Welding FAQ's

General Welding FAQ's

Why IP23 Vs IP23S is important when choosing a MIG welder?
The ‘S’ means ‘Device standing still during water test’. IP23 is considered more stringent than IP23S, since it covers this and IP23M which means ‘Device moving during water test’.

What welding gas should I use?
Read our list of our recommended welding gases dependant on your welding process and the material/thickness you're welding.

MIG Welding FAQ's

Does the type of shielding gas affect the quality of the weld?   
For most mild steel applications, CO2 will provide adequate shielding, but when you must have a flatter bead profile, less spatter or better wetting action, you may want to consider adding 80 to 95% argon to your CO2 shielding gas mix. Argon is essentially inert to the molten weld metal and therefore will not react with the molten weld metal. When CO2 is mixed with Argon, the reactivity of the gas is reduced and the arc becomes more stable. But, Argon is more expensive. In production welding, selecting the perfect shielding gas can be a science of its own. Attributes such as material thickness, welding position, electrode diameter, surface condition, welding procedures and others can affect results.

What drive rollers should I be using and what tension should they be?   

• Mild steel requires a V shaped roller

• Stainless steel requires a Knurled roller (to grip the wire better)

• Aluminium requires a U shaped roller so as to not crush the wire.

• The tension should be set just firm enough to grip the wire without being able to pull it back on to the reel.

MMA Welding FAQ's

What is the difference in bead profile when using an electrode in dc+ or dc-? 
For stick welding in general, DC+ polarity is most commonly used. It produces a good bead profile with a higher level of penetration. DC- polarity results in less penetration and a higher electrode melt-off rate. It is sometimes used, for example, on thin sheet metal in an attempt to prevent burn-through. (DC+ equals narrower bead profile with more penetration against DC- which equals wider bead profile with less penetration).

What is a Stick Welder?    
MMA Manual Metal Arc. Heating the coated stick electrode and the base metal with an electric arc creates a fusion of metals. An AC or DC electrical currents which is required to produce the heat input needed. An electrode holder handles is required to hold the stick electrodes in place and a Earth clamp to the bench or workpiece to complete the electrical circuit for when you strike the workpiece with the electrode.

Plasma Cutting FAQ's

Can I Use a Plasma Cuter To Cut Aluminum and Stainless Steel?   
You can use a plasma cutter to cut any ferrous and non-ferrous metal. Any standard plasma cutter will do the job correctly, whilst a high-performance unit will do a superior job.

Gas Welding & Cutting FAQ's

Why cant you use propane equipment & acetylene with the same regs, hose & nozzles?    
Basically 2 different gases if you interchange them they can cause a reaction & Flashbacks, fire & explosion, the lining in the propane hose is generally thicker with the extra lining , propane is a liquid hence a plugged regulator is only required . Propane nozzles are 2 piece while Acet are one piece , the cutting gun can be used for both gases as long as the rest of the fuel gas equipment are different. The advantages of 2 stage regs over 1 stage regs. Although more expensive , they give a better readings & not prone to regulator creep & fluctuations, giving better & more precise output readings , working from 3000psi down to 300psi in the 2nd chamber. Making them more safer, accurate, saving gas, making it less expensive.
 

Have you got a FAQ you want answered? Get in touch here and we'll ask our experts, get the answer for you and post on here. Alternatively email your question to websales@engweld.co.uk.