limited to a small community? Not as much.