Category: General Technical Information

Simply put, NO, you can’t Tig weld without Gas! Gas is required to protect both the Tungsten Electrode and the weld pool from Oxygen. Most Tig Welder torches are also cooled by the gas, so not using gas would risk burning out the Torch. It’s theoretically possible to use a Flux, in the same way […]

I get asked “can you use the same gas for Mig and Tig” a LOT! Sadly, the answer is NO. Gas for Mig Welding Both Mig and Tig Welding require gas to protect the weld pool from Oxygen and often to cool the Torch but these are not the only functions it performs with Mig […]

What is the best gas for Mig welding mild steel is a frequent question I get asked on the phone. Unfortunately, there’s not a simple, straightforward answer as it rather depends on a number of factors! The three key factors are: What’s your budget Do you want to use Disposable or Refillable Gas Cylinders What […]

I’ve already written an article Titled Can I use Propane or Propylene Instead of Acetylene so I won’t go over that ground again here. Instead I want to concentrate on the equipment differences and what you need to change when swapping from Oxy Acetylene to Oxy Propane or Propylene. Gas Welding Equipment OK, so you […]

Setting up Oxy Acetylene Kit is not rocket science, but it is important to do it correctly. Setting up Oxy Acetylene Kit – the basics Oxy Acetylene fittings consist of a concave Female sealing face on one component and a Male ball shaped sealing face on the other.  A Nut clamps these faces together to […]

Welding Stainless Steel is no big deal.  As long as you use a suitable welding rod or wire for the type of Stainless Steel you intend welding, all should be pretty straight forward. Welding Stainless Steel is not vastly different to welding Mild Steel, which is why I say it’s no big deal, however, there […]

Welding Cast Iron has quite a few potential pitfalls, but if done correctly, it’s not difficult. Why is Welding Cast Iron problematic The key reason why welding cast iron can be problematic is the high carbon content.  During the welding process, this carbon migrates into the weld metal and/or the heat affected zone adjacent to […]

This is a common question.  Essentially, Duty Cycle is a measure of how long a welder will operate for before it overheats and cuts out. If you’re more of a Watcher than a Reader, you may prefer a Video Explanation There are 3 key bits of data to Duty Cycle figures: Amps, a Percentage Figure […]

If you prefer to watch video than read, the following link will take you to a video we’ve produced that explains Duty Cycle. Understanding Duty Cycle “Duty Cycle” is probably the least understood of the specification data published for any type of Mig Welder, Tig Welder or Plasma Cutter.  Essentially it’s a set of figures […]

Mig Welding Gas is required because it’s essential to keep Oxygen from the weld pool. Shielding gas does this by replacing the Oxygen containing air that’s all around the weld pool. Categories of Mig Welding Gas Mig Welding Gas falls into two basic categories, “Inert” & “Active”. Inert means the gas has no effect on the […]

Silver Solder & Braze are both products used with either an Oxy Acetylene Torch or Oxy Propane Torch. Silver Solder & Braze, what’s the difference? For me, the key difference is how they work on the joint. Silver Solder Silver Solder is more fluid than Braze and works by being drawn into the joint by […]

An Oxy Acetylene Flame will fall loosely into one of three types: Neutral, Oxidising and Carburising Neutral Oxy Acetylene Flame A Neutral flame is achieved when there are equal amounts of Oxygen and Acetylene. A Neutral Flame is so named because it has no chemical effect on the molten metal. Key characteristics of a Neutral […]

Is Propane any good? YES! It’s a great gas! It’s versatile Can be used with or without Oxygen (with correct Torch) It’s cheap, compared to Acetylene It’s readily available It’s available without Cylinder Rental The only real downside to Propane is that you can’t weld with it. Pretty much everything else can be done. With […]

What’s the right Gas Flow Rate for a Mig is a question we get asked a lot, but like many things in welding, there’s no definitive answer. The correct Gas Flow Rate for a Mig will depend on a number of factors: The diameter of the Gas Shroud The joint configuration Whether there is any […]

What is Roller Tension? Mig Welder Wire Feed Roller Tension is how tightly the Rollers Grip the Mig Welding Wire to feed through the Mig Welders feed mechanism and torch.  Feed Roller Tension is one of the more important mig welder settings. If you’re more of a watcher than a reader, I’ve produced a video […]