Welds are not the first that are likely to strike your mind when you look at the things around you. However, many materials and equipment around you have been made by fusing two or more metals together through welding. From the immaculate towers that host your office to the vehicle you use to run your daily errands, welds remain an important part of your life. It is therefore important to look out for a good welding job to ensure that metal equipment, appliances and other items are of reliable quality. Here is what you need to know about good and bad weld:

The Welding Technique Used

The first thing that sets welds apart is the technique employed to make them. The metal fabricator needs to match the welding technique with the type of metal that they are working on. Here are some welding techniques available in the market:

•    Stick welding – stick welding technique is the most elementary of all welding methods. You can use it for a variety of projects during construction, repairs and manufacturing metallic items. In this technique, the fabricator uses direct current or alternating current to melt the electrode and the workpiece. When the molten material cools, it forms a joint. This technique is ideal for metals with some carbon content such as stainless steel and cast iron.

•    Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding – MIG is also referred to as gas metal arc welding. It is used in home and industrial applications depending on the workpiece that you want to weld. In this method, an electric arc is formed between the workpiece and the electrode. The reaction heats up both elements, forcing them to melt and join. MIG is the most preferable welding method when you are working on metal films, thin metal sheets and alloys such as aluminium.

•    Oxy Welding – oxy welding uses a mixture of acetylene gas and oxygen to form a high-temperature flame that can melt metals. It is used for both welding and cutting metals, especially soft metals like bronze and copper.

Matching the welding technique to the right type of metal reduces the possibility of attaining a bad weld. Therefore, you should find a fabricator capable of using different techniques when working on your project.

Signs of a Bad Weld

There are few signs you should look out to tell the difference between a good weld and bad one. Incomplete fusion of the workpieces, porosity at the joint, excess metal globules along the joint and cracking are some of the indicators that the job has been done poorly.  

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