Here are some tricks about welding equipment and how to make the best purchase choices. The welding setup, welder settings, and electrode selection will impact how fast welders can work. Industrial welders invest time in planning the size and shape of their welding areas, how parts are laid out, and how they supply their shielding gas. Testing settings or an electrode on a piece of scrap metal, especially for a beginners, will save time in the long run. Learn more about setting up an efficient shop here. Welding Downhill Increases Welding Speed: While welding downhill is a faster way to weld, it’s not as strong as welding uphill. On most projects it’s not worth sacrificing strength and durability for the sake of welding speed. However, if the metal is thin enough, then welding downhill won’t make the weld weaker and may even be the correct technique for the job. Learn about uphill and downhill welding and see these diagrams of vertical and downhill welding.

A welder is a long term investment where many find that they get what they pay for. While it is sometimes advisable to test the waters with a used model, picking the right machine the first time around can save a lot of headaches and cash in the long term. No one wants a used welder to fail in the middle of a big job or to discover that a used welder’s price can help make ends meet but the welder itself can’t make two pieces of metal meet. The best welder will complete every project that comes down the pike and minimizes limitations. This means that the most expensive welder is not always the best for each situation. However, the cheapest welding machine that can’t handle every job a welder hopes to accomplish fails to pay for itself in ways that make it worthwhile to review the possible options before investing in a welder. The Work Determines the Welder One of the most important questions to consider when selecting a welder isn’t what projects it will be used for in the next week, month, or even year. Those interested in buying a welder need to ask if they see themselves using it more frequently in the future for many different kinds of projects.

In many shops, the operator has to go to a tool room or supply area for a new contact tip, coil of wire or other welding accessory. This takes valuable time away from the welding cell and slows down overall productivity. To improve the operating efficiency and minimize wasted time, companies should stock at least a limited supply of all necessary items near the welding station – this includes shielding gas, flux and wire. Another helpful productivity enhancing tip is to switch to larger spools of wire such as from 25 lb. spools to 44 or 60 lb. spools to even larger packages of 1,000 lb. reels or 1,000 lb. drums. A simple switch like this means less changeover time, which adds up over the weeks, months and years. Shops should also be on the lookout for shielding gas waste. A simple device called a surge turbine can be placed at the end of the gun to provide a digital readout of the gas surge and flow rate. If the surge rate is high, investing in a surge guard can reduce the pressure, eliminating gas surges and waste. Leaks in the gas delivery system can also create a potential loss of money. By looking at the amount of consumables purchased each year and then examining the total gas purchased, a company can determine if there is a significant loss. Welding manufacturers and distributors should be able to provide average utilization figures so that loss can be detected. If there is a loss suspected, one of the easiest ways to check for leaks is to shut off the gas delivery system over the weekend. Check the level on Friday evening and then again on Monday morning to determine if gas was used while the system was in shut down mode. Searching for the best Welding Supplies? We recommend Welding Supplies Direct & associated company TWS Direct Ltd is an online distributor of a wide variety of welding supplies, welding equipment and welding machine. We supply plasma cutters, MIG, TIG, ARC welding machines and support consumables to the UK, Europe and North America.

Argon is not the only shielding gas used for TIG welding: Shielding gasses for TIG welding Argon is not the only shielding gas used for TIG welding…just the most common and versatile. Argon will usually get the job done. But there are times when some helium mixed with argon makes a world of difference. Especially if you are using a small inverter TIG welder that is limited to around 200 amps. 100% Argon – is the most often used and coolest gas ..the best all around gas. 75% Argon/25% Helium – even 25% helium will make a big difference when welding aluminum that is thicker than .063″. Anything under .063″ thick and helium is unnecessary. 50/50 argon/helium—awesome for thick aluminum and magnesium 75% Helium/25% Argon – Awesome for thick aluminum castings… puddles really quick and welds cleaner than 100% argon. Also good for welding bronze and pure copper on DCEN.

Welding supplies handbook: how to become a better welder and how to pick the best welding equipment. Use the smallest tungsten that will get the job done. Use the smallest tungsten to get the job done. …within reason. Another way of saying this is don’t just use a 1/8” electrode for everything. There are jobs where a 1/8” electrode is great like for welding 3/16” thick aluminum. But what if you are welding on the edge of a .030” turbine blade? A .040” electrode will be plenty to handle the 15 amps and will give much better starts than even a 1/16” electrode. Too large an electrode can cause an erratic arc and contamination…and A bad start where the high frequency tries to arc up inside the cup and off the side of the tungsten can easily melt off a thin edge and scrap an expensive part. 2% thoriated or lanthanated tungsten electrodes hold up at high amperage better than most all other electrodes. When welding at higher amperages, often times you can use one size smaller electrode by using 2% thoriated or lanthanated. And that is a good thing.

Always know what gas your wire requires — whether it’s 100 percent CO2 or argon, or a mix of the two. \While CO2 is considerably cheaper than argon and good for penetrating welds on steel, it also tends to run cooler, making it usable for thinner materials. Use a 75 percent argon/25 percent CO2 gas mix for even greater penetration and a cleaner weld, since it generates less spatter than straight CO2. Here are some suggestions for shielding gases for common types of wire: Solid Carbon Steel Wire: Solid carbon steel wire must be used with CO2 shielding gas or a 75 percent CO2/25 percent argon mix, which is best used indoors with no wind for auto body, manufacturing and fabrication applications. Aluminum Wire: Argon shielding gas must be used with aluminum wire, which is ideal for stronger welds and easier feeding. Stainless Steel Wire: Stainless steel wire works well with a tri-mix of helium, argon and CO2.

The arc is shaped like a cone, with the tip at the electrode and the base on the metal being welded. The closer the electrode is held to the metal, the smaller the base of the cone — but as you pull the electrode farther away, the base (and puddle) gets larger. If the puddle gets too large, gravity will simply pull it away from the base metal, leaving a hole. This is why thin-gauge metals are especially challenging for beginners. Perhaps the most important skill needed for TIG welding is moving the torch in a controlled manner, with steady forward movement, while keeping the gap between the tip of the electrode and the base metal consistently small — usually in the range of 1/8 inch to 3/16 inch. It requires a lot of practice to precisely control the arc length, keeping it as short as you can without allowing the electrode to touch the base metal or filler rod. Source: https://www.weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk/.