Welding Machines Differences
Once at home am doing small homemade metal crafts for home improvements. And this time, am planning to procure welding machine of my own.
Shielded Metal Arc welding is the common method used in to bind wrought irons using an arc stick with the aid of an electric run machine and can be commonly found in most metal crafts shops in our home country.
To my curiousity, i've been astounded to that TIG weld machine performance resulting to a more safety operations and a huge difference in metal binding outcome. The binded joints runs smoother and is of course has a greater applications for various kinds of metal joinery.
Here are just some few questions running out my mind:
1> is really a TIG welding machine is of at large difference compared to SMAW weld machines?
2> what are the advantages and disadvantages between both machines?
Am a bit confuse to which machine i should prefer to purchase... any suggestions which machine is best?
i need some shed of your technical knowledge...
Hope you have full success in completing your project(s)
thanks raver for such a gratifying comment.
about basic workshop safety, i've been through with that as ive done several projects already...
thank you and you cleared my doubt...
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Hi Vivo
Safety should be your number one concern whichever method you choose, and it looks like you already have this in mind. I can't begin to tell you about the safety rules in our company !!!!
Whichever machine you go for, you will need to take care regarding the fumes. And in both methods, you wil need to wear proper welding mask to get protection and be able to see what you are doing. Of course you will need leather gloves and advisable also to wear leather apron to protect your clothes..I guess if you can weld using both methods, go for the one you are most comfortable with. I think the stick machine will serve you just fine. Good luck and happy welding.
thanks raver, for summarizing me your thoughts.
per my recent shop check, there was a a portable stick weld machine i saw. it was 27kg, 210Amperes which i find suitable for the kind of work my hobby require... whereas the TIG machine cost just only a bit higher to that stick machine, size like a PC CPU and weigh only 16KG...
now my big question is... is really a TIG machine really worth a thing over stick machine in terms of welder's long-run operational safety?
i know how hazardous is stick machine to the welder's eyes from the smoke it emits... since weld machine is for personal use, irregardless of its cost along with its consumables, as long as it can provide optimal safety benefits, ill prefer for it.
this is my big question that even till today the knowledge of the shop salesmen cant get help me about but only from an expertise of a well experience one...
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I work in construction here in Ras Laffan, in the LNG plants. I have been involved in fabrication of piping for over 11 years now. The two methods of manual welding we use are TIG and stick (or SMAW). I can tell you that In terms of visual appearance, nothing beats a TIG weld. If the welder is good enough, the results can be absolutely stunning. The appearance of the finished weld is as good as the automatic machines that we also use.
SMAW is the most common and I think that the welding sticks are cheaper compared with the TIG rods ( I don't know exact figures because our company buys in huge quantities). Also the equipment needed is much simpler for stick. You can get a small portable electric welding machine that you can plug into standard power outlets. This would be perfect for your type of work. For TIG, you need to get involved in argon and oxygen gases and the cost will go up sharply.
Anyway these are my thoughts. Hope they help in some way.
thanks winn.. it was informative yet so much to my worry, are there such suppliers could i find here in Doha?
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try http://weldingweb.com/. Its an online forum and you get pretty neat answers.