The practice of welding requires specialized knowledge regarding heat, physics and how to choose the proper materials for the type of metal you are going to be welding. To produce high quality welds, most welders are aware of certain techniques and tricks which will help them produce strong, high quality welds. The tips and tricks we are going to discuss today require some practice and experience to achieve the best results; but once mastered they will help you produce welds that you may have had trouble with before.
One of the most problematic welding areas is performing welds that have to be done on edges. Edges can be one of the hardest areas to weld because there is no place for the excess heat to go. It is also easy to melt the edge and create a mess of molten metal. When MIG welding edges it is recommended that the welder turn the wire speed down very low while holding the torch close to the steel so that the outer shield is touching the metal being welded. This technique will ensure that your weld is neat and done properly; using this technique will cause the welding tip to become extremely hot, and in order to prevent the welding tip from becoming damaged, you should only weld small areas of the edge at a time.
Another problematic welding area is when the welder is required to weld thick metal to thin metal. The higher amp setting required to weld thicker pieces of metal will typically cause the thinner of the two metals to melt. To solve this problem you should strike an arc against the thicker piece of metal to get the weld pool flowing. Once you have a sufficient weld pool you can then dip your welding torch across to the thinner sheet and then bring the torch back to the thicker side immediately. The center of the weld will be on the side of the thicker metal while the thinner sheet will be located at the end of the weld area. Maintaining proper contact throughout this process will make the welding proceed much easier.
While these are only a few of the many different techniques that can be used to achieve high quality welds, we are sure they will help you in some way. There are many other techniques and tricks that welders discover through years of experience; if you find yourself having trouble performing a specific type of weld, you may want to ask a more experienced welder how they would perform that weld.
