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A few tips about welding equipment, MIG and TIG welders, plasma cutters. ARC Welding : ARC welding is one of the oldest welding processes around. It uses either an AC or DC power supply to create an electric arc between the welding rod and the workpiece metal to melt the metals and join them together. This style of welding is relatively inexpensive and very portable but it does require some practice to get good consistent welds and the welds will probably require some arc weldercleaning up afterwards. ARC welding is less suited to welding thinner materials but there is a large range of specialist electrodes (welding rods) available for ARC welders depending on what materials you are welding. ARC welding is versatile but more suited to heavier applications.

A few welding equipment tips: how to become a more skilled welder and how to select the best welding equipment. If a ball forms on the end of your rod when welding you are doing something wrong. It is usually one or more of these things: Too long an arc… • Too much torch angle • Not enough amperage for the rod size • Bad filler rod angle • Or some combination of all of these things. The 2 things I see most often with noobs are too long an arc AND too much torch angle. A long arc sets TIG welding back a few decades because it’s more like gas welding with an oxyfuel torch. The heat is not concentrated and you get this big heated arc plume like you get with a gas welding torch. Why would you want that? Your arc length should not be much more than the diameter of your tungsten electrode. I know that’s pretty close and if you get too close you will be grinding electrodes more than you are welding. But if you want really good welds, you need to use a tight arc.

Eliminate Any Extra Welds from the Design: Look for ways to modify product designs to eliminate unnecessary welds. For example, one company that manufactured boxes originally had a design that called for welded lift handles on each side of the box. By simply changing the design of the box to cut out lifting slots, it eliminated the need for welding the handles – saving time and money. In another instance, rather than making a part with an open corner, the design was changed to accommodate a closed corner, which meant 1/3 less metal required to fill the corner. Look for Items That Can Be Welded Rather Than Cast: We’ve already discussed ways to eliminate welds to create efficiencies, but what about adding welds? In some cases, it may be more cost effective to weld metal pieces to a part rather than cast the entire component in a costly alloy or exotic metal. For example, a company that originally used a part cast in a high-nickel alloy found that 50 percent of the part could be composed of standard, structural steel which allowed a savings in material and thus a savings in total cost. Also, the company was further able to redesign the part so that it was more efficient. Looking for the best MIG Welders? We recommend Welding Supplies Direct & associated company TWS Direct Ltd is an online distributor of a wide variety of welding supplies, welding equipment and welding machine. We supply plasma cutters, MIG, TIG, ARC welding machines and support consumables to the UK, Europe and North America.

For TIG welding, the metal needs to be clean; no rust, scale, paint, etc: TIG welding is not nearly as forgiving as Mig or stick when it comes to dirty metal. For TIG welding, the metal needs to be clean; no rust, scale, paint, etc. that means hot rolled steel needs to be ground to shiny bright metal…not just polished over. Welding hot rolled steel without grinding will make you look bad. Don’t do it if there is a chance someone might see it. Windy conditions or drafts in the welding area and you will lose shielding coverage and get pinholes/porosity in the weld . If you have to TIG weld in windy conditions, you are going to have to spend some time making wind breaks out of cardboard, plastic, or whatever you can get. TIG welding will just not tolerate much of a breeze much less a gust of wind. And please don’t try to TIG weld with a coat hanger or gas welding rod. They will bubble and hiss.

Flat-Position Welding Increases Welding Speed : It’s common knowledge that welding in a horizontal position will be the easiest and fastest way to weld. A flat position is not as taxing to maintain and the welding puddle will stay in place. Take some time to evaluate each project before beginning in order to make sure the majority of welds can be completed in this position. If a job calls for vertical welding, see this article about vertical welding. Core Wire Feeder Increases TIG Welding Speed: For professional welders hoping to speed up TIG welding, a core wire feeder will add filler metal through an automated process. Watch this video on how it works. This enables welders to work with both hands and to maintain a constant flow of wire into the welding puddle. Ed Craig at the Frabricator writes about the wire feeder process first developed in Europe, saying it is “suitable for all-position welding on materials of any thickness, the process addresses traditional GTAW limitations and can enhance both manual and automated TIG weld quality and productivity.”

Before you start welding, make sure all of your connections are tight — from the front of the MIG gun to the power pin attaching it to the power source. Also be certain there is no spatter buildup on your consumables and that you have a ground cable as close to the workspace as possible. Whenever possible, hook the ground cable on the weldment. If that is not possible, hook it to a bench. But remember: The closer it is to the arc, the better. If you have a questionable ground, it can cause the gun to overheat, impacting contact tip life and weld quality. In addition, regularly clean any shavings from the welding wire or debris that collects on your consumable parts and in your liner using clean compressed air.

Make sure everything is ‘squeaky’ clean. TIG welding is not tolerant of any contaminants. Be sure to clean your base metal with a good degreaser, BEFORE you scrub it with a dedicated wire brush. Do not use the same brush on different kinds of metal. Wipe the filler rod down with degreaser, too. Get comfortable. Whenever possible, I like to be seated when I’m welding. Even in situations where sitting isn’t possible, any little adjustments to my stance or body position that make me more comfortable will have a noticeable effect on the weld. Source: https://www.weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk/.