How to Weld
Welding is not everyone’s cup of tea but with a little bit of guidance and some practice you could well become an expert at welding both small and large objects. So why go to the welder and incur additional expense when you can do it at home yourself?
Required Materials
This will depend on what you need to weld. For example: if you want to weld a number of rods to make a stand, then you’ll need the iron rods.
Required Tools
- steel toed boots
- leather welding gloves
- safety glasses
- welding hood
- weld jacket
- clamps for holding the objects together
- weld machine
- consumables like electrodes, i.e. gas, tungsten, wire, etc.
- welding cap is sometimes recommended
Instructions
- Prepare the Metal - It is important to prepare the metal in advance before you start the welding job. You have to ensure that the metal is clean i.e., it should not have any signs of oxidation, rust, or there should not be any foreign substance on the metal’s surface. In case there is a foreign substance on the metal surface or even rust then you can remove it by grinding it.
- Gathering Information - You should have information or knowledge about the type of steel to use for welding. If you are going to perform stick welding then 4 - 6 mm thick steel will be suitable for the work. If you are going to perform oxyacetylene welding then you need to get clean steel, which should be around 3 mm thick.
- Proper Clothes for Protection - You need to wear protective clothing as welding can be serious injurious for your eyes and can even cause burns on your body if you are not well clothed. You can try Z87 safety glasses, with a welding hood that has #10 or higher lens. If you are doing gas welding then your goggles should be a #5 shade.
- Set Welding Apparatus - Once you have performed the step 1 and 2; check the welding apparatus. You need to set your welding apparatus correctly so that the welding is perfect. You can make any adjustments based on the thickness of the metal.
- Factors that Affect Welding - There are certain factors that will affect the welding process and they are:
- Speed of welding.
- Angle at which you are using the welding torch.
- Different settings on the welder.
- The metal position during welding i.e: whether it is in a horizontal, flat, overhead or vertical position.
- Ensure Uniformity of Puddle - Ensure that the puddle is there on both the sides of the metal being welded.
Tips and Warnings
- Welding machines can cause severe injury. Hence, you should always read all the warnings before using it.
- Never weld close to any substance that is inflammable.
- Never look at the welding arc because the intense light is capable of damaging your eyes.
- Wear glasses and all the necessary protective gear.
- A fire extinguisher will always come in handy or a bucket of cold water.
