How To Use A MIG Welder

| Sunday, March 20, 2011
By Joe Davies


The MIG welder is a common welder, using GMAW, it is very effective at what it does. The electrode wire gets fed through a welding gun, and at around the same time, shielding gas glows through, which is used to protect the weld while it cools down and settles. The is basically the GMAW process.

Most commonly used for this weld is carbon dioxide. It is the cheapest to use and also it makes great weld. Argon is used with carbon dioxide sometimes because it is a great mixture. It creates less mess, which makes the weld a lot cleaner. Argon alone can be used with aluminium for the best possible mold.

Over other processes of welding the GMAW method has many advantages such as the welding gun itself which has a control on the trigger which will position the electrode without accidentally hitting one of the arcs. Once you have positioned the gun in the right place all that left to do is put your helmet on and pull the trigger.

Alternating current will not give you a steady arc when welding, which is why MIG welders use a DC current. Using the inert shielding gases makes the welds smooth and clean with no slag to chip off. MIG welding is best used for thinner metals and weld sheet metal, because they can be welded at much lower power than other welders.

Creating clean welds with a MIG welder is helped by the control you have over the voltage and the speed the wire comes through to the welder. The tension of the electrode is variable also which is very handy.

Filling the hollow core of the electrode with flux is flux cored arc welding, FCAW. You can use the mig welder without shielding gas, and also switch the polarity of the arc. This creates cleaner welds and is easy to use. This process is easy with a MIG welder.




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