Basic Welding Practice
Welding is a process of heating two pieces of metal to a high enough temperature to bond them together. The earliest examples of welding come from the Bronze age. In the middle ages, the art of blacksmithing became popular which was the form of hammering two pieces of metal together. Throughout the 1800s, carbon welding was patented, which used the arc to weld and electrode for filler. In the early 1900s, the flux on welding electrodes began to come into play, helping them make a cleaner and stronger weld. There was also an implementation of gas welding and cutting. Through the tremendous demand of WWI, welding began to grow and push into production. Advancements in the welding industry continued to arise, helping make the processes more and more efficient. Today, the welding process includes a wide variety of systems for a wide variety of metals and applications.
Today, I want to explain the basics of a common welding practice, Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW). This is the process of creating an electrical current to heat the metal and add a filler rod to bond the two pieces of metal together.
1. First, you will collect all your supplies, including a welder, shade ten welding hood, safety glasses, metal stock, electrodes, gloves, chipping hammer, and a wire brush.
2. You will then turn on your machine and set it to the proper temperature based on the thickness of your metal. You do not want the amperage to be set too high (hot) or too low (cold). This will inhibit a strong and long-lasting weld. The proper temperature will give a clean and strong weld.
3. After the machine is on, you will hook up your ground clamp to the metal stock and put an electrode in the electrode holder.
4. When the system is set up and ready to go, you will strike your rod on the metal to start the arc. This starts an electrical circuit, which has anywhere from 50–300 amps running through the system. The electrical current heats up the metal and bonds the two pieces together with the assistance of the electrode filler rod. In the process of welding, you want to keep a consistent rhythm in the pattern of circles, half-moon, or zigzag to name a few. Along with the proper pattern, a consistent distance from the metal is important as well. This is usually the thickness of the rod away from the metal stock. The proper angle of the rod is also important. This is usually around 40 degrees when pulling the rod.
5. With a consistent pattern, the proper distance from the metal, and a proper angle of the rod, the finished product will be a clean and strong weld.
6. After the weld is done, chip the slag off the weld and brush it clean with the wire brush. This will show the finished product.
7. If the weld holds properly, the process is complete. Finish by cleaning up the workspace and putting all your tools away.
