Tool Reviews

A 7018 electrode can produce a strong, clean vertical fillet weld, but it rewards controlled technique rather than speed. The usual approach is vertical-up welding: start at the bottom of…

Why Stainless Steel Develops Heat Tint Heat tint is the blue, purple, brown, or straw-colored oxide that forms beside a stainless steel weld. It is not merely a cosmetic problem.…

Setting the current correctly is the difference between a smooth 6013 weld and a mess of sticking, spatter, undercut, or burn-through. A 6013 is a general-purpose mild-steel stick electrode with…

Setting the current correctly is the difference between a 6010 electrode that digs a clean root and one that sticks, sputters, or blows holes through the joint. The numbers printed…

Why Electrode Selection Matters on Cast Iron Cast iron is easy to crack and difficult to weld reliably. It contains a high percentage of carbon, and its brittle structure does…

Low-hydrogen welding rods, usually E7018 electrodes, produce strong welds with a lower risk of hydrogen cracking than cellulose or rutile rods. That advantage disappears when the flux absorbs moisture. Damp…

Copper is easy to contaminate and unforgiving of poor preparation. It conducts heat rapidly, so a TIG arc can struggle to establish a stable puddle even when the machine is…

Thin aluminum is unforgiving, but a clean, well-fitted butt joint is very manageable with TIG. The main problems are heat control, oxide contamination, and burn-through. Aluminum conducts heat quickly, then…

A TIG-welded lap joint joins two overlapping pieces of metal by melting the edge of the top piece and a small amount of the lower piece, then adding filler metal…

Shielding gas preflow is the short burst of argon that starts before the TIG arc. Its job is to purge air from the torch cup and create a clean gas…