Ellege 1

Jordan Ellege
Mrs. Hefner
Grad Projects
14 April 2015

Will it Weld?

Throughout the years, humans have developed many different ways to design and build
structures to improve their everyday life. Typically, these structures are made of separate pieces
that are attached together by some means of adhesion such as glue or some type of bolting or
screwing. While this works for less stressful conditions or where a modular design is needed, it
does not allow for a more permanent solution that provides for a higher dependability. Welding,
however, provides a permanent and strong solution to this challenge. The history of welding,
definition, types of welders, and safety precautions show that welding consists of many different
aspects and is a good solution for building metal structures where permanence and reliability is
key.
According to William and Kevin Bowditch, authors of the textbook Welding Technology
Fundamentals, The use of welding dates back to 2000 B.C., but the development of modern
forms of welding began in 1881 (11). Ever since then, welding has been a necessity with over
50% of the gross national product of the U.S.A. [being] related to welding in one way or
another (Welding Basics). Welding is an intricate process that requires time and practice to
develop strong and clean welds, but its fundamentals are fairly simple to understand.
By definition, welding is a process of joining metallic or nonmetallic material in a
relatively small area by heating the area to the welding temperature. Pressure may or may not be

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applied; welds may be made by applying pressure only. Welds may be made with or without the
addition of filler metal (Bowditch, 9). Typically, welds are be made by using a high amount of
electricity or heat by means of a flame. As the heat is produced, temperatures become high
enough to melt the metals and join them into one piece. Often, a filler metal is used to ensure a
strong and full weld.
Welding with flame, such as brazing, only requires a heat source in the form of a flame
from a torch to weld. Brazing is defined as a process that cause[s] materials to join by heating
them to the brazing temperature in the presence of a filler metal. The filler metal has a liquidus
above 840 degrees Fahrenheit and below the solidus temperature of the base metal. The filler
metal is distributed between the closely fitting surfaces of the joint by capillary action
(Bowditch 95). Because it uses gases to produce heat, brazing is highly portable compared to
welding with electricity since it does not require a power outlet.
Welding with electricity, requires some type of welding machine in order to provide a
substantial amount of current to heat and join pieces metal together. There are many types of
welding machines that are specialized for different applications. The most common types are:
Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding. Each
welder has different strengths and
weaknesses that specialize them for different
applications. Welder prices can start from
$200 and go to very high prices with varying
levels of complexity. To take full advantage
of these different aspects, multi-process
welders combine the different types of

(Figure A)

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welders into one. Figure A is an example of a frame for a desk that is made out of 1 steel
tubing and welded together to create three pieces that will be bolted together. It is welded using
different types of welders and welding techniques depending on which piece is being welded.
Shielded Metal Arc Welding, or SMAW, is sometimes referred to as stick welding
because it uses an electrode in the form of a long metal rod to create an electrical arc between it
and the work piece. Shielded metal arc welding machines are designed to join light a heavy
gauge metals of all kinds (Miller 97). Stick welders consist of a power source, a grounding
clamp, and an electrode clamp. The welding rod is then touched to the work piece to create and
electrical arc and produce heat. As heat is created from the electricity, the electrode melts to act
as a filler metal for the work piece. The electrode is covered with a coating that allows the arc
and weld to be shielded from the atmosphere to prevent the weld from oxidation. Stick welding
is not as easy to learn as Gas Metal Arc Welding but is good for creating very strong welds.
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) is defined as a welding process in which metals are
joined by heating them with a welding arc between the base metal and a continuous consumable
electrode (Bowditch 167). The term MIG (Metal Inert Gas) is interchangeable with Gas Metal
Arc Welding. MIG welders consist of a power source, a spool of wire driven by an electric
motor, a welding gun, and a ground clamp to complete the electrical circuit. On the welding gun,
a trigger is pulled to feed the wire out of the tip of the welding gun. Welding wire is fed from the
spool through the welding gun where it is electrically charged and exits the gun. A shielding gas
is also used to protect the weld and electrical arc during the welding process. If a shielding gas is
not desired, the regular welding wire can be replaced with flux-cored wire which allows welds to
be made without welding wire. This has drawbacks, however, as it is more costly and results in a
higher fume production.

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MIG welding is generally understood to be one of the easier types of welding for
beginners. The electric motor provides a constant and controlled supply of filler metal while the
user can focus on correct welding patterns and steady operation. MIG welding, however is not
precise as TIG or stick welding because of the size of the welding gun being used. For a strong
weld to be made, the tip of the welding gun must be close to the work piece. This is a challenge
in some situations where the tip of the welding gun is too wide to fit into a smaller area.
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) refers to a process in which an arc is struck
between a tungsten electrode and the base metal (Bowditch 209). GTAW is commonly referred
to as TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding. TIG welders typically consist of a power source, a
torch where the arc is created, and a grounding clamp to complete the electrical circuit. Inside
the torch is a tungsten rod that supplies the electricity for the weld. As the arc is produced, a
shielding gas envelops the arc to prevent any corrosion or structural failure in the weld. Filler rod
may also be required to add metal to the weld joint. In more advanced TIG welders, a foot pedal
is added to allow the user to control the amount of power that travels through the circuit. This
allows for a more precise and controlled welding environment where the user can quickly adjust
power based on the needs at the moment.
TIG welding is a much more precise process than MIG welding because it allows the user
to precisely control the arc by the use of a foot-pedal and a closer interaction with the work
piece. TIG welding does have some drawbacks, however, as it typically requires two hands to
operate, maintenance of the tungsten rod, and consumable filler rods. In certain situations, users
may need to hold a piece in place to be welded. This is difficult since one hand holds the torch
while the other is holding a filler rod. For optimal arc generation, the tungsten rod must have a
sharp tip, but the tip melts slightly over time and becomes dull due to heat. This means that it

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must be periodically removed and sharpened. Also, unlike MIG welders, there is not a constant
supply of filler material. This means that the user may have to periodically stop welding to
acquire a new filler rod.
Much of welding requires that welds be perfect, watertight, and strong. In order to create
these welds, the weld must effectively penetrate the work piece to fuse them together into one.
This is called the depth of fusion and is the distance that fusion extends into the base metal or
previous pass from the surface melted during welding (Welding How). As the metals are
heated, they melt together to become one. If not enough power is used, depending on the
thickness of the metal, the weld will not penetrate deep enough and will only be on the surface of
the two pieces. This could mean that the majority of the metal is still in two pieces which may
result in a break. The type of welding pattern is also important for joining two pieces together.
An example of the multiple types of welding patterns is a weaving pattern. A weaving pattern
results a wide weld and is created by moving the torch or electrode holder from side to side as
the pass progresses along the weld joint (Bowditch 28). To increase the strength of the weld
even more, proper shielding is used to cover the electrode.
Shielding gas is an important part of MIG and TIG welding. As the metal is welded, it
must be protected from the atmosphere and oxidation and can also affect the arc when welding.
The energy levels required to dissociate and ionize the various gasses relates to the excess
energy available to boil metal from the electrode and molten droplet (Welding How). MIG or
TIG welding without shielding gas will only cause poor welds with the likelihood of the metals
not even joining at all. Shielding gases are no more than non-flammable gases such as CO2 and
Argon, and they can be purchased at any welding supply store in varying sizes of tanks. Stick
welding, however, has a coating over its consumable electrode that acts as its shielding.

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Many different metals can be welded from stainless steel to aluminum. However different
type of metals, especially alloys, require different preparations and precautions to be considered
before welding. In alloys, where there is multiple metals combining to make one, extra attention
should be paid to the chemical composition. The chemical composition of a metal alloy is a list
of the different metals or elements that are combined to produce that metal alloy (Bowditch 16).
Stainless steel alloys, for example, have a high chromium content. When welded, some of the
metal is vaporized which then allows for metal fumes to be inhaled. Since chromium is
carcinogenic, proper ventilation must be used in order to prevent inhalation as much as possible.
A good practice is to always work in an open area where there is sufficient airflow, but for extra
protection from fumes, fume extractors are used.
In an interview with Charles McCarthy, a local welder, he notes how important safety is
to the shop environment. Safety is of high concern when working in any shop environment,
especially when welding. I have seen many accidents that were easily preventable with the
proper safety precautions (McCarthy). Proper clothing and safety practices should always be in
place when welding. Fire extinguishers should always be present in case of the event of an
uncontrolled fire. The user should also have adequate eye protection that not only protects the
eyes from sparks but also from the bright light generated. Welding with electricity is an even
more dangerous process. Welding machines should be turned off and unplugged when not in use
to prevent any accidental electrical discharge. When welding, the work piece must also be
adequately grounded. Applying and maintaining proper grounding methods within the welding
area is important to promote electrical safety in the workplace (Welding How). The electrical
arc that is produced when welding is dangerous to the eyes and skin. Therefore, a welding helmet
is required to provide correct shading to protect the eyes. The skin should also be covered in

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order to protect it from the light rays and sparks that are emitted. This can be easily
accomplished by wearing non-flammable coats and pants which can also be purchased from
welding supply stores.
Welding is used everywhere, in cars, buildings, boats, etc. The topic of welding is so full
of information that welding itself is a profession and not just an aspect of one. Like any other
tool, welding machines must be respected and properly used. If this is done, then the options for
constructing structures or anything else opens up to include weldable metals. The different types
of machines and techniques that are used mean that there will be an effective solution to almost
any welding challenge.

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Works Cited

Bowditch, William A., and Kevin E Bowditch. Welding Technology Fundamentals. Tinley
Park: Goodheart-Wilcox, 1997. Print.

Mccarthy, Charles. Personal Interview. 5 Apr. 2015.

Miller, R.T. Welding Skills: Second Edition. Homewood: American Technical, 1997.
Print.

Welding Basics. Welding Information Center. n.d. Web. O5 Mar 2015.

<http://www.weldinginfocenter.org/basics/index.html>.

Welding How-Tos | Lincoln Electric. Lincoln Electric. n.d. Web. 09 Mar 2015.
<http://bit.ly/1MmcXLD>.