Top welding tricks: how to become a more skilled welder and how to select the best welding equipment. Look for ways to support your hands. Having good support for your hands or arms is crucial for moving the torch with precise control. I do my best welding when the base of my hands or my wrists is supported in some way. Often you can rest your wrists on the part being welded. I keep an assortment of wood and metal blocks near my welding bench, and I often can get better support by positioning a block to rest my torch hand on. There are occasions where I rest my forearms, or even my elbows, on something for support. Many welders set up special support bars, positioned parallel to the joint being welded, and they slide their torch hand along the bar to help follow the joint with fine control. For some out-of-position work, I’ve had to rely on resting only my shoulder on something, and while not ideal, it’s better than having no support at all. Even placing my hip against something stationary can offer a bit of support, but I can’t weld very well when standing ‘free,’ with no support at all.
Look for ways to create more efficiencies in the welding process. This includes examining such things as wire diameter, wire feed speed, voltage, travel speed, gas type, transfer mode, etc. For instance, if the shop is currently welding with a short arc process and a 75/25 blend of shielding gas, it may be more effective to switch to a different gas and a spray mode of transfer. Or, a change in process may be warranted based on the condition of the part. If there is oxide on the part, it may be easier to change to a process that will overcome contamination problems rather than try to clean each part before welding. Your welding supplier should be up to date on the latest technology and be able to advise you on new processes, machinery and consumables that can optimize welding at the shop. In some cases, it may be better to double bevel a joint to prepare it for welding rather than single bevel it. It is recommended to double bevel any material that is more than 3/4″ in thickness. Just this simple change in procedure can save quite a bit in weld metal. On a 3/4″ thick piece, a double bevel will use 1.45 lbs. per foot of weld metal while a single bevel will use 1.95 lbs. per foot.
Some tips on 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.
Welding faster may sound appealing, but aside from practice, there are few shortcuts when creating a strong weld. In fact, unless a situation calls for a fast-moving weld, there’s a good chance that slow and steady is the way to go. An online search for ways to weld faster, will yield either descriptions of the ways automated welding has increased welding speed or press releases from companies who claim their gas or electrode holds the key to improving welding speed. In other words, it can seem like spending a lot of money is the only way to weld faster. However, for those looking for some ways to save time on their welding projects, there are some ways to weld faster for certain projects. While it’s not always a good idea to find a way to weld faster, there are situations when welding faster may produce a better product or a few simple changes can speed up the time on task. Read more details at MIG welders.
Use gas lens style collet bodies and cups to weld stainless steel: Use gas lens style collet bodies and cups to weld stainless steel. The screen in the gas lens allows far better gas coverage of your welds. You can use gas lenses to weld all materials is you want; they also allow you to stick your tungsten up to 1” out of the cup by increasing gas flow. Sometimes you need to extend it just to reach a tight spot. The screen diffuses gas at higher gas flow rates eliminating turbulence which is what you would get if you tried this without the gas lens. Too much gas is as bad as too little gas. (Especially for TIG welding aluminum) Typical gas flow rates are around 15 to 20 cfh. Bu it really depends on the nozzle/cup diameter. While I am on the subject, what do the numbers on TIG cups mean? I am glad you asked… A #4 means 4/16″ or 1/4″ A #7 means 7/16″. In other words the number cup means how large the inside diameter in 1/16’s. When you use a #4 cup remember to adjust the argon flow to around 10cfh. And the bigger the cup inside diameter, the more gas flow….to an extent.