If you’ve ever been in the middle of a stick welding project and suddenly blown a hole through your metal, you know the frustration of burn through. It’s one of those welding defects that can stop you in your tracks,…
When I first started welding thicker metal, one of the biggest headaches I ran into was figuring out what size welder I actually needed for 1/4″ steel. I had a small 110V MIG that worked fine for sheet metal and…
first time my MIG welder started sputtering and feeding wire like it had a mind of its own. At first, I blamed the wire spool, then the contact tip, even messed with the tensioner — but the real culprit was…
When I first set up my garage shop, I struggled with one of the most common frustrations every welder faces—keeping pieces square and steady without eating up half the space with bulky fixtures. Whether I was running a quick MIG…
One of the first challenges I ran into with flux core welding was figuring out why some welds had great penetration while others looked weak or burned straight through the plate. It didn’t take long to realize the issue came…
When I first tried setting up a garage workshop on a tight budget, I quickly realized that getting started with welding isn’t just about buying a machine—it’s about making smart choices that affect weld quality, safety, and efficiency. I remember…
When I first started MIG welding aluminum, I was surprised by how often that stubborn black smut would show up around my welds. At first, I blamed my technique or the filler wire, but I soon realized that smut when…
One winter evening in the shop, I mixed up a batch of JB Weld to patch a small crack in a steel bracket, thinking it would be solid in no time. Hours later, the bond was still soft, and I…
A welder’s daily work goes far beyond just striking an arc. From the moment the torch fires up, every step matters — prepping joints, fitting metal, selecting the right filler rods, and deciding whether MIG, TIG, or stick is the…
When I first struck an arc with a small 70 amp stick welder, I quickly realized that it’s not about having the biggest machine in the shop—it’s about technique. The arc wanted to stick, the filler rods burned fast, and…