Figuring out how to calculate weld thickness can trip up even experienced welders. It’s one of those things that seems simple until you realize how much depends on getting it right — from metal thickness and joint prep to the…
One of the biggest surprises I ran into early in my fabrication journey was realizing not every hole in metal needs to be fixed with a welder in hand. There were times I didn’t have my MIG setup ready, or…
When I first got my Lincoln 140 MIG welder, I was excited — until I realized setting it up wasn’t as plug-and-play as I thought. Between figuring out the right wire feed speed, voltage settings, and choosing between solid wire…
Welding aluminum with flux core was one of those challenges that caught me off guard in the shop. I was used to running clean beads on stainless with TIG or dialing in MIG for thicker steel, but aluminum is a…
One of the first joints I learned to weld in the shop was the butt joint, and at the time I didn’t realize how important it would be in real-world fabrication. Whether you’re running MIG on mild steel, TIG on…
Brazing HVAC copper lines can feel high-pressure—one tiny leak costs time, refrigerant, and money. This guide focuses on heat balance, joint prep, nitrogen purging, and filler techniques that consistently produce clean, leak-free joints in real-world installs. Clean and prep the…
Running flux core welds can sometimes leave behind those frustrating worm tracks — little surface trails that make a bead look messy and weak. Many welders confuse it with poor arc control, but the real issue often comes down to…
I had to fix a leaking HVAC copper pipe on a jobsite without using traditional soldering—it threw me off at first. I’d spent years running beads with stick, MIG, and TIG on everything from stainless to mild steel, but brazing…
When I first started running beads with a stick welder, one of the biggest questions that threw me off was, “should you push or pull stick welding?” What seemed like a small detail quickly proved to be a make-or-break factor…
Thin sheet warps fast and blows through even faster. With the right rod, polarity, and travel, stick welding thin metal is not only doable—it’s practical for field repairs and small shops. To stick weld thin sheet metal, use small-diameter E6013…