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Welding supply and equipment distributorships, then and now
Welding distributorships have changed dramatically over the years. Longtime welder Carl Smith reflects on the changes and offers a history lesson on how they came about.
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One man’s welding career and the characters he’s met along the way
Welder and educator Marty Rice has led a colorful life in his welding career. He’s learned some lessons the hard way and met some interesting characters along the way.
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8 criteria for choosing the right GMAW gun
With so many GMAW guns available, it may be confusing to know which one is right for you. These 8 tips will help you in your journey to select the appropriate gun or you and your welding operation.
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3 ways to boost submerged arc welding performance
Submerged arc welding is known as a process that can result in high welding speeds and deposition rates. However, in today's manufacturing reality, engineers are always looking to boost productivity—even for already productive processes....
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New guideline reduces manganese exposure limit dramatically
Chronic exposure to manganese oxide fumes, which occur when manganese metal is heated and reacts with oxygen, can lead to damage to the central nervous system. Welders are especially susceptible to this disease, called maganism by the National...
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The broader implications of modular weld fixturing
A shop is only as productive as its constraint process—that is, its
bottleneck. All that adaptability in upstream processes may not make
a part cost less if it takes days or weeks to build a new weld fixture.
A modular approach to weld fixturing...
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Welding for the natural gas boom
The natural gas boom in parts of the U.S. is creating work for shops and many displaced workers in these areas. Do you know which codes and standards apply?
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Invert the GTAW equation
Wondering if it’s time to transition from a transformer-style gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) power source to an inverter-based machine? What are the differences between the two, and what can you expect if you switch?
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Sticking it to vertical-up, overhead SMAW
Three weld instructors from across the country share their classroom tips and tricks for helping welders tackle vertical-up and overhead SMAW.
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My last TIG article
In this, his last TIG article, ever, welding instructor Marty Rice offers some advice for the home hobbyist about buying equipment and shielding gas.
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The blends that bind
Shielding gases do more than just protect the weld from atmospheric contamination. The gas and gas blends you use also influence the weld profile and the weld bead shape. Also, for an arc to occur in gas metal arc welding (GMAW), an ionized gas...
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Cutting the GTAW remote control cord
A truly remote-controlled foot pedal for TIG welding sounds like the perfect tool for job site fabricators, but welders that work in a small cell are also finding advantages associated with cutting the welding control cord.
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Calibrating goes portable
Portable calibration units allow you to perform quality assurance maintenance themselves by calibrating critical welding variables on-site. These remote servicing capabilities bring support closer to the jobsite, improving the uptime and...
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5 things welders need to know about weld positioners
The concepts of positioning are the same for all weldments, large or small. A properly positioned weldment, regardless of the size, reduces welder fatigue, increases safety, improves weld quality, and saves on production floor space.
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SMAW: The lowdown on the lingo
Welding novices might be confused by terminology commonly used by fellow welders but not found in standard glossaries. This article defines some of these terms used in shielded metal arc welding.
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Welding fascination leads to spinoff writing career
Author Frank Marlow recently sat down with Practical Welding Today® to discuss his new book, which was released in March.
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Cracking down on weld cracks
The major cause of a crack is when internal stresses exceed the strength of the weld metal, the base metal, or both. Knowing the basics behind why cracks happen, a welder can prevent those cracks from occurring in the first place.
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Aluminum MIG
The push for lighter, corrosion-resistant components has brought aluminum to the forefront of the minds of traditional steel fabricators. Those that approach the material the same as steel often run into weld quality issues that can prove costly....
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A character sketch of the code welder
A career in code-level welding involves an odd concoction of hands-on work, excellent hand-eye coordination, on-the-job focus, and a dash of lawyerlike thinking. Some can be loud extroverts who get the most attention, but others can be quiet...
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Cup walking on stainless steel tube, pipe
Cup walking, a tube or pipe gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) technique suitable for some stainless steels, can improve weld quality. The method involves resting the torch’s cup on the workpiece and making a weaving motion across the weld joint....
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Vessel fabricator bases hiring on attitude, not experience
In a 2010 survey from the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, respondents cited welding as the most sought-after, difficult-to-find technical skill. But at Mitchell's Specialized Fabrication, managers don't look for that experience. They look...
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How metal-cored wires reduce hidden welding costs
Metal-cored wire typically costs more than solid wire, but the benefits often offset the per-unit price. In reality, any consumable comprises a relatively small portion of overall welding costs; in fact, material and labor make up the lion’s...
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Learning MIG welding
Welding instructor Marty Rice teaches his students to short-circuit MIG weld to create a unique coin holder, a project that provides plenty of opportunity for practice.
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Tales of TIG welding
Welding professionals of varying backgrounds share their personal journey through TIG welding; the helpful advice theyíve learned along the way; and the lessons learned from the occasional blunder.
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Taking cost out of the welding fixture
Owsley “Oz” Cheek--a tool and die engineer who recently launched his own fixture company--shows how he reduces fixture build costs. For instance, who says fixtures need to be made out of machined components?
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Llegando al fondo de la pérdida de productividad del proceso de soldadura
Las operaciones de fabricación no pueden permitirse largos periodos de tiempo improductivo en sus departamentos de soldadura. Afortunadamente, varias causas de tiempo prolongado de arco apagado pueden atenderse con algunos ajustes sencillos.
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GMAW guns, consumables, and more: 7 common questions answered
Following a few guidelines when selecting and using GMAW equipment and consumables can help improve productivity and quality in your welding operation.
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New year, new welding helmets
Taking a closer look at a few new welding helmets.
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SMAW is in session
Welding educators discuss why SMAW still holds a relevant place within their classrooms and in today's high-tech industry.
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Juggling the variables of GTAW
Gas tungsten arc welding isn’t the easiest process to learn. With so many things going on at once, GTAW is a little like juggling while riding a unicycle. With practice, the welder’s eye, arm, hand, and foot coordination will improve.
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What employers expect from welders
In his inimitable style, Marty Rice shares his thoughts on the welding job market and what today’s employers want from their welders. He also gives examples of some deficiencies employers are seeing.
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Getting to the bottom of lost welding productivity
When a welder is not welding, he's not making the company money. Fabricating operations can't afford their welding departments. Luckily, several reasons for extended arc-off time can be addressed with some simple adjustments.
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New process, new welding dynamics
A process called TIP TIG uses a constant-feed hot-wire that imparts
additional energy to the weld. The wire also is superimposed by a
secondary high-speed oscillation. The hot-wire’s current combines
with the weld-pool agitation to disrupt the...
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Robotic welding: Don’t forget the consumables
When designing and operating a robotic welding cell, don't overlook
the consumables. Choosing the wrong consumables can over time lead
to serious costs.
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Where the rubber meets the road
Joshua Shaw describes himself as half archaeologist and half fabricator. Those qualities come in handy when he's restoring vintage Sprint race cars, which can provide a number of historical and fabrication and welding challenges. To do it right...
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Adventures in titanium—WPS
Your customer wants two pieces of metal welded together. Why should you bother with a welding procedure specification? Because conformity leads to quality and enhances safety.
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From GTAW torches to accessories:
Learning the facts about five common misconceptions about gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) equipment can help you optimize this highly versatile process.
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Consumables make a difference in the welding of wind towers
Advancements in consumables for the submerged arc welding process have made it possible to increase the strength of welds in wind turbine components while also increasing production efficiency.
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A welding inspector’s tools of the trade
Weld inspectors, especially those who are new to the trade, put a lot of emphasis on the equipment needed to do the job: flashlight, mirror, high-low gauge, pit gauge, bridge camera, and a borescope. However, this isn’t the entire toolkit. A...
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Avoiding mix-ups with shielding gas mixes
Today's job shops must be prepared to deal with a variety of materials for fabrication and welding. As each material may require a different mixed shielding gas for gas metal arc welding (GMAW), familiarize yourself with these gases and the most...
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5 wire-feeding advancements welders need to know about
Modern wire-feeding technology can boost welders' performances and overall productivity. If they are working with old feeding equipment, disadvantage
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Adventures in titanium—3 questions about repairing titanium eyeglasses by welding
Nguyen needs his titanium eyeglasses repaired and wants some expert advice about how this can best be achieved. The answers to his questions about the process provide valuable insight into some aspects of welding titanium.
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Subarc for structurals
SAW offers a cost-effective and efficient means for automated welding of plates, beams, flanges, and profiles found in structrual steel environments. Technology advancements in flux combinations and SAW equipment have helped boost arc-on times,...
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A journey of 1,000 welds
Seven years ago Doug Wilkinson of Reinke Mfg., Deshler, Neb., set out to start up a welding education program for high school and adult students that would give them the opportunity to earn AWS D1.1 or D1.2 qualification. It's been an uphill...
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Little by little
Determined to make a life for herself and provide for her family, Mioshi Neal juggled full-time work,night classes, and single-parent duties to ultimately land her dream job—welding instructor.
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Adventures in titanium—Why is my stovepipe hat assembly warping, turning blue, and cracking?
Fabricating a titanium stovepipe hat assembly had one shop perplexed. What was causing the material to turn blue, warp, and crack? Why was it so difficult to make this part fit into the next assembly?
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Answers to 6 FAQs about FCAW-SS
A reliable process for heavy-duty applications, self-shielded flux-cored welding (FCAW-SS) has its challenges. Here are some FAQs about these challenges and suggestions for overcoming them.
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What would-be MIG welders want to know: Where can I learn, and what equipment do I need?
Welding instructor and reader-favorite author Marty Rice answers the two questions he’s most often asked by those interested in learning to MIG weld.
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More arc-on, less arc-off
A North Georgia fabricator analyzes welder productivity and revamps
its operations so that welders spend more time actually welding, and less time moving material and fixtures, as well as typing in data.
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FCAW-S basics: Fast, no gas cylinders required
In a nation striving to upgrade its infrastructure, FCAW-S has become the process of choice for many. It combines the efficiency of wire welding with the portability and flexibility of SMAW.
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