Welcome To The Welding & Metalworking Forum

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Crazy Horse

Dealer
Feb 20, 2009
1,153
3
36
USA
Welcome to,

Welding & Metalworking, share and ask questions here about welding & metalworking, and or all things welding & metalworking related.

Welding Processes
Discussions of all welding and allied processes including but not limited to; stick, mig, tig, oxy/fuel welding and brazing.

General Welding Information
This section is meant as a reference area for general welding data, safety information, etc.

Fabrication
Show off you projects and pictures of them and general discussions of fabrication techniques, knowledge and equipment.

Gases & Consumables
Discuss the many variety's of consumables, gases, and MIG/TIG Welding Flowmeter Regulators.

Machining
For discussion of turning, milling, drilling, tapping, precision grinding, etc. Related equipment, techniques and practices.

Metallurgy and Materials
General discussion on the metals and materials we use in our projects.

Shop Building
Discuss building a shop, electrical needs, compressed air systems, shop layout, shop equipment, and other relevant needs.

CNC Machines, Submerged Arc, Automated Systems, and other cutting methods
This is the place to discuss alternative cutting methods such as cutting with CNC Tables, Oxy-Fuel, and other cutting methods.

Plasma Cutting
General tips, ideas, tricks, and basic introduction on how to use Plasma Cutters.

Welding (Auto-Darkening) Helmets and Gear
Discuss Welding Helmets and other gear.

Welder Manufacturers
Discussions about Welders & Welding products from any manufacturer, such as.

Everlast Welders & Equipment

Harbor Freight Welders & Equipment

Hobart Welders & Equipment

Lincoln Welders & Equipment

Longevity Welders & Equipment

Miller Welders & Equipment

What Are the 3 Types of Welding?

1. Stick, MIG and TIG welding are 3 of the most common types of welding.

Stick, MIG and TIG welding are 3 of the most common types of welding.
Welding is a process in which two pieces of metal are joined together using heat and electricity. A filler material is used to form a pool of molten metal that cools to become a strong joint between the pieces. Welding is used in many different industries, including construction, shipbuilding, aeronautics and electronics. There are many different welding processes, but the most common are stick welding, metal inert gas (MIG) welding and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding.


Stick Welding

2. Stick welding, also known as Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) is one of the easiest and most common types of welding. The electrode, or "stick" that gives this type of welding its name, is covered with a metal coating that melts and forms a gas shield as the heat is applied, adding slag, deoxidizers and alloy to the welded metal. Slag is created when globules of molten metal solidify on the surface of the weld--these must be chipped off. Stick welding equipment is simple to use and inexpensive. The electrode provides its own flux, eliminating the need for additional supplies. Stick welding can be used in all positions (welding done flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead) and has a lower sensitivity to drafts than gas-shielded welding. However, these welds have a very rough appearance.


MIG (Metal Inert Gas) Welding

3. Metal inert gas, or MIG, welding uses a spool of solid-steel wire that is fed to the work area from a machine through a contact tip in the MIG "gun." The contact tip is electrically charged when the trigger of the gun is pulled, which melts the wire for the weld puddle. MIG is usually used in indoor welding where drafts will not displace the gas shielding. However, it can be used in the field with wind blocks, such as plastic sheets. MIG welding can be used on stainless steel, mild steel and aluminum. It can be used to weld in all positions. You do not have to chip off slag build-up, and it is relatively easy to learn. Disadvantages include having to use a cumbersome tank of shielding gas and the cost of consumables like tips and nozzles.


TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) Welding

4. Tungsten inert gas, or TIG, welding can be used on a wider variety of materials, provides very high quality welds and does not produce toxic smoke or fumes. The argon gas used in this process protects the weld from contamination, so no slag is produced. Welds can be done in all positions. All of these benefits make TIG welding an ideal choice for confined spaces. TIG welding requires more skill and experience to produce a good weld, however. The torch must be held at the right angle, the weld-pool must be kept uniform and the right filler must be used.


What's the difference between MIG, TIG, and ARC Welders

Arc welders produce a variable current with the use of a transformer and use a welding rod in order to create the weld. There is a flux around the welding rod used to prevent reaction of the metal with atmospheric gases such as oxygen and nitrogen. However, this flux creates slag that must always be removed.

MIG welding, also known as Metal Inert Gas welding, is by far the easiest to learn. The MIG electrode is consumable and a MIG Shield or a flux core in the metal wire removes atmospheric gases from the welding area. MIG units are better for beginners as they create cleaner welds, however they do not have the capacity of welding thick metals in the way that arc welders do.

TIG welding, also known as Tungsten Inert Gas welding, is one of the more difficult styles of welding to master. The electrode in made of tungsten, and non-consumable, unlike the MIG electrode. However, the TIG and MIG welders both have a flux core in the metal wire which removes oxygen, nitrogen and other potentially reactive gases from the welding area.

When choosing an arc welder, one needs to take into consideration their level of skill and the usage of the welder. For beginners, a MIG welder is probably best as it is the easiest to use or for those wishing to perform auto work due to their clean welds. However, over time a MIG welder, with its consumable electrode, becomes very expensive. For those who wish to weld thicker metals an arc welder should be that of choice. TIG welders are good for more advanced users who need the thicker metal welding ability of the arc welder. When choosing a TIG arc welder, remember that ferrous metals require DC current and non-ferrous require AC current in TIG welders. Choose the welder which is not necessarily more popular, but which best fits your skill level, budget and the use you will make of it.

Shielding gases are inert or semi-inert gases that are commonly used in several welding processes, most notably gas metal arc welding and gas tungsten arc welding (GMAW and GTAW, more popularly known as MIG and TIG, respectively). Their purpose is to protect the weld area from atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. Depending on the materials being welded, these atmospheric gases can reduce the quality of the weld or make the welding process more difficult to use. Other arc welding processes use other methods of protecting the weld from the atmosphere as well – shielded metal arc welding, for example, uses an electrode covered in a flux that produces carbon dioxide when consumed, a semi-inert gas that is an acceptable shielding gas for welding steel.

Improper choice of a welding gas can lead to a porous and weak weld, or to excessive spatter; the latter, while not affecting the weld itself, causes loss of productivity due to the manpower needed to remove the scattered drops.

What Is the Difference Between TIG Welding & MIG Welding?


Tungsten inert gas (TIG) and metal inert gas (MIG) are two types of arc welding processes. There are a few similarities between the two methods and many differences.

Electrode
1. TIG welding uses a tungsten electrode that is not consumed during the welding process. MIG welding uses a metal electrode that doubles as filler material for the weld and is consumed during welding.

Shielding Gas
2. TIG welding primarily uses argon as a shielding gas, with helium occasionally used. Argon is also the primary shielding gas used in MIG welding, but argon mixtures and carbon dioxide are often used for different applications.

Filler Material
3. TIG welding requires a separate filler material in rod or wire format because the electrode is not consumed. MIG welding delivers the filler material via the electrode.

Work Piece Materials
4. TIG welding can be applied to just about any metal, from steel to aluminum and exotic alloys. MIG welding was developed for nonferrous metals, but can be applied to steel.

Difficulty
5. TIG welding is considered to be more difficult than MIG welding because tighter tolerances have to be maintained between the electrode, the filler rod and the work piece.

Oxy-Fuel Welding and Cutting aka Brazing
Oxy-Fuel is one of the oldest welding processes, though in recent years it has become less popular in industrial applications. However, it is still widely used for welding high end Bicycles pipes and tubes, as well as repair work. It is also frequently well-suited, and favored, for fabricating some types of metal-based artwork.

Brief history of Brazing Bicycles
French engineers Edmond Fouché and Charles Picard became the first to develop an oxygen-acetylene welding set-up in 1903. Pure oxygen, instead of air (20% oxygen/80% nitrogen), is used to increase the flame temperature to allow localized melting of the workpiece material (e.g. steel) in a room environment. A common propane/air flame burns at about 2,000 °C (3,630 °F), a propane/oxygen flame burns at about 2,500 °C (4,530 °F), and an acetylene/oxygen flame burns at about 3,500 °C (6,330 °F).


Custom Fabrication & Metalworking


Bicycle Frame Jigs & Custom Metal Jigs For Building Gas tanks

To Be Continued..weld
 
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scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
6,505
24
38
Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
There's not much on oxy-acetylene and brazing either......is this no longer considered a type of welding??? I use it all of the time for joining (fusing) metals in my bike building.
 

Crazy Horse

Dealer
Feb 20, 2009
1,153
3
36
USA
There's not much on oxy-acetylene and brazing either......is this no longer considered a type of welding??? I use it all of the time for joining (fusing) metals in my bike building.
If you'd like to share more information about brazing please do so, as the limit for each members post is 10,000 characters/text.

Thanks Scotto, for your input I added as much TEXT as I could for now will have to re-post to add more info, please feel free to do so if you'd like to share your brazing/welding knowledge with The Welding & Metalworking Forum.

Peace C.H.
.weld.shft.
 
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Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
Very nice addition C.H. thank you! We needed this subject covered for a while now. This will help so many folks!(^) Including myself;)
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
58
Moosylvania
Awesome CH! As always your a great and good friend to the community. Thanks for taking the time and for all your efforts.
 

Crazy Horse

Dealer
Feb 20, 2009
1,153
3
36
USA
Here's some reading for you backyard custom bicycle builders it's a free e-Book for you to download e-books for backyard bicycle builders.

Straight out of 1919 comes Lorn Campbell Jr. with his Oxy-Acetylene Welding/Brazing Manual.

Here's the download pdf Link
http://www.knucklebusterinc.com/downloads/freeEbooks/Oxy_acetylene_Welding_Manual.pdf

Some members have stated that they would like to read or have more information about oxy/fuel welding aka Brazing.

Here's another I am an information junkie. When it comes to anything I’m interested in, I want to know everything about it. I’m constantly on the search for new information, new ways to learn things, the history behind how this became that and why it works that way. So I’m always on the search for cheap or free ways to get my hands on that info, which is one of the reasons I spend so much time scouring and searching the web. For an information junkie, it is the promised land.

Some of you may recall my post from way back in 2009 about the free e-book Motor Bicycle Building.

Yes I have been on another OCD binge for information to share with our visitors and forum members.

Recently, I’ve come across a huge stash of old books in pdf format, that I believe provides a huge amount of insight and knowledge to the backyard, do it yourself bicycle builder. These two books cover things like Oxy Acetylene welding, metal casting, the use of specific hand tools and much more.

The books are old - from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, which you might think makes them outdated - I think it makes them even cooler. While time, and technology may have evolved new techniques, possibly even better techniques - it does not make the methods that were done in the past any less effective. Just because methods and practices may have evolved, doesn’t mean the old way of doing things was wrong - it also doesn’t always mean the new way of doing things is better.

Part of the fun of learning something is being able to share it with someone who has the same passion for it as you do. Hopefully you’ll learn something from them, maybe it will even help you solve a problem or figure out a better way to do something with your current build - if nothing less, I think you’ll find it an interesting read from a historic prospective.

So the second book up is an old one from 1918 - Oxy-Acetylene Welding Practice by Robert Kehl. As the title pages says its “A practical presentation of the modern processes of welding, cutting and lead burning, with special attention to welding technique for steel, cast iron, aluminum, copper, and brass.

Here's the second e-book Link for Oxy-Acetylene Welding Practice from 1918 by Robert Kehl.
http://www.knucklebusterinc.com/features/wp-content/2008/01/Oxy_acetylene_Welding_Practice.pdf

Want more information about ARC MIG TIG or Brazing welding processes, then stay tuned to this thread / sub-forum!

Any forum members who have information to share about ARC MIG TIG, and oxy/acetylene gas welding / brazing please share it here.

Peace Crazy Horse..weld
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
58
Moosylvania
Cool Goat, ty. I reformatted this PC and had lost that link. I had saved it first time you posted it but forgot to save.
 

shiloh0

New Member
Jun 28, 2008
88
0
0
only thing in oxy-ac they showed me in welding was to use for cutting, then on to stick/mig. i remember my dad brazing a cracked radiator neck back in the day. held
forever. thanks for the vintage manuals
 

Dan

Staff
May 25, 2008
12,765
115
48
58
Moosylvania
The $64,000.00 question. With a flux wire welder on 16 or 18 guage metal do you push or pull the puddle.
I have the same question Hammond. Came to the conclusion after watching vid after vid on the net that I would just try both until I found which method worked best for me. Seems like so many folks use one or the other method that I could not find a definitive answer. More seem to push but is close.

Push & Pull Technique for Welding: Welding Basics: Techniques for Tig, Mig & Arc Welds | eHow.com

But I have maybe 5 hrs total welding time so dunno.
 

flybytaco

Metal Molding Madman
Oct 17, 2009
1,170
8
0
seekonk MASS
i have never flux wire welded before but since pushing a puddle has more penetration i'd say push. I push with my mig as well as the tig. when you pull it makes a thinner bead btw less penetration tho
 

turtle tedd

Member
Jul 18, 2009
153
0
16
florida
The weld puddle always moves in front of the tungsten (TIG) or nozzle (MIG) regardless of the thickness of the metal...it is never "pulled"...the penetration of the weld is controlled by the angle and speed of the tig torch/mig gun , the heat setting and the amount of filler material (wire) added to the puddle..when welding Aluminum , the mixing of the shielded gases , Argon and Heliumn in the right proportions also affect the penetration of the weld...when looking for the best quality of steel welds it would be an Argon and Co2 mix..
 
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Goat Herder

Gutter Rider
Apr 28, 2008
6,237
20
38
N.M.
I have been using Argon and Co2 mix.. My welds to me look better with it. I am not the best welder tho not all my welds look pretty lol..
 

Lowandslow

New Member
Jan 24, 2011
77
0
0
Mesa,AZ
Just remember "with slag you drag". Flux core would be pull and solid wire w/gas would be push. Dont forget to change the polarity of your machine when switching from one to the other.