Welding and Welder Basics

What is Welding?

What are the different types of Welding?

Shielded Metal Arc Welding- (We will refer to it as SMAW or Stick Welding)

This process is also known as manual metal arc or “MMA” welding. It is also informally called "Stick Welding". SMAW uses a consumable electrode to support the arc of the weld, while the outer flux coating on the electrode is what acts as the shield when melted. The core of the electrode then becomes the actual filler metal when joining the items together. SMAW is best suited for doing welds where both the conditions around you as well as the metal itself, are not the best (i.e., welding on rusty or dirty metal or in windy outdoor conditions). This type of welding takes more practice than others and may be for a moderate to intermediate experienced welder. We offer a versatile stick welder from Firepower that can tackle most any stick welding you want to do from 18-gauge up to 3/16” steel.

Gas Metal Arc Welding- (referred to as GMAW or MIG Welding)

This type of welding is sometimes referred to by its subtypes as metal inert gas or “MIG” welding, and metal active gas or “MAG” welding, which uses a shielding gas to eliminate oxygen and impurities from forming in the molten weld or puddle. The gas is typically 75% Argon/25% CO2. MIG welding uses a welding machine that feeds the wire to the welding surface in either an automatic or semi-automatic manner. MIG welders continuously feed a consumable wire electrode and shielding gas through a welding gun. MIG welding is generally found to be one of the easier welding processes to learn. With practice MIG welding can be much easier to control on thinner metal (think body panels on a car) than some of the other welding processes. MIG welds often provide cleaner welds that require less clean up. Many MIG machines have the ability to also do flux-cored welding as described below. Our Eastwood MIG 135 and 175 welders can do both types of welding effortlessly. Check out the specific differences between these machines here:

and here:
MIG 135 Welder

Flux-Cored Arc Welding (referred to as FCAW)

FCAW is an automatic or semi-automatic welding process in which continuously fed consumable electrode wire containing a flux and a constant voltage are used to join metals together. An externally supplied shielding gas is sometimes used, while more commonly the flux itself is relied upon as the proper protection from the atmosphere. This process is most popular in the construction industry because of its portability and high welding speed. As with stick welding, windy conditions or dirty, rusty metal are not as much of a concern when using the flux-cored wire only. The welds as well are similar in that cleaning the welds afterwards can be quite time-consuming. When using a separate shielding gas, this form of FCAW is often called “dual shield” welding. This is mostly used in heavy-duty welding such as seen in the industrial fields. Our Eastwood MIG 135 and 175 welders can do both types of welding effortlessly (FCAW and GMAW). Check out the specific differences between these machines here:

MIG 175 Welder with spool gun 

and here: MIG 135 Welder

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (referred to as GTAW or TIG Welding)

GTAW, commonly referred to as “TIG” welding, is an arc welding process that uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld. This welding process uses an inert gas (normally 100% argon) for the shielding gas to protect the weld from the atmosphere. A filler metal is used to input in the weld joint. Also, most TIG welding units contain a high-frequency generator. GTAW is most commonly used to weld thin sections of stainless steel, aluminum, magnesium, copper alloys and other non-ferrous metals. GTAW gives the operator much more control over the settings to produce the weld. This normally can produce stronger, cleaner, higher-quality welds. On the other hand, GTAW is far more complex and is best-suited for experienced welders. This process is also much slower than other types of welding.

Resistance Spot Welding (referred to as RSW)

Spot Welding is a process in which two contacting metal surfaces are joined by the heat obtained from the resistance to electric current flow. Spot welding uses two pointed copper alloy electrodes to concentrate the welding current to a small “spot” and to clamp the workpieces together at the same time. Forcing a large current through the two pieces will melt the metal and form the weld. The nice feature of this process is that the welding process happens so quickly (normally about 10 milliseconds), and to such a small area, that the heat generated to the panel is very small, and thus keeps the panels from warping. The amount of heat delivered to the spot weld is determined by the resistance between the electrodes amplitude and duration of the current. Applying too little energy won’t melt the metal or will make a poor, weak weld. On the other hand, applying too much energy will melt too much metal and often times make a hole in the metal, rather than a weld.

Basic tips when considering a welder.

Welders are designed for certain applications, depending on the output, duty cycle, and other factors. For instance, if you plan to do the majority of your work outside on “weathered” metal, you may want to consider a welder such as a stick welder or flux core welder that does not require a shielding gas that can be blown out by wind.

Buy a welder that will meet or (ideally) surpass your needs. (Do not “under buy”!). If you could ever see yourself having a need for a unit that has some features you do not currently need, it's best to step up to that unit. There is always room for growth. This is most notable when it comes to entry-level flux-core welders that do not allow for gas-shielded MIG welding. If you need a flux-core machine, it is often better to step up to the model that allows for both.

Do you need it to be portable? Will you be able to move the object you are welding to the welder? Running a long 220V extension cord across your yard to weld something can often decrease the voltage and produce inconsistent welds. If an electrical hook up isn’t going to be near the work area, you may need to consider a welder that can work with a gas-powered welding generator. A 110V unit may suit some better since 110V outlets are more plentiful around the house. The same is true if you plan to weld more than just around your own property. Perhaps a friend may not have a dedicated 220V outlet you can access when helping him with some welding in his garage.