How to Weld Metal
If you want to know how to weld metal, you're going to need to know what type of materials you are working with.
What kind of metals do you want to weld? Mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum are the three most common metals that are welded.
Yes you can weld other materials such as cast iron and more exotic metals such as titanium but this article is only going to cover the more common metals.
The most common ways to weld metal are with electricity, as in, using a welder.
You can use oxy acetylene equipment which uses a mixture of acetylene gas and oxygen gas.
This is more of an old-school technique and is hardly ever used for any DIY welding.
Gas welding is good for sheet metal.
For example, I still know of a couple of muffler shops in town who use gas welding for all of their repairs.
You can use an arc welder which is also known as a stick welder to weld metal.
These welding machines are very simple by design and last through years or abuse.
They use what is called a welding electrode.
The welding electrode is a small length of wire, on average about a foot long, that is coated in what's called a flux.
As you weld this flux is slowly burnt off and goes around the weld puddle to protect it from oxygen and other gases in the air.
Using a mig welding machine is now the most common way to weld.
A mig welder is also known as a wire feed welder and is very easy to use when you want to learn how to weld metal.
Using one of these machines you install a spool of welding wire, attach your earth clamp to your work piece and adjust your power settings.
Then all you have to do is pull the trigger on the welding gun and you're away.
Mig welding is a very fast, simple and easy process to learn.
For more delicate work you can use what is called a TIG.
These machines are good for a very precise welding.
A lot of sheet metal fabricator's will rely on these machines because the power can go that low you can weld extremely thin materials.
And as a bonus, depending on how big your machine is some of them can put out an awful lot of power for heavier welding applications.
Spot welding is another way to weld metal.
It is commonly used again in thin sheet metal welding.
The way a spot welder works is you put the two pieces of sheet steel between the two electrodes and hit the button.
The welding arc will zap between the two electrodes and weld the two pieces of steel together.
This method is very commonly used in the automotive industry.
What kind of metals do you want to weld? Mild steel, stainless steel and aluminum are the three most common metals that are welded.
Yes you can weld other materials such as cast iron and more exotic metals such as titanium but this article is only going to cover the more common metals.
The most common ways to weld metal are with electricity, as in, using a welder.
You can use oxy acetylene equipment which uses a mixture of acetylene gas and oxygen gas.
This is more of an old-school technique and is hardly ever used for any DIY welding.
Gas welding is good for sheet metal.
For example, I still know of a couple of muffler shops in town who use gas welding for all of their repairs.
You can use an arc welder which is also known as a stick welder to weld metal.
These welding machines are very simple by design and last through years or abuse.
They use what is called a welding electrode.
The welding electrode is a small length of wire, on average about a foot long, that is coated in what's called a flux.
As you weld this flux is slowly burnt off and goes around the weld puddle to protect it from oxygen and other gases in the air.
Using a mig welding machine is now the most common way to weld.
A mig welder is also known as a wire feed welder and is very easy to use when you want to learn how to weld metal.
Using one of these machines you install a spool of welding wire, attach your earth clamp to your work piece and adjust your power settings.
Then all you have to do is pull the trigger on the welding gun and you're away.
Mig welding is a very fast, simple and easy process to learn.
For more delicate work you can use what is called a TIG.
These machines are good for a very precise welding.
A lot of sheet metal fabricator's will rely on these machines because the power can go that low you can weld extremely thin materials.
And as a bonus, depending on how big your machine is some of them can put out an awful lot of power for heavier welding applications.
Spot welding is another way to weld metal.
It is commonly used again in thin sheet metal welding.
The way a spot welder works is you put the two pieces of sheet steel between the two electrodes and hit the button.
The welding arc will zap between the two electrodes and weld the two pieces of steel together.
This method is very commonly used in the automotive industry.
