Welding For Dummies

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Steven Robert Farnsworth. Welding For Dummies

Welding For Dummies® To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Welding For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box. Table of Contents

List of Tables

List of Illustrations

Guide

Pages

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part 1: Understanding Welding Basics

Part 2: Welding on a Budget: Stick and Tig Welding

Part 3: Discovering Mig Welding

Part 4: Getting Fancy: Plasma Cutting, Oxyfuel Cutting, and Other Processes

Part 5: Putting Welding into Action with Projects and Repairs

Part 6: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Understanding Welding Basics

Diving Into the World of Welding

If You Can’t Beat ’Em, Join ’Em: Understanding Why Welding Matters

Fabricating metal products

Repairing metal pieces or products

TRACING THE HISTORY OF WELDING

Getting Familiar with Metals

Steel

Stainless steel

Aluminum

Taking the Time to Understand Welding Safety

Exploring Welding Methods

Stick welding

Mig welding

Tig welding

Other welding methods

Looking at the Future of Welding

Considering Commonly Welded Metals

Steeling Yourself for Using Steel

Getting a handle on forms of steel

Knowing when steel is appropriate

THE MANY PROPERTIES OF METALS

Preparing steel for welding

Cleaning steel with mechanical methods

Cleaning steel with chemicals

Exploring steel welding methods

Stick welding

Mig welding

Tig welding

Going with Stainless Steel

Understanding the differences between steel and stainless steel

Deciding when to use stainless steel

Looking at stainless steel welding methods

Working with Aluminum

Perusing the properties of aluminum

Eyeing aluminum welding techniques

Considering Other Metals

PRECIOUS METALS

Setting Your Sights on Welding Safety

Gearing Up to Protect Yourself

Choosing eye protection

Keeping the right fire extinguisher on hand

Wearing protective clothing

Watching health hazards: Using a respirator and Material Safety Data Sheets

Observing Basic Safety Rules

Keeping your work space clean

Checking for leaks

Getting the ventilation right

Storing flammable liquids and gases

Knowing your surroundings

Protecting yourself from electric shock

Shielding yourself from burns

Maintaining your equipment

Being Prepared for Injuries and Accidents

Equipping your first-aid kit

Knowing how to handle injuries

Setting Up Your Welding Shop

Choosing a Location

Deciding how much space you need

Contemplating indoor versus outdoor

Equipping Your Welding Shop

Making sure you have the basic hand tools

Choosing a welding table

Selecting your welding machine

Welding machine basics

New or used: Which welding machine is right for you?

Stick welding machines

Mig welding machines

Tig welding machines

Considering a few accessories for your welding shop

Welding on a Budget: Stick and Tig Welding

Getting on the Stick: Understanding Stick Welding

Looking at the Pros and Cons of Stick Welding

Understanding the Factors That Influence Stick Welding

Getting Familiar with Stick Welding Equipment

Discovering the differences among stick welding machines

Polarity

Output rating and duty cycle

Power source

Setting up your stick welding machine

Nailing down the basics of stick welding’s electrodes

Choosing tools and supplies every stick welder needs

Getting to Work with Stick Welding

Preparing to Stick Weld

Setting up your work area

Understanding stick welding electrodes

Getting to know the characteristics of stick welding electrodes

Looking at electrode classifications

Setting the Machine

Choosing polarity

Setting the amperage

Preparing to weld

Striking and Maintaining an Arc

Assume the Position: Stick Welding in All Positions

Welding on a flat surface

Going vertical

Vertical-up stick welding

Vertical-down stick welding

Exploring horizontal welding

Reaching overhead

To Tig or Not To Tig: Understanding Tig Welding

Taking a Closer Look at Tig Welding Components

Considering the Advantages and Disadvantages of Tig Welding

Brushing Up on Tig Welding Basics

Showing your metal: Looking at a few metals for tig welding

Taking steps to ensure quality welds

Stocking the Shop: Examining Tig Welding Equipment

Considering fully equipped tig machines

Thinking about tig torches

Selecting and managing shielding gas

Controlling current and amperage

Selecting filler metal

Exploring tungsten electrodes

Trying Out Tig Welding

Getting Your Welding Setup Tig-ether

Taking care of tungsten electrode details

Making sure your shielding gas is set up correctly

Figuring out your tig filler rods

Matching Materials and Settings

Getting a Handle on Using Your Tig Torch

Choosing an electrical current and striking the arc

Get a grip: Holding your tig torch correctly

Giving Tig Welding a Try

Tackling the first weld

Trying a butt joint

Welding a lap joint

Making a T joint

Discovering Mig Welding

Understanding the ABCs of Mig Welding

Understanding How Mig Welding Works

DO THE ROBOT (WELD): ROBOTIC MIG WELDING

Considering Mig Welding’s Advantages and Limitations

Bringing Out the Big Guns (And Other Mig Welding Equipment)

Mig welding machines

Mig welding guns

Electrode wire feeders

Sifting Through Shielding Gases for Mig Welding

Taking a Look at Electrode Wire

Adjusting Mig Equipment to Suit Your Mig Welding Project

Practicing Mig Welding

Preparing to Mig Weld

Getting the equipment ready

Setting the wire feed speed and voltage

Settings for flux-cored arc welding

Settings for aluminum MIG welding

Trying Out Mig Welding

Making vertical mig welds

Joining pieces of sheet metal

Watching Out for Common Mig Welding Defects

Getting Fancy: Plasma Cutting, Oxyfuel Cutting, and Other Processes

Examining Plasma and Oxyfuel Cutting

Understanding Plasma Arc Cutting

Identifying some good materials for plasma cutting

Taking a look at plasma cutting’s advantages and disadvantages

Perusing and Preparing Plasma Arc Cutting Equipment

Getting a handle on plasma cutting equipment

Setting the equipment up properly

Exploring Oxyfuel Cutting Basics

Considering what you can (and can’t) cut with oxyfuel

Looking at the pros and cons of oxyfuel cutting

Checking Out and Setting Up Oxyfuel Cutting Equipment

Examining oxyfuel cutting equipment

Deciding among different gas cylinder sizes

Setting up oxyfuel cutting equipment

Ready, Set, Cut! Trying Out Plasma Arc Cutting and Oxyfuel Cutting

Exploring Plasma Arc Cutting

Slicing a straight line

Cutting a circle

Creating a bevel

Practicing Oxyfuel Cutting

Lighting the torch

Making a straight cut

Cutting out a circle

Taking on a beveled edge

Exploring Special Weld Processes

Working Through the Basics of Welding with Gas

Taking a gander at gas cylinders

Looking at more gas welding equipment

Getting to work with gas welding

Setting up the torch

Lighting the torch

Making the weld

Finishing up

Discovering Brazing (Braze Welding)

Keeping a few brazing rules in mind

Giving brazing a try

Finding Out about Fusion Welding

Soldering On: Exploring Soldering

Following the rules of soldering

Understanding the two types of soldering

Trying the soldering process

Exploring Pipe Welding

Delving into the Different Kinds of Pipe

Getting Down to Welding Steel Pipes

Getting set up and preparing the pipe

Making the tacks

Welding the pipes

Trying some other angles

Welding pipe in the flat position

Welding vertical pipe in the horizontal position

Peeking at a Few More Types of Pipe Welding Joints

Keeping an Eye Out for Common Pipe Welding Defects

THE HIGH STANDARDS FOR PIPE WELDING

Working with Cast Iron

Casting Light on the Three Most Common Types of Cast Iron

Gray cast iron

Malleable cast iron

Nodular cast iron

Getting the (Cast) Iron in the Fire: Welding Gray Cast Iron

Stick welding cast iron

Oxyfuel welding cast iron

Mig welding cast iron

Putting Welding into Action with Projects and Repairs

Two Welding Projects to Boost Your Welding Shop

Creating a Torch Cart

Gathering the materials

Acquiring the right steel pieces

Measuring and cutting pieces

Making the welds

Tacking the base and handle

Building the box and finalizing the welds

Adding the wheels

Checking your welds

Picking out your paint

Fabricating Your Own Portable Welding Table

Rounding up your tools

Picking out the parts

Assembling the pieces

Ensuring smooth edges

Choosing your paint

Putting on the wheels

Constructing a Campfire Grill

Fabricating a Campfire Grill

Getting your tools in order

Obtaining the proper steel pieces

Cutting the steel pieces to length

Welding the grill

Picking out your paint

Seasoning the cooking surface

Fixin’ to Fix Things: Analyzing and Planning

Determining Whether Something Is Fixable

Planning a Repair Strategy

Identifying the metal and what it means for the repair

HARDFACING

Deciding which welding process to use for your repair

Making and following your plan

Getting Ready to Make Repair Welds

Preparing your repair piece and work area

Gathering your equipment and tools

Selecting filler rods and electrodes

6010 and 6011

Low hydrogen electrodes

Gas welding filler rods

Considering Cracks

The Part of Tens

Ten Tools Every Welder Wants

4½-Inch Grinder

Hacksaw

Air Compressor

⅜-Inch Electric Drill

Wrench Set

Steel Sawhorses

Cutoff Saw

Bench Grinder

Bottle Jack

Toolbox

(Not Quite) Ten Advantages of Being a Certified Welder

More Job Opportunities

Better Pay

More Chances for Advancement

Certification that Travels with You

Ability to Join a National Organization

Qualification in Specific Areas of Welding

Increased Confidence in Your Welding Skills

Listing in the American Welding Society Database

A Head Start on Additional Types of Welding Certification

(Almost) Ten Welding Defects

Incomplete Penetration

Incomplete Fusion

Undercutting

Slag Inclusions

Flux Inclusions

Porosity

Cracks

Warpage

Spatter

Ten Signs You’re Welding Correctly

The Weld Is Distributed Equally between Parts

The Slag or Shielding Material Doesn’t Stick to the Weld

No Holes or Irregularities on the Weld Surface

The Weld Is Tight

The Weld Is Leakproof

The Weld Has Full Penetration

The Weld Has No Undercutting

The Weld Has No Overlap

The Weld Meets Strength Requirements

You’re Safe and Healthy

Ten Maintenance Tips for Your Welding Equipment and Shop

Checking on Your Hand Tools

Taking Care of Power Tools

Doing Basic Housekeeping in the Shop

Protecting Your Welding Helmet

Seeing to Stick Welding Machine Maintenance

Working on Maintaining Your Mig Welding Machine

Tuning Up Your Tig Welding Machine

Taking Care of Your Oxyfuel Equipment

Keeping Your Air Compressor Working

Drill Press Maintenance

Glossary

Index. Numbers

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

About the Author

Dedication

Author’s Acknowledgments

WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

Отрывок из книги

Welding has become one of the most important trades in the world, and that isn’t likely to change anytime in the near future. So many of the objects people have and need are created either directly or indirectly by welding. If everyone woke up one morning and no one could remember how to join metals, the world would be a very different place by the afternoon.

But welding isn’t just important — it’s also fun. The idea of welding as a hobby is catching on more and more. It’s an extremely versatile skill that can be quite rewarding after you get the hang of it. Something is very empowering about knowing that you can harness some pretty powerful forces — electricity and intense heat — to melt metals and join them together. Even experienced welders get a kick out of the fact that they can take a machine and a few pieces of metal and create something new, functional, and even beautiful. That’s an extremely fulfilling feeling, and I think it’s a product of welding that people don’t always mention when they talk about the trade.

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You can use heat to join metals in several different ways, but by far the most common welding methods used today are the arc welding methods. Arc welding is really pretty simple in theory: A large amount of electricity creates an arc between an electrode and a base metal, and that arc generates enough heat to melt the materials in the weld area and join them together to make a weld. In practice, however, arc welding includes three different welding processes (stick, mig, and tig) and has many different variables. For example, some kinds of arc welding use a shielding gas, whereas others don’t. The electrodes that you use in arc welding may be consumable, meaning they get melted and incorporated into the weld, or they may be non-consumable. The electricity used in arc welding is the source of many other variables, including amperage (which can vary a lot) and current (either alternating current or one of a couple different forms of direct current).

Because the three main types of arc welding are the most commonly used throughout the world and the easiest to pick up, those are the three that I devote the most attention to in the following sections (and throughout the book). However, they aren’t the only game in town, so I also include some information on those other types in case you want to branch out a bit.

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