Some advices about welding equipment, MIG and TIG welders, plasma cutters. Stick Welding — If you learned to weld years ago, you likely learned using an arc welder. Stick welding for many years has been the most popular method for most home-shop welding needs. This process uses an electric current flowing from a gap between the metal and the welding stick, also known as an arc-welding electrode. Stick welding is an effective method for welding most alloys or joints and can be used indoors and outdoors or in drafty areas. It’s also the most economical welding method and provides the ability to create an effective bond on rusty or dirty metals. However, this method is limited to metals no thinner than 18-gauge, requires frequent rod changing, emits significant spatter and requires that welds be cleaned upon completion. Stick welding is also more difficult to learn and use, particularly the ability to strike and maintain an arc. Arc welders are available in AC, DC or AC/DC, with AC being the most economical. It’s used for welding thicker metals of 1/16 inch or greater. These machines are a good choice for farmers, hobbyists and home maintenance chores.
Top welding tips: how to become a more skilled welder and how to select the best welding equipment. Use the smallest tungsten that will get the job done. Use the smallest tungsten to get the job done. …within reason. Another way of saying this is don’t just use a 1/8” electrode for everything. There are jobs where a 1/8” electrode is great like for welding 3/16” thick aluminum. But what if you are welding on the edge of a .030” turbine blade? A .040” electrode will be plenty to handle the 15 amps and will give much better starts than even a 1/16” electrode. Too large an electrode can cause an erratic arc and contamination…and A bad start where the high frequency tries to arc up inside the cup and off the side of the tungsten can easily melt off a thin edge and scrap an expensive part. 2% thoriated or lanthanated tungsten electrodes hold up at high amperage better than most all other electrodes. When welding at higher amperages, often times you can use one size smaller electrode by using 2% thoriated or lanthanated. And that is a good thing.
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 Welding Equipment? 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.
MIG Welding Increases Welding Speed: In addition to welding aluminum and other softer metals, MIG-welding works faster, provides cleaner welds, and handles many different types of metals. The downside is its complexity. MIG Welders need direct currents, a steady stream of inert gas, and precise control of their torches. The amount of heat generated from MIG welding provides the deep penetration required for a strong weld, while also melting the feed wire rapidly enough to maintain a higher welding speed than other techniques. Given the inert gas required for MIG welding, keep in mind that this technique cannot be conducted in windy areas. The Right Stick Electrode Increases Welding Speed: There are three kinds of electrodes used for stick welding: fast-fill, fill-freeze, and fast-follow. While each electrode has its advantages, the fast-fill electrodes melt quickly and allow welders to work faster.
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/.
