Over the years I’ve used a lot of different various types of steel and different shapes of steel to be more specific depending on the job and what I needed it for. Whether I’m building gates, a skid loader bucket, or even a fire ring stand each project requires different types of steel. The 7…
When metal warps while welding it is called weld distortion. Expert welders and beginners alike have to deal with this problem. How to stop metal from warping while welding is an important part of the craft. There are multiple causes of weld distortion. Lucky for us there are also several solutions. How do you stop…
When it comes to welding I’ve found that the small things matter a lot to laying down a good bead. The right gas, the right amperage, the right voltage setting, and even the correct wire speed all factor into a quality weld. However, in this article, I’m going to go more in-depth as to what…
If you are not a professional welder, it may be hard to know if your MIG welder is set to the proper voltage. You might find yourself asking the question, “How do I set the voltage on a MIG welder?” If that sounds like you this article will serve as a helpful guide. Keep in…
Is it illegal to weld a car frame? What about a truck frame? Is it illegal to weld a semi-truck frame? Well, I am not a lawyer, but I’ve dealt with this issue from time to time at my welding shop. But it is more important to tell you why I think welding a vehicle…
As a welder, you will learn that there are certain imperfections and mistakes that can happen in any welding job. Sometimes these happen because you’re still learning and sometimes they happen because we don’t notice a change we should make in our setup or we’re simply being careless. One particular issue I’ve come across is…
Have you ever taken a moment to really look at your welds? I mean really look at your welds. Do you notice any imperfections in your weld? Porosity, undercut, to little gas, not enough wire speed, low voltage. These things can all lead to cracks in your weld if you’re not careful. Welding cracks happen…
If you learn nothing else from reading what I have to say, I hope that you learn how important it is to perfect your technique and continuously build your skills. Preparation and understanding of what can make or break a quality weld are the two things that will help you survive in this business. One…
No welder is ever perfect. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that building your skills takes time and effort. We all still make mistakes and even I still get bad welds sometimes. One of the worst problems to have is porosity in your weld. No matter how skilled you are, some metals are…
Everything in welding has a process. You will find that there are things in welding that are typically not recommended as common practice while other things simply require some technique and know-how in order to make it work effectively. I learned early in my welding career that the best welds come from using similar materials…