MIG, TIG, and Stick are the three
most commonly needed welding services.
There is no one-size-fits-all option for welding services.
Your results are highly dependent on applying the right welding process to the task at hand.
For example if you use a high-powered method or the highest settings on your machine you run the risk of melting the surface you need welded, ruining your work.
Or if you need to weld a large area, choosing an intricate method could cost you many hours of labor when a faster option is available.
This post will give you a good idea of what the most effective methods are and what one to pick for your project.
MIG Welding or Metal Inert Gas Welding
Metal inert gas welding uses a spool gun, which feeds a spooled wire electrode to the welding surface.
Which fuses the base and parent metals with the use of an electric arc.
The gun also emits a shielding gas to protect the weld from oxygen, nitrogen and other atmospheric gases.
If any of these gases come in contact with the electrode, the arc, or the welding metal; serious problems can occur.
MIG is the easiest welding process to learn, because it uses a continuous wire feed to deliver the welding wire to the weld.
This feed can be set to different speeds to allow for more consistent workflow, or to put down more bead on a large weld.
MIG is referred to as a point and shoot method, because of its similarity in use to a hot glue gun.
Setting the parameters on your welder and choosing the correct shielding gas are the most difficult choices to make in this kind of welding.
All in all it can be learned within a month or two and basic welding technique with MIG can be learned very quickly only taking a few weeks.
Some of the perks of working with MIG are creating a high-strength weld with very little clean-up, and allowing the welder to work at a constant rate.
Metals as thick as structural plate or as thin as 26 gauge can be welded.
Mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium and alloys can be easily welded.
Different wire and gases are needed for certain materials, using the wrong gas or wire can result in a failed weld.
Settings on the machine need to be changed to fit the material being worked on, some machines have a time-saving auto setting feature.
Allowing for less set-up and more time spent productively.
It is vital that weld surfaces are cleaned for the MIG process to work as intended. No rust, paint, or dust can be left on the workpiece.
Summary:
- Easy to learn
- Long welds and fast working speed
- Small amount of cleanup
- Neat welds with high strength
- Some machines have auto settings
- Requires a clean work surface
- Difficult to weld outside
TIG Welding or Tungsten Inert Gas Welding:
Tungsten Inert Gas provides the best results, if you want an efficient, clean, artisan weld go with TIG.
TIG uses a tungsten electrode that is not used up in the weld process, instead it creates an electric arc, as well as sticks of material to be fed into the weld puddle.
This process requires two hands, one for the torch and another for the tungsten sticks. A foot is also used to control a heat input pedal.
All this gives the welder significant control over the weld, allowing heavy welding like pipe as long as their machine can provide the power for it.
Or letting the welder keep things at low power for projects like kitchen sinks or toolboxes.
While running no risk of blowing through the thin metal of the workpiece.
High-quality welding services require large amounts of training and high skill levels.
Making it the hardest to learn of the three MIG, TIG and stick welding methods.
TIG is vastly slower than stick or MIG welding.
The workpiece must be spotless. Paint, rust, and other particles interfere with a quality weld.
Automotive and stainless steel are among the preferred metals worked with, and most metals can be welded with this method.
Even thin gauge sheet metal can be welded cleanly.
Often used by artists and in ornamental metalwork for the clean, precise, and beautiful results.
Summary:
- Best quality welds
- artistic weld beads
- Intensive to learn, difficult to master
- Slow, careful work required
- The process as a whole is time consuming
- Spotless work surfaces necessary
- Wide range of workable materials
Stick Welding
Also known as shielded-metal arc welding, stick welding is the most common among beginners or hobby welders.
A flux coated rod, called an electrode, creates filler material for the weld after melting.
Electrodes melt the workpiece and the rod, creating a weld pool.
When it cools it forms a solid bond between the two surfaces.
Shielding gases are created by the melting electrode’s flux coating, so no additional gas is needed by the machine.
One of the few methods that can be used on dirty or rusty surfaces.
Even works outdoors or in windy conditions.
Easy to transport to remote work locations because of no gas or water hoses.
Bridges, navy ships, and oil refineries are all common locations for stick welding services.
Can be used with both alternating current and direct current, as long as the power source can control the output.
Metals like copper, iron, steel, aluminium, and nickel are all weldable using stick welding.
However do not use with titanium and zirconium because the shielding does not prevent atmospheric gases like oxygen from entering the weld.
The messiest method, with molten splatter commonly happening and long cleanup times on each weld.
These factors add to the work time and project cost.
Stick welding is a manual welding process and requires more skill to achieve good results.
Most significant is that the welder spends around 25% of the project time actually welding, increasing project costs greatly.
For quick welds that are hidden and do not require a neat bead it can be a good choice.
Summary:
- Easy to learn, cheaper
- Can be used in outdoor and windy conditions
- Dirty or rusty workpieces can be used
- Clean-up can be significant
- Messy welds and splatter
- Can cost the welder time
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