Welding Types

The main Types of welding used in industry and by home engineers are commonly referred to as
Mig welding, Arc welding, Gas welding and Tig welding.

GMAW or Gas Metal Arc Welding

More commonly called MIG welding this welding type is the most widely used and perhaps the
most easily mastered type of welding for industry and home use. The GMAW process is suitable
for fusing mild steel, stainless-steel as well as aluminium.

MIG welding stands for metal inert gas welding. It was originally used to weld non-ferrous
metals such as aluminium. It eventually was used on steel too. It is a quicker method of welding
as compared to other methods of welding.

Some of the advantages of MIG welding include the speed of the welding process. It has the
ability to weld many metals and many thicknesses of metal. The biggest advantage to MIG
welding is that it can be automated so that the human element can be removed all together.
Thats why robotic mig welders are commonly found is on an assembly line in an automobile
factory. As mig welding machines utilize a wire feed system this makes them ideal for robotic
purposes as they can carry a great amount of filler rod or wire.

Mig welding utilizes a wire feed technique which feeds a wire electrode from your welding
handgun to the weld. This wire electrode is available in numerous coil capacities or spools
dependent upon the welder sizing that may contain 100s and perhaps 1000s of feet/meters of
wire. The actual wire feed includes a pair of drive wheels to the wire plus a continual speed
electric motor to move the drive wheels. The majority of Welders contain numerous features
enabling timed feeds together with adjustable speeds.

You need the right safety gear. This includes a face mask to protect your eyes and skin. You also
need to have a heavy leather jacket. Keep the jacket fastened all the way up. You need to wear
heavy cotton pants and close toed shoes. Heavy work boots are best. Make sure that you are
welding in a well ventilated area, and that you have some kind of barrier between you and others,
and you have a warning sign that advises people to avoid the area.
When you start welding you need to make sure that you have the valve on the machine for the
shielding gas is open. Your welding machines needs to be on, and the grounding clamp either on
the metal or on your welding table. Make sure that your metal is clean and sharp edges are
ground down. Clean edges make your welds better. You can bevel the edges to create a valley
for the weld if you choose to, this is more important on thicker metals.

After you have done that and set your machine up, its time to start welding. You want to make a
zig zag or concentric circles with the tip. Its smart to practice before you start welding. Make
sure the mig welding machine is at the right setting. If you are getting holes in your workpiece
your setting is too high. Your settings are too low if your welds are being formed in spurts. You
have the right settings when your bead is nice and smooth.

There are basic fundamentals to understand but once mastered you will be able to weld most
metals in various positions with a mig.

The act of welding is simply fusing two metals together with the aid of a filler material. You first
need to get enough heat into the metal to begin the fusion process. For this the power of the
welder needs to complement the job to be done. For example it will be difficult to bring 1 inch
steel to any sort of melting point with a 120 Amp welder. The more power in the mig welding
machine the thicker the metal you can weld.

Filler materials or welding wire in the case of MIG welders will need to be the same as the work
to be welded, e.g. welding aluminium requires aluminium welding wire. Also the wire gauge
should also complement the work to be welded. For light welding of sheet metals you would use
a .08 mm wire gauge. For thicker metals you will use 1.2 mm wires.

The basic set up with a mig is that the welding wire is fed through the welding cable to the
welding gun; pull the trigger of the gun and the wire feed pushes wire to the job. The power level
and wire speed must be consistent with the job to be done. Getting the two synchronized can be a
challenge when you are learning how to mig weld. Once the combination is right the welding
will be smooth and relatively quiet without splattering.

The power of the welder in relation to the work is most important, especially when the job being
done could be a safety issue if the welded joint is not fused properly. A poor weld is often
referred to as a cold weld or cold lap. A weld such as this can look perfectly fine but have no
strength at all due to lack of penetration.

To prevent poor weld penetration the power of the welder must be sufficient to melt the parent
work and fuse the metals together. Always weld with as much power as you can to ensure correct
fusion of the joints.

How to mig weld with Gasless wire.

Mig welders will generally require a shielding gas however gasless wires are commonly
available. Gasless wire is excellent for the welding of galvanized iron. Gas-less wire is also
convenient where portability is needed or for site work when wind and breeze can blow away the
shielding gas from the work.

GTAW or Tungsten Inert Gas

TIG welding is comparable to oxy acetylene gas welding and needs a lot more expertise from the
operator. Employed for carrying out high-quality work when a superior standard of finish is
needed without making use of excessive clean up by sanding or grinding.

Tungsten inert gas welding, or TIG welding, is additionally referred to as GTAW, or simply gas
tungsten arc welding. Whilst much like gas welding. This utilizes a tungsten electrode to produce
the actual arc as well as heat for your weld.

The advantages to utilizing TIG welding will be it can easily be employed to weld much more
types of metals as well as alloys. You will get thoroughly clean welds. You wont get spatter or
messy welds that require cleanup by grinding. Tig welding produces an excellent robust, clean,
plus neat and tidy weld.

Before starting welding you need to make sure that you take all the proper safety precautions.
You need to have a good quality welding mask preferably for tig welding. The light given off by
arc welding is enough to burn your eyes, and it can burn your skin, like sunburn. Make sure that
you are wearing leather gloves and a leather welding jacket to protect your arms and neck. Make
sure that your jacket fastens all the way up to your neck. You want to wear heavy cotton shirts
and trousers. You also need to wear heavy closed shoes. You should have a welding screen and
warning sign so others can avoid the area, and you need to make sure its well ventilated.

Once you have set up all the safety precautions, its time for you to get down to welding. Before
you can do any welding you need to make sure that you have the right electrode. Different metals
need different tungsten electrodes. Grind the electrode down so that it has a nice point. When
you are welding that point will get worn down to a rounded tip. A pointed electrode tip gives you
a better weld. It will be smaller and more directed.

Make sure to grind away from you so you dont contaminate the electrode. After you grind the
tip, you need to put the electrode in the right holder. Then you choose the right settings on the
welding machine. Different metals need different settings. Check your manual for the right
settings.

Clean your metal and your table. That will give you the best welds. Clamp your metals down to
your table so they dont move when you are welding.
To start a weld keeps the tip about an inch from your metal. You dont want the tungsten tip to
actually touch the metal. You want to heat your metal quickly so you can start the weld pool
from the arc created. Use the electrode to create a weld pool then add filler material as required.

The way you weld depends on what metal you are welding. After you finish your weld you
might want to grind it down, depending on if it is going to be seen or not. That will also give you
the chance to check your weld to make sure that there are no holes or gaps.

It may take some practice to get good welds, but dont be discouraged. Once you have it, you can
weld just about anything.

Once you learn how to tig weld you will be considered a serious welder and for many an artist.
Tig welding really is an art form. Most people will not see this however creating the perfect bead
of weld in the place you want it does require skill and creativity.

The Tig welding process can be used to weld many metals, brass, aluminium, steel, copper,
bronze, nickel alloys and gold.

Tig welding or tungsten inert gas welding begins using a tungsten electrode that once struck
creates an arc to heat and fuse metals to be welded. The tungsten electrode does not actually
touch the work but is held at a distance from the work that is enough to create heat and, with the
aid of a filler electrode, fusion occurs.

To eliminate the need for flux a shielding gas is used in a similar manner to mig welding and is
delivered via the tig torch itself. The gas, generally pure Argon, protects the weld from outside
contamination.

Setting up the Tig welding machine is a key component to learn how to tig weld and can be
summarized as;

Set up gas supply to tig torch

 Set up welding inverter power. This all depends on the type and thickness of the metal /
alloy to be welded. This should be available in the welding machine manual.

Attach earth clamp.

Grind tungsten electrode to a point, the grinding is important, grind the point along the
length of the electrode and not around it, the length of the grind should be two and a half times
the diameter of the electrode, grind a small flat at the tip, not a sharp point. Grinding in this
manner will prevent any welding wander.

To start welding the torch needs to be held at between 70 to 80 degrees. Keep the tip
about 1/8 to inch from the work being welded. Practice controlling the arc puddle width at
approx inch wide.

Next add filler rod to the weld in small blobs or dabs, always try to keep the torch at a
constant distance from the work and a smooth weld speed. Push the weld rather than pull.

Once you learn how to tig weld it is a most satisfying accomplishment. Tig welding is a very
clean process and requires little or no clean-up. This makes it ideal for welds that are highly
visible in a decorative situation such as furniture, stainless steel or aluminium components and
art work.

Arc Welding or SMAW

Generally known as stick or arc welding. Arc welding is the most basic of all welding types, is
easy to master in a home welding situation. Stick welding can be used for manufacturing,
construction and repairs, very much well suited for heavy metal size 4 millimetres upwards.
Thinner sheet metals and alloys are usually more suited to the mig welding types.

With no two pieces of cast iron being the same there are obvious challenges to arc welding cast
iron. Most cast iron welding is due to maintenance and cracked casting repairs. The main two
methods of welding cast iron is by using oxy acetylene welding processes or using stick / arc
welders.
Cast iron may be welded using a covered steel electrode, however this technique ought to be
applied as an emergency solution solely. Whenever using any steel electrode, a contraction with
the steel weld material, any carbon acquired in the cast iron from the weld metal, and also the
hardness in the weld metal due to quick cooling down has to be considered. Steel shrinks a lot
more than cast iron if ceded from the molten into a solid condition.

Each time a steel electrode is employed, that unequal shrinking can cause stresses in the joint
following welding. Whenever a great quantity of filler metal is used on the joints, the actual cast
iron may possibly fracture just back from the line of fusion unless of course precautionary
measures are undertaken. To beat a lot of these complications, the prepared joints ought to be
welded by way of depositing any weld metal in small stringed beads, 0.70 to 1.0 in. long (20.0 to
25.5 millimeters).

These are typically made sporadically and, in some instances, with the back-step and skip
method. To help prevent hard spots, your arc ought to be struck in the V, rather than on the
surface area on the base metal. Every brief length of weld metal employed on any joints ought to
be carefully peened whilst hot using a modest ball peen hammer, plus permitted to cool prior to
further weld metal being applied. This peening activity forges the actual metal and also
minimizes any cooling down strains.

Cooling can also be assisted by covering the casting with a specialized cooling blanket or by
covering the casting with sand. Arc welding cast iron is a slow process relying on diligent
peening and cooling processes.

Gas or Oxy Acetylene Welding And Cutting

Not used as widely for general welding of mild steel. Consists of mixing oxygen and acetylene
gas to greate a flame capable of melting steels. Mostly used today for maintenance work and gas
metal cutting. Also common for brazing softer metals such as copper and bronze. Can also be
used for welding delicate aluminium parts such as refrigeration pipes.

Gas Cutting equipment for metal construction and maintenance. The most accessible of thermal
cutting gear is by qxy-acetylene gas cutting and plasma cutting machines. Other methods include
the use of a thermal cutting electrode for use with the arc welder machine.