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English 4
Mrs.Wilson
Thesis: Welding is an important skill to have in life. There can never be enough welders in
America. Welding is a beneficial skill that always has career opportunities available, but
A. Tig Welding
B. Stick Welding
C. Mig Welding
VII. Conclusion
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Welding is an important skill to have in life. There can never be enough welders in America.
Welding is a beneficial skill that always has career opportunities available, but successful
welders must be skilled, disciplined, and patient. Welding has many good things about it but also
Welding is the process of melting elements at the hottest temperatures possible. (So hot a
spark will burn your pant leg and skin off in seconds) To form together a new bonding metal that
which is strong. Two pieces are fused together as one tough functioning piece. How tough is the
new piece? It definitely depends on the type of weld gas used. The most popular shielding gas is
pure argon. Argon is used for both gas metal and tungsten arc welding of aluminum. There are
other times when you need to be concerned about a gas mixture for a clean weld but not when it
comes to TIG welding. As people will see, the proof is in the strength of the bond produced by
the welder and the type of weld the craftsman uses to complete the task at hand. TIG welding
uses argon gas when welding aluminum. From the words of Cherrie Moraga in her Poem
entitled “The Welder,” “No magic here. Only the heat of my desire to fuse.”
We are not so lucky on Earth. Why? The atmosphere puts a layer of oxidized material
between the surfaces making a welder’s job important and necessary. There are three distinctive
methods of welding: TIG, Stick, and MIG welding. The American Welding Society shared this
fun welding fact: “Did you know that if two pieces of metal touch in space, they become
permanently stuck together? Two pieces of metal without any coating on them will form into one
piece in the vacuum of space.” The process of joining metals together through extreme heat
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and/or heat and pressure can be done with these above mentioned methods. All three are unique
simply gas tungsten arc welding. TIG can be used “to weld copper, titanium, even two dissimilar
metals, and is handy for making tricky welds (e.g. s-curves, or welds on round things)”
(Stasterisk). TIG uses shielding argon gas produced by a tungsten electrode to make the actual
arc as well as heat for the weld. Our atmosphere contains gases such as water vapor, nitrogen,
carbon dioxide, and oxygen. These gases can make a weld weak because of excess splatter in
the weld pool as well as a plasm cloud forming around the weld. It is extremely important to use
a gas that shields the weld from the environmental forces while the welding puddle is being
formed. Pure argon is used most often with aluminum and nonferrous metal welding.
TIG welding has several advantages for a welder. The method is dirt free, it allows
materials liter gauge to be welded, and it is a very precise method making for a nice clean weld
and one you can be proud of laying. TIG is the most complex method as it takes both steady
hands and a patient welder to produce nice results. The welder needs to add the rod and operate
the weld at the same time. The point used during a weld matters a lot. In an article on how to
weld by Stasterisk, a welder known as Lincoln recommends a balled tip for AC welding, and a
pointed tip for DC welding.The pointed tip will give a smaller, more directed arc. The arc will
tend to dance around, when from a rounded tip. A different angle will produce a different weld
Stick welding uses welding rods called sticks to manually form a metal arc. The sticks
contain a filler metal and flux. It is the most common form of welding and it still plays a major
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role in metal fabrication today. It may not be easy for the beginning welder and it will take a lot
of practice to learn the precise techniques. The sticks are more moisture resistant today and are
tailored for specific applications. When welding a person must not shake at all. Any slight
movement when welding can damage the weld and may burn the welder. Stick welding is great
because it is able to be used indoors and outdoors: ”If you are welding indoors, any process will
work. If welding outside, you can forget about MIG and TIG for the most part, as there are only
a few exceptions” (Gowelding). MIG and TIG require gases to operate and a significant source
Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is simple in comparison to TIG welding. The process is
easier to learn. The welder feeds a continuous spool of welding wire that burns, melts, and fuses
the metal plates together. The power source is a constant voltage power supply. The “only
manual controls required of the welder for semi-automatic operation are travel speed, travel
direction and gun (torch) positioning” (Praxair). TIG and Stick uses constant amperage power.
Voltage is a measure of how much force electrons are under and amperage is a measure of the
amount of electrons moving in a circuit. The weld brings out a clean weld bead free of slag.
Weld slag is solidified flux used in the welding process combined with impurities or atmospheric
gases. MIG is a great welding technique to use on about any metal type. Most people chose MIG
A person can have a successful career as a certified welder, welding inspector, or welding
engineer. According to the IExplore Welding youtube video, the US Department of Labor states
there are approximately half a million welding positions needed in the United States. As a high
school student one can take the college and career promise courses at the local community
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college for two years as a junior and senior to earn certificates in MIG, TIG, and Stick welding
and then attend the college for one more semester to earn the welding diploma. Welders are in
high demand in our economy to work on industrial equipment, intricate assemblies with high
skill level in advanced manufacturing industries, robotics welding, structural welds, energy wind
turbines, building equipment for geothermal and solar energy, underwater welding, as well as
A career in welding can be very rewarding and challenging. If a welder has an eye for
detail, patience, and enjoy working with his or her hands, this career may be for the welder! It
can provide financial stability as well. In an article on “Welding Career Options, Job Duties and
Welders willing to relocate to different states may find more job opportunities.
Salary ranges for welders vary by welding skills, industry experience and
employer; the median annual salary was $38,150 as of May 2015, per the BLS.
To be a welder, you need experience, a sharp eye for detail and a strict adherence
to safety, as their work can be quite complicated and hazardous. Even though the
job growth for welders is slow, there are still opportunities available for skilled
The average pay for a beginning welder is seventeen dollars an hour with increases with
additional certifications such as stainless steel and metal fabrication welds as well as experience
in the field. The opportunities are endless and can take people all over the world. There is
Welding can be harmful if a person does not use the right protection. Welders often spend
a lot of money in just protective clothing and proper wear for the safety of the welder during the
process. Welding burns can very harmful and painful. Not everyone can weld. Welding is a very
serious job, a burn caused by a weld is very dangerous and is a first degree burn. Welding can
also cause other injuries. The Consumer Justice Group states that “Welding is one of the most
hazardous occupations in construction. Traditionally, welders had to fear workplace injury from
burns, electricity, and “welder’s flash” (blinding and diminished vision). Recent studies have
shown that toxic chemicals released from welding rods put welders at an additional workplace
risk for less immediate but no less serious conditions of lung, brain, and nerve damage, such as
manganism” (“Welders’ Parkinson’s Disease”). All of the injuries can be fatal if one does not
Welding is a very beneficial skill to possess in life. It can support a good welder
financially and has many chances for opportunities. Welding by far is not easy but once it is
learned it becomes enjoyable. Welding requires a person who is patient, strong, and disciplined.
Welding will never depreciate. A welding skill is becoming more and more important to have in
the world. The majority of community colleges have a welding program. The world needs more
welders and jobs are raising their pay to have better and more valuable welders.
.
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Works Cited
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOUfduzWeiE
www.welding-advisers.com/Welding-Site-Building.html.
www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/.
https://vivelevagin.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/the-welder-by-cherrie-moraga/
“Welding Information, Schools, Jobs and Supply and Equipment Directory.” GoWelding.Org,
Ezoic, https://gowelding.org/
“Welding-Tips for Beginners, Types of Welds and Troubleshooting from Eastwood.” Youtube,
“Welcome to the Praxair Direct Industrial Gas and Welding Information Center.” Industrial Gas
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“Welding Career Options, Job Duties and Salary Information.” Study.com, Study.com,
study.com/welding_career.html.
consumerjusticegroup.com/workers_rights/workplace_injuries/welding_injuries/index.ht
ml.