Meld Metals with Welding and Brazing

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The low-cost wire-feed revolution starts with a spool of thin metal wire. When you press the trigger on the hand-held wire-feed gun, a strand of fresh welding wire flows out of the tip continuously, pulled off the spool by a motor drive system inside the welder. Like a stick-welding rod, the wire is electrically energized, so a blue arc jumps from its tip to the grounded metal part. The arc generates heat, which melts the wire and the surrounding metal. The wire adds metal to the weld pool, boosting strength and filling small joint gaps. Move the gun to push the molten weld pool along the seam. You can adjust wire feed rates to match the amount of wire deposited along the weld joint. Bottom line: Wire-feed welders produce a nice, neat weld even if you’re not a professional. Most people can get pretty good at it after just 20 minutes of practice.

Besides ease of use, wire-feed welders have three other advantages. First, they’re more efficient than stick welders, allowing useful machines to operate on normal 115 volt household circuits. Larger, 230 volt wire-feed machines do exist, but you often don’t need that much power. Second, they work exceptionally well on both thin and thick metals. Stick welders can be hard to control when welding metal less than three-sixteenths of an inch thick, and it’s possible to burn holes right through thin material.

Third, wire-feed welders can weld aluminum. Better-quality DIY wire-feed welders can be set up to pump compressed inert gas through the gun and out the welding tip. This gas shields the molten weld zone from reacting with oxygen, just as the flux coating on stick-welding rod does. But the gas does this job better, opening a whole new world of possibilities. Wire-feed welders that use shielding gases are called “metal inert gas” (MIG) welders. Besides being essential for welding aluminum, MIG welding is also great for creating neat welds in steel down to less than one-sixteenth of an inch thick. Self-shielding welding wire also is available for welding without a shielding gas. This is an excellent and simple option for general purpose wire-feed welding of mild steel and other ferrous metals where a clean weld appearance isn’t essential.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WELDING AND BRAZING

This article is a bare-bones introduction to welding and brazing — you’ll need to learn more before you’re ready to fire up a torch. There are good books out there, and you can probably find classes at a nearby vocational or technical center (check the American Welding Society’s school locator). Also look for a veteran welder who’s willing to share his or her knowledge. Once you master brazing and welding, you’ll never think of metal the same way again. With practice and the right equipment, you’ll gain an advantage in building a self-sufficient lifestyle. And besides, melting metal is just plain fun!

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