Tool Reviews

When MIG is a good fit A cracked steel bracket is a repair job where fit-up and preparation matter more than buying the most powerful welder. For common mild-steel brackets…

What matters when welding thin-wall tubing Thin-wall steel tubing is easy to burn through and easy to distort. For common fabrication work—say, mild-steel tube with a wall around 0.065 to…

Stainless food carts need welds that are clean, strong and easy to sanitize. A MIG welder can join cart frames and many sheet-metal parts quickly, but stainless is less forgiving…

Sixteen-gauge steel is about 0.060 inch thick. A MIG welder can join it quickly, but the sheet is thin enough to burn through or warp if you use too much…

A welding positioner can turn a pipe or round part while you weld, helping keep the joint in a comfortable position and the torch travel more consistent. The right size…

A welding table for a small garage has to do more than hold a workpiece. It needs to stay flat under heat, ground reliably, and fit around a welder, gas…

Choose clamps for the joint, not just the plate Clamps hold steel plate where you want it while you tack and weld. They do not make a poor fit-up accurate,…

What welding magnets can—and can’t—do Welding magnets are useful for holding square tubing in position while you make a tack, but they are not precision clamps. Their pull can shift…

An arc-welding screen is a barrier, not a substitute for a welding helmet. Its job is to stop nearby workers from seeing the arc directly, reduce ultraviolet and infrared exposure,…

A welding curtain separates a fabrication bay from nearby workers, walkways, and equipment while limiting exposure to arc light and sparks. It is not a substitute for a welding helmet,…