Welding Tools

To familiarize yourself with welding techniques, you will need welding tools, electrodes, power supplies, and safety equipment. But before you start, it would be good to take a course or find an expert who can teach you how to weld. If you don't learn the safety rules, you can seriously injure yourself. The welding process joins metal by melting two pieces of metal at a joint and creating a junction.

Not all welding tools are created of the same quality. Welding can be a profession for you. But welding is also a technique that you can take advantage of in your daily life or as a serious profession. You can even use welding to improve your current job, especially in the agriculture or automotive industries. Welding offers endless opportunities, depending on the type of welding you are willing to learn.

Four Common Types of Welding

There are various forms of welding done with specific welding tools, each of which is used for a specific metal or seam. Different tools, equipment, and techniques are used in each method. Additionally, there are many welding methods to select from; the four most typically utilized welding methods are MIG-gas shielded arc welding (GMAW), TIG-tungsten gas arc welding (GTAW), Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and Flux-Cored arc welding (FCAW), which are listed below.

-GMAW – Gas Metal Arc Welding

A consumable electrode is utilized in this welding method, which is also known as MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding. On the other hand, MIG welding uses a solid wire electrode that is continually fed through the welding gun. MIG welding machines are made to accept a variety of welding wires and gauges.

MIG welders take advantage of an inert gas, which is also pumped through the welding gun, instead of flux to prevent oxidation and other metal-weakening factors. Carbon dioxide or a mixture of carbon dioxide and argon could be the gas. In comparison to stick welding, MIG welding may produce fewer fumes.

This type of welding is simple to master and can be applied to a variety of metals. Gas Metal Arc Welding has become considerably easier to bring to the job site thanks to the availability of portable MIG welders.

-GTAW – Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

TIG welding, Heliarc welding, and Gas Tungsten Arc welding are all frequent names for this type of welding. This type of welding, unlike the others listed so far, does not require a consumable electrode. Instead, the welder creates the molten metal needed to forge the weld with an external rod.

TIG welding is known for producing strong, high-quality welds, although it does need more skill than other types of welding. TIG welds are also known for being extremely clean and appealing to the eye. Gas Tungsten Arc Welding requires an inert gas shield, which is often argon or an argon mixture for this kind of welding.

-SMAW – Shielded Metal Arc Welding

Stick welding, also known as shielded metal arc welding, is a very common and popular form of welding. It's commonly used in construction, steel fabrication, pipeline work, and heavy equipment repairs.

When stick welding, the welder utilizes a consumable electrode, which means the weld is formed by melting the welding rod itself. A flux core, that is a chemical cleaner, is included in the electrodes. The flux prevents oxidation, that can weaken the weld as the metal in the electrode melts.

-FCAW – Flux Cored Arc Welding

Flux-cored Arc welding combines MIG welding speed with Stick welding efficiency. Flux Cored Arc Welders, like MIG welders, feature a continuously fed wire running through the gun. However, like stick welding electrodes, this wire (the consumable electrode) has a flux core. This eliminates the requirement for the inert gas that MIG welding necessitates. However, this wire (the consumable electrode) does include a flux core, similar to the electrodes used in stick welding. This eliminates the need for inert gas, which is needed for MIG welding.

For its speed and greater electrode efficiency, this method of welding is preferred. For this type of welding, there are a variety of electrodes available. The majority of them are either self-shielded or gas-shielded, and they are classified in several ways.

Before you begin any Flux Cored Arc Welding project, make sure you acquaint yourself with the many types of FCAW electrodes to ensure you have the right one for the task and you have the right welding tools.

Safety Tips