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If you want to learn stick welding it will take practice and a little patience to learn to do it in a way that will produce fine welds. This is an important thing to remember although some people may say they never had to practice much.

Stick welding is one of the basic methods of welding that many students learn as they are just beginning to learn welding. This is also a method of welding that is high in demand because people need this help whether they are working iron, pie, boilers or building ships.

You will find that you will need the skills of all types of positions including flat and horizontal and ventricle or overhead welding. All of these will take some time to learn and some will be more challenging than others.

Here are some tips to help you make a better weld:

1. The right electrode for the job — many people aren’t sure of the size of the electrode they should use and this is important to know. The size of the electrode will depend on the situation you are welding within. In this situation you will be fighting against gravity if you are doing the weld vertically so you will want to use an electrode that is AWS classified as 7018 because they are low in their powder content.

2. A weld shelf makes a good guide — if you are doing vertical or horizontal welding you will need something that the electrode can follow so you don’t loose any of it to gravity. You can do this by creating a serious of little shelves so you can do a section at a time so that you can continue to work above a weld that you have already laid. This will create a situation where one puddle will freeze in time to hold the next weld.

3. Don’t undercut if possible — this can happen because you have to weave the electrode and sometimes your work may be gouged and not have enough fill metal. When this occurs, you will be working against gravity because it will work to pull your fill metal away from the space you are working. You can reduce your puddle size to help you have more control in this situation.

4. Stay away from weird sizes for your metal — most metal will come in specific sizes that are always common. These metals will be easier to find and you can weld them fester. Stick with the ones that are AISI-SAE 1015 to 1025 so that you can be sure that you have what you need.

5. Make sure you know your arc length — a good rule of thumb is to use an arc length that is the same distance from the metal as your electrode’s thickness. As an example, if you have an electrode that is ¼” thick, then have your arc ¼” thick. Also remember that as you use the electrode, you will have to move it closer to the metal.

These tips will help you develop a more even weld and keep things more controlled.

Go to WelderWorld.Com to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld.com to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at welderworld.com

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When you are looking for tips on how to make your MIG(GMAW) welding better and safer it is important to remember why you are using this method. It is also important to know some advantages and limitations of this method before you get started.

Some of the advantages of using this method include:

- You can use it with any commercial metals so you don’t’ have to worry about compatibility.
- You are doing a continuous weld and it pulls electrode wire off a spool.
- You can perform this method in many different positions.
- Your weld deposition rate will be higher than any other alternative process.
- You make more money because you can work faster.
- You can learn to manipulate the gun fairly easily.
- You can also adapt the process to other types of applications like mechanical and robotic.

There are a few limitations to this method however. These are things you need to know:

- You are going to pay more for your equipment and it can be more complex to work with.
- You might have a little difficulty in hard to reach places because the torch is bulky and has several cables.
- If you have wind or drafts around while you are using this method you can compromise your gas shielding.
- You’ll need to dedicate some time to training to get the correct parameter selection.

With these things in mind, here are a few tips to make your welding process better:

1. Remember that most MIG (GMAW) applications will use a direct current polarity. This means that once you set the correct parameters you won’t have to change anything in the process because it regulates itself.

2. The electrode extension is important because its length will determine the arc you will have when you are working. You have to set the length before you start. The current will flow in the wire and it will heat the length of your wire; then the current will heat your arc.

3. The short circuit method of transfer should be used if you want to weld thin materials or large gaps in a joint. This method uses the lowest range of current and small electrodes. This will insure that you have low head and a small, quick weld pool that will freeze.

4. The Globular method of transfer should not be used if you can get away from it because it is so difficult to control. You can use it on flat services but there are other methods that work better. It also makes spatter uncontrollable.

5. If you need to weld thicker sections use the spray transfer method because you can use a higher current and a higher deposition rate than other methods. You can get a spatter free stream of drops and this method can be used in all of the welding positions.

Finally, when you are purchasing MIG(GMAW) supplies make sure that you purchase them from a reputable dealer. Also check all of the parts to see if they are working before you make the final purchase.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

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This process is called by many names and it basically is a welding process that uses an arc to heat metal that needs to be joined. The welder uses a continuous feed filler metal (a consumable) electrode and this is used on the work-piece. This type of welding also must use a shielding that is provided by a gas or a mixture of gasses.

This type of welding is also called short circuit transfer. In the MIG process, when the wire actually touches the metal to be connected, it lets go of the metal that does the welding. This makes sure that metal doesn’t transfer across an arc so there is no puddling.

Also known as gas metal arc welding, the MIG(GMAW) process uses a metal gun to provide this service instead of a torch so that you get a direct current going to the metal. You can use both constant current and alternating current systems to also produce this method of welding.

GMAW uses four ways to transfer metal. These are:

Globular - this method is difficult and used the least because it has a tendency to spatter because the gun will move to a high heat without warning. This makes the welding surface come out with flaws. This method uses carbon dioxide so the electrode tends to produce a ball of melted metal that cases irregular shapes that are bigger than the electrode. They then drop and falls onto the piece you are working on which causes a spatter. This is difficult to control as you would imagine.

Short circuiting - this uses a smaller current than the globular method but it still uses carbon dioxide. Because of the lower current you can actually weld thinner metals together with this method. This method is similar to the globular method because drops of melted metal from the electrode still forms, but it causes the electrode to short circuit instead of the drops falling on the work. This closes off the arc but comes back again because the surface tension pulls the metal goblet from the tip.

Spray - this was the first method for transfer used with GMAW and used to weld aluminum and stainless steel. The difference with this process is that the electrode metal passes through an electric arc that is stable and goes all the way to the workplace. This stops spattering and you get a weld finish that is higher quality than in other methods. You also will watch as the current and voltage increases so you get small, vaporized steam droplets instead of large globules.

Pulse spray - this last one is a newer way of doing this type of welding that uses a continuous current that pulses and melts the filler wire. In each pulse a small droplet of metal will fall.

This also allows the welder to use a lower current. The welder gets a more stable arc and this stops spatter and the short circuiting process. Because this process is slower, argon gas is used instead of carbon dioxide as the shielding gas.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

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The acronym TIG stands for Tungsten Inert Gas Arc Welding and the acronym GTAW stands for Gas Tungsten Arc Welding this is the same process but it is referred to by these two different names. In the situation you will be welding using an electric arc that generates the heat. You then have a tungsten non-consumable electrode that then produces the weld you are attempting to make.

One of the things that have to happen in this type of welding is that the particular metal that you are welding has to be shielded from contamination in the atmosphere or you will get a poor weld. Because of this, the area is shielded using an inert gas like argon; this is used with a filler metal where necessary.

This type of welding needs constant current to flow across the arc using an ionized gas called plasma. Plasma also has metal vapours within it. You will usually use GTAW if you have to weld thin metals like stainless steel, aluminium, magnesium or copper allows. GTAW also gives the person who is operating the welding process more control of the weld.

What this means to the weld is that it is a stronger weld and has a higher quality than many other types of welding. Many experts say that it is harder to learn, is complex and can be slower than other welding techniques.

Some welders like using a different kind of torch to produce plasma arc welding which is very much like this one but a little different. This type of welding will give a more focused welding arc, but usually this is done through automation.

How It Operates

The reason this welding process is the most complicated or difficult to master is because the welder has to use a smaller arc length; they have to be able to have a very steady hand. If they aren’t able to keep a distance between the electrode and the piece they are working on, the piece can become contaminated and there can be problems with the weld.

This is also a two handed process because you have to be able to hold the torch in one hand and feed a filler metal into the space that you are welding. You can see that this is a very intricate process and one that requires high skill.

There are a few types of welding that will not require this type of weld and the individual will not have to use filler material these types include: edge, corner and butt joints. These types of welds are called autogenous or fusion welds (Source: Wikipedia).

A welder who is highly skilled in this process is able to alternate between using the torch and then using the filler material in a pretty fast way. As they do this the filler rod can be taken out as the electrode moves forward, and it doesn’t have to be taken out of the gas shied. This is a highly developed process for those who can do it well.

GTAW can operate using several different currents: positive direct current, negative direct current or alternating current. This will all depend on how they set up the power supply in the beginning.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

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When you think about welding you might think that there is only one type of welding This is a common idea because most people only see the finished product. However, there are many different types of welding that you might find interesting.

Welding is a way of joining metals to each other to make them firm and the metal forms a bond that is tight. There are a variety of bonds that are done depending on the types of welding you use.

Types of welding fit under categories as listed here:

Gas welding

This type of welding creates a flame from a burning gas and this creates the welding heat that is needed. You will see this in the following types of welding:

Propane torches - people use this when they want to sweat a joint or when they want to solder two pieces of metal together. This is one of the lowest heats and can be used for small things.

Oxyacetylene torch - this heat gets a bit hotter and many people say this is the most universal type of welding tool you can find. This is used when you need a very hot flame. This type of torch will weld a variety of things as long as you have the right metals and tools for it. It is generally used when you want to cut, braze, weld or solder something that requires a higher heat. You have to be careful though because it is a type of heat that can be difficult to control and it can sometimes overheat the area.

Oxy-propane - this type of welding is used when you want to solder, braze or heat something. This is a cheaper form of both of the types of welding that was first listed.

Arc welding

This type of welding creates the heat through the use of an electric arc. The types of welding that are done through this type of welding include:

Basic AC & DC arc welders - when you are looking for a way to weld either heavy gauge steel or cast iron this is the type of welding to use. It uses rods that you guide along the place to be weld and these are made of flux coated steel or other materials.

MIG (Metal Inert Gas) - this is a very quick way of welding and some say it is easier to do than regular arch welding It is done through the use of a DC arc and it uses filler metal that is used with a spool of thin wire. You use inert gas instead of flux. This is usually used with steal bodywork and is a good choice when you need to weld sheet metal.

TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) - this type of welding uses an AC arc that is of high frequency and it is combined with a tungsten electrode that is shielded by inert gas. This comes together to create a torch that is controllable. This is a good choice to weld very thin metals together. If you are working with aluminum or stainless steel this is a good choice.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

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If you are interesting in welding there are many different terms that you will want to familiarize yourself with in order to read magazines or books on the topic. Here is a list of common terms that are important to know:

ACETYLENE — this is a gas that you will be working with to do welding. It is a very flammable gas so you have to be careful with it. This gas is made up of carbon and hydrogen and it is used in the oxyacetylene type of welding process.

AIR-ACETYLENE — this is a flare that you can produce using low temperature. It is created when you burn acetylene with air and not oxygen.

AIR-CARBON ARC CUTTING (CAC-A) — this is a way of arc cutting where you melt metals through the heat of a carbon arc.

ALLOY — this is a mix that has metallic properties because it has at least one element that is metal, but it can have several other things in the mix as long as one is metal.

ALTERNATING CURRENT — a current that goes backward and forward at regular intervals (see DC Current).

BACK FIRE — this is the popping sound that you hear when you turn on the acetylene torch when you connect it with fire. It is created because the flame turns back into the tip for a moment and then comes back out of the torch as a flame.

BACKHAND WELDING — this is a special welding technique where you point the flame at the weld that is already completed.

BACKING STRIP — this is a strip of material that you will use when you need to keep metal that is melted at the bottom of the weld. You may also use this strip to add strength to the thermal load of a joint so you can stop the base of the metal from warping too much.

BASE METAL — this is what you call the metal that you are going to weld or that you are going to cut. If this is an alloy, it will be the metal that you have in the highest amount.

BRAZING — this is actually several welding processes. You will use this when you have a groove, fillet, lap or flange joint that you need to bond. This will require a nonferrous filler metal that has a melting point higher than 800 degrees F (427 degrees C) but less then your base metals. Then, the filler metal will be distributed throughout the joint using capillary attraction.

DIRECT CURRENT (DC) — a current that only flows in one direction — forward. Flows in one direction and does not reverse its direction of flow.

DEFECT — there can be defects in your weld after you create it. The main defects you can find are things like cracks, porosity, places where the metal has been undercut, or where you have a slag inclusion.

EDGE JOINT — this is where you set two plates and put them together at a 90 degree angle with their outer edges.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

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When you drive your car or look at a light fixture in the street or open your microwave, chances are that there is something in any of those items that has been welded. These products and others have been a part of the process of welding for more years than you might imagine.

Welding actually started a very long time ago during the Middle Ages. Many artifacts have been found that date back to the Bronze Age. These have been small boxes that were welded together with what is called lap joints; no one is exactly sure what these were used for, but this was important to that time.

The Egyptians also made a variety of tools by welding pieces of iron together. Perhaps this is where Maxwell’s Hammer comes later? Who can say! Then came the rise of the Middle Ages and many people there were able to use blacksmithing for iron. Different modifications were made along the way until the welding that is used to day was developed.

There were several significant inventions in the 1800s that influenced welding included here:

* The invention of acetylene by an Englishman named Edmund Davy.
* Gas welding and cutting became known and a way to cement pieces of iron together.
* Arc lighting was a very popular part of welding after the electric generator became known.
* Arc and resistance welding become another popular aspect of welding.
* Nikolai N. Benardos receives a patent for welding in 1885 and 1887 from America and Britain.
* C.L. Coffin receives an American patent for a arc welding process.

After the 1800s many more patents and inventions were made in order to create more ways of doing welding but one of the greatest needs would come much later during World War I because this process was needed to create arms. Because of the demand welding firms became a staple of America and Europe because the war needed welding machines and electrodes to go with them.

During the war people really got a chance to look at how welding worked and it became a very popular way of work. So much so that in 1919 the first American Welding Society was begun. This nonprofit organization came directly out of through a group of men who called themselves the Wartime Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (Source: Miller Welds).

The 1950s and 1960s were also a significant time for welding because a welding process using CO2 was discovered and a variation of this form of welding that used inert gas became very popular in the 1960s because it produced a different type of arc.

There have been a number of improvements in the welding trade over these years and today the process has added two areas, friction and laser welding. These two have created a more specialized field and therefore more opportunities for learning.

One interesting point about laser welding is that those people who use it have found that is a tremendous heat source so it can actually weld both metal and non-metal objects.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

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Wikipedia defines welding as “a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals.” This is done by melting the part of the materials to be joined and adding some additional molten joining material. When the molten material cools, it forms a strong bond or joint.

Welding is the most widely practiced way of joining metals together due to the efficiency and economy of the process. It has been estimated that approximately 50% of the Gross National Product of the USA arises from activities that are in some for or another related, perhaps remotely, to welding. As an example, farming may appear to have nothing to do with welding, but the equipment the framer uses to grow and harvest his crops will have used welding in their manufacturing process.

Until the advent of the 20th century, welding was confined to blacksmith shops where two pieces of metal were heated to very high temperatures in a forge and then hammered together until the joining occurred. This is what is called forge welding.

With the introduction of electricity into industrial processes, welding became both quicker and easy, and also more economical. Today there are 4 types of welding techniques that are commonly used.

· The most basic for is Arc Welding where the parts to be joined together are brought into contact with strong electrical current and heated. The molten parts are then joined together to form a weld. This is the low technology end of welding in its cheapest and least sophisticated form.

· Gas Welding is generally used for repair work especially in the case hollow items like tubes and pipes. Hot gas is forced onto the surfaces to be welded. This procedure requires the parts to be subjected to less heat and is suitable for material that may be damaged by exposure to high temperature. For this reason it is used in the jewellery industry which has to work with soft metal with low melting points.

· Resistance Welding requires that an additional sheet of material is used to cover the pieces that are to be welded together. This provides great strength to a weld, but the process requires expensive equipment and also the use of additional material to encase the weld which makes it expensive and not suitable for all applications.

· Laser Welding is the most modern technology available. High intensity lasers can be tightly focused and produce controllable heat on the surfaces to be welded very quickly. This is perfect for material which can be damaged by prolonged exposure to extreme heat. Laser welding is very accurate and can be used to produce even the smallest of welds. However, because of the high capital cost involved in purchasing this equipment, the cost of welding is also high.

Although the perception of welding is that of a simple process of heating and joining, it is a high technology industry with huge amounts being spent of research and development to find stronger, more accurate and cheaper methods. The welding process plays a big role in metallurgy with a constant effort underway to find newer and more weld friendly alloys.

Go to WelderWorld to get your free ebook on Welding at Welding. Welder World also has a Welder Forum where you can discuss welding with other welders and get tips for welding or showcase your welding work. Come to WelderWorld to check out our new community site all about Welding and get your free ebook on the basics of Welding at Learn Welding. You can Find Welder World at http://www.welderworld.com

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Plastic suits and other protective clothing materials are tested using an ASTM F739 test (American Standard Test Method) to determine the permeation, breakthrough, and degradation rate. For example, the results of these tests have determined that Tyvek suits are best in situations involving light chemical spray and particulates. While these variables are tested in a laboratory, the results aren’t guaranteed since many different variables can affect the performance of the material.

Degradation

Degradation tests involve noting any changes that occur in the material once it has been saturated with a chemical. Tyvek suits, for instance, can harden when exposed to certain chemical compounds. The final effect of the chemical compound is not all you need to question. The rate at which hardening, discoloration, thread swelling, and general deterioration occurs is important for safety. These things are not identified with government standardized testing, so it is up to the manufacturer to determine and release these results.

Permeation And Breakthrough

Standardized testing uses a special cell that sandwiches the material of plastic suits in the middle of the cell and injects a chemical from one side of the cell. There are sensors on the other side to detect the chemical. The first thing detected with this style of testing is the permeation rate. This is how long it takes gas and vapors to reach the other side. Naturally, the heavier and denser the threading, the longer this takes. The higher the number, the longer it takes to reach the other side of the material. For example, Tyvek suits have a lower rating for permeation. They usually handle some chemical splash well. The amount of time it takes for a chemical to soak through to the other side of the material is called the breakthrough time.

Things To Know About Ratings For Plastic Suits

Even though the testing of protective clothing, such Tyvek suits, is standardized, many different factors can alter the ratings of the material. First, these tests are done in a laboratory. This does make them all standard, however this changes when it is applied out in the real world because the tests do not take pulling, bending, and stretching into account. The temperature of the suit, the outside air, and the chemical can also greatly alter the safety level of safety garments.

A significant factor that effects permeation, saturation, degradation, and breakthrough is the chemical itself. A higher concentration level, for example, can make the chemical seep through the material faster than it does in standardized tests. Mixtures of chemicals also change its safety rating. Anytime you are in doubt, it is best to have these things tested to be certain. Lastly, every manufacturer will have a different set of ratings, even if it made from the ’same’ material since they will undergo slightly different processes.

Each time you work with a different chemical or in a different situation, reevaluate the safety of your plastic suits to ensure you are always as safe as possible. For instance, if you use Tyvek suits for a cleanup job inside, it might not work for the outdoor job you are doing the next day. Through careful and informed decisions, you will be as safe and comfortable as possible in any situation you encounter. Remember, not one single protective garment available will keep you 100% safe in all situations.

About the Author: Christine O’Kelly writes for the leading provider of Tyvek suits, MPE Safety Apparel. They have been providing plastic suits and other protective clothing items since 1987.

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With the introduction of a new breed of low cost thermal imaging cameras, thermal imaging technology is now an effective problem solving, analysis and preventive maintenance tool for a variety of applications. Thermal imaging cameras are light weight, ergonomic, intuitive and contain high resolution thermal detectors that offer valuable temperature information to isolate problems. This article offers an explanation of the technology and the applications for which it is well suited.

Thermal Imaging Cameras function much like digital photographic cameras except they take a thermal picture. The detectors measure infrared radiation which is then converted to electrical signals in order to create a visual representation of the heat an object gives off. The visual representation displays cooler items in shades of blue and hotter items in shades of red and can be analyzed and formatted on a computer via a USB download. When deciding on a thermal imaging camera, the primary features to consider include the resolution, accuracy and temperature range. The resolution is measured by pixels. Because every pixel on the screen is a discrete temperature reading, the more pixels the camera has, the more detail the thermal picture will be. Accuracy is measured in terms of a percentage of the value of the reading. Most cameras have accuracy’s between 2-5%. Finally, thermal cameras are limited to a specified temperature range. If your application deals with extreme heat or cold, you should make sure the camera is capable of taking those measurements.

While the general specifications from one camera to the next are similar, high-end cameras typically offer additional features you may find useful. Many cameras offer photographic overlays of the thermal picture. This is ideal for identification of detailed components and their proximity to each other in the thermal picture. Cameras intended for the building inspection and HVAC industries offer dew point and insulation alarms useful in locating areas of moisture or insufficient insulation. Some cameras even offer voice annotation to document and flashlights to illuminate dark areas.

There are numerous applications for thermal imaging cameras that, prior to the introduction of low-cost offerings, were previously cost inhibitive. The heat signature of electrical circuits and machine components may precipitate future problems and failures. HVAC systems and building structures display obvious thermal visualizations of inefficiencies, insufficient insulation, moisture and loose duct fittings. Pest Control professionals can identify infestations inside of walls or enclosed areas as a result of nesting areas displaying higher temperatures than surrounding areas. Plumbing professionals locate blockages in pipes and law enforcement agencies are aided in finding hidden suspects. Even paranormal investigators find thermal imaging cameras an aide in their discovery.

Thermal imaging cameras cost as little as $3,000 from manufacturers such as Extech, FLIR and Fluke, making them an economical analysis and diagnostic tool for a number of professions. Many people probably do not consider thermography as a viable preventative maintenance or diagnostic solution based on preconceived notions of price or a lack of knowledge on thermographic applications. However, those who have invested in the technology have found a way to differentiate their business from competition and reduce the overhead associated with “old-school” methods.

Robert Preville is the President and CEO of Global Test Supply, LLC, a distributor of test and measurement equipment, and welcomes question from those looking for a Thermal Imaging Camera.

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