Tool Reviews

AC balance is one of the most useful controls on an aluminum TIG welder, but it is also one of the easiest to misunderstand. The setting changes how much of…

A tungsten electrode should be sharpened so its tip is clean, centered, and aligned with the electrode’s length. A contaminated or poorly ground tip can cause arc wandering, excessive tungsten…

TIG welding is easiest to control when the distance between the tungsten and the workpiece stays nearly constant. That distance is the arc length. If it changes while you weld,…

The Basic Angle for a TIG Fillet Weld For a standard 90-degree inside fillet weld, start with the TIG torch at approximately a 45-degree work angle. This lets the arc…

Wire stickout is the length of welding wire extending beyond the MIG contact tip before the arc reaches the workpiece. In short-circuit MIG welding, that small distance has a noticeable…

A properly ground tungsten electrode gives a DC TIG arc a predictable starting point, tight arc control, and a stable weld puddle. A poorly prepared electrode can wander, contaminate the…

Arc wandering on stainless steel is usually a setup problem, not a mysterious TIG machine fault. The arc may pull to one side, spread unpredictably, or jump from the tungsten…

Birdnesting is the tight ball of MIG wire that forms between the drive rolls and the gun liner. It usually happens when the wire cannot move freely through the gun,…

Why Shielding Gas Leaks Matter A shielding gas leak wastes gas, but the bigger problem is that it can leave a weld without adequate protection. MIG and TIG arcs need…

Connecting a regulator to a MIG shielding-gas cylinder is straightforward when the parts match, but a wrong fitting or damaged seal can cause a leak. Most MIG welders use carbon…