Author: Chris Holdheide

One thing I’ve learned quite well throughout my welding years is that every type of welding has its limitation. MIG welding is one that I use quite often but of course, it’s best for certain types of metals, particularly certain thicknesses. It’s important to keep in mind the functionality and capabilities of your tools so…

I’ve always found thin metal to be challenging to work with. It seems as though it’s the hardest to get to cooperate, to an extent. Of course, thin metal can be weak although it’s not usually brittle. The thinness and the contents of the metal often are the challenge and I have to prepare myself…

Oh, boy, that’s a really great-looking paint job! The problem is, I now have to weld that beautiful piece. The painted layers just won’t do, or will it? There are a lot of variables in welding, including a lot of processes to be familiar with. So can you weld over painted metal? Yes, it is…

You’re all psyched up for a welding job. Maybe it’s your first one or maybe you’re a seasoned welder and you’re just really excited for the upcoming job. You grab your gear and your tools and you hit the road to your welding location. When you arrive, the piece you are going to be welding…

In the welding industry, you quickly learn that there are numerous types of metals. There are some metals I will never work with and some metals I work with all the time. The metal you work with might also vary based on the type of welding you are doing. So what are the easiest and…

A lot of professional welders have to work every month of the year – even the cold ones. Your clients rely on you to get the job done no matter how cold it is. But, when is it too cold to weld? Metal below freezing temperatures can cause the weld not to penetrate the base…

I can remember the first time I switched on a welder and picked up the welding gun to make my first weld. My hands shook as I pointed the nozzle down towards the metal and then I slowly squeezed the trigger. Suddenly a sharp blast of sparks exploded from the end of the welding gun…

In my early days of being a welder, I was always curious about different ways I could weld things together. Aluminum was no exception to that rule and after a little bit of tinkering around, I was able to use a MIG welder to weld aluminum together. Can you MIG weld aluminum without a spool…

One thing I learned early on as a welder is that you almost never weld in the same position. One moment you might be welding flat the next you could be doing a vertical down. It’s these vertical welds that can be a bit tricky if you don’t do them right. So should you weld…