If you are new to welding and metalworking, you probably tried using a simple keyword search on Google or Yahoo to find instructions on basic welding techniques for artists. Online research on basic welding techniques can produce many pages of information in which you can easily get bogged down. Still, the topic is often presented in such a complex and technical way that it is virtually useless for this aspiring welder.
There are three basic types of welding machines used today by the artist, each with special capabilities that offer specific advantages (or disadvantages) to your metal artist. To know which of these machines is perfect for your workshop, you need to know what you want to weld on most of your work. Here are the most advantageous types of welding machines available to beginners.
The Basic Arc Welder
These machines use low-cost welding wires, which are clamped at the end of their favorable guide utilizing a clamping device. This welding machine is the most economical of the three that can be purchased but requires an intermediate level of knowledge and skill to achieve excellent welding. I started with a rod welder when I had a craft course in high school. Today I use one for its simplicity and economical operation.
The MIG Welder
Another normal machine that is very popular is the MIG welding machine. The difference with the arc welding machine is that the machine produces a small diameter wire coil, which is automatically fed through the welding gun. The MIG welding machine has proven to be the easiest to understand and use for beginners, and with a MIG unit, you can be sure to get the highest quality welds. Many refinishers prefer the MIG welding machine for the repair and production of small diameter car panels.
This flow wire welding machine is the same equipment as a MIG unit, but does not require compressed gas and is not so expensive if you buy the first unit. The flux wire welder is a reasonable way to learn about the MIG welding process. But knowing in advance the operation of these units with fluxed cable will not allow you to adapt them as a real MIG unit. There will be splashes from the normal cable, similar to those of an electrode used in an arc welding machine. Also, a flux-cored wire system will not be used to weld joints (such as aluminum) that can probably be welded with a more expensive MIG machine combined with an adapter called a coil gun.
The TIG Welding Machine
The TIG positive hand tool is a small gun that generates the welding arc when approaching the earth alloy. Besides, most TIG machines can also be used as general-purpose arc welders, requiring only minor modifications to the equipment. TIG machine can be very useful for artists working on steel, aluminum, or most of the three processes.
TIG is perhaps the most expensive of these three options and offers excellent quality and direction in return for your investment. The weld seam obtained with a TIG process is nice, but the heat is easier to control with a TIG machine.