| Description: | Several advices on welding equipment, MIG and TIG welders, plasma cutters. Stick Welding - If you learned to weld years ago, you likely learned using an arc welder. Stick welding for many years has been the most popular method for most home-shop welding needs. This process uses an electric current flowing from a gap between the metal and the welding stick, also known as an arc-welding electrode. Stick welding is an effective method for welding most alloys or joints and can be used indoors and outdoors or in drafty areas. It's also the most economical welding method and provides the ability to create an effective bond on rusty or dirty metals. However, this method is limited to metals no thinner than 18-gauge, requires frequent rod changing, emits significant spatter and requires that welds be cleaned upon completion. Stick welding is also more difficult to learn and use, particularly the ability to strike and maintain an arc. Arc welders are available in AC, DC or AC/DC, with AC being the most economical. It's used for welding thicker metals of 1/16 inch or greater. These machines are a good choice for farmers, hobbyists and home maintenance chores. Top welding tips: Improper drive roll selection and tension setting can lead to poor wire feeding. Consider the size and type of wire being used and match it to the correct drive roll. Since flux-cored wire is softer, due to the flux inside and the tubular design, it requires a knurled drive roll that has teeth to grab the wire and to help push it through. However, knurled drive rolls should not be used with solid wire because the teeth will cause shavings to break off the wire, leading to clogs in the liner that create resistance as the wire feeds. In this case, use V-grove or U-groove drive rolls instead. Set the proper drive roll tension by releasing the drive rolls. Then increase the tension while feeding the wire into your gloved hand until the tension is one half-turn past wire slippage. Always keep the gun as straight as possible to avoid kinking in the cable that could lead to poor wire feeding. Speedglass Welding Helmet. One of the most versatile welding helmets on the market right now, the 3M Speedglass gives you an additional hardhat component for protection from falling objects. It also features a model with an auto-dark visor and a quality built-in welding respirator. Speedglas helmet offers various viewport sizes and peripheral viewports that can be opened and closed at the user's discretion. Three sensors in the lens provide a rapid reaction time and reliable auto-darkening capability. The lens goes from clear to working dark in .1 milliseconds. Tig amp rating is up to 4 amps, which means that you will be able to weld or thin sheet metals like exhaust vents, aluminum and all sorts of professional micro-welding. The lens returns to full-clear with adjustable delay settings after the weld stops, allowing your eyes to adjust and metal to cool. |
