I burned through a thin stainless plate because I had my amperage set way too high—nothing teaches you faster than watching your carefully prepped joint turn into a mess. Like most welders, I quickly learned that getting a strong, clean…
When I first earned my welding certificate, I remember standing in the shop staring at a stack of plates, wondering, “Alright, now what can I actually do with this piece of paper?” I had put in the hours learning how…
One of the biggest wake-up calls I had in the shop came when a soldered stainless joint failed because I’d grabbed the wrong flux. At first glance, the bead looked fine, but it turned brittle fast—and that’s when it hit…
I tried to run a bead on a thick steel plate using an old stick welder in the shop — the arc kept sputtering, the rod stuck, and the weld looked nothing like the smooth joints I wanted. That’s when…
In my early welding days out here in California, striking a clean arc without burning straight through the plate felt like an uphill battle. Like many beginners, I wasn’t sure if I should start with stick welding for heavy structural…
First time I tried welding in my garage and realized just how loud the sparks, grinders, and hammering could be—not just for me, but for the whole neighborhood. Soundproofing a garage workshop might not sound as exciting as mastering TIG…
Flux core welding often sparks one of the most common questions in the shop: does flux core welding require gas? For many welders—especially those transitioning from MIG vs TIG or tackling stainless, mild steel, or different metal thicknesses—this can be…
I had to calculate fillet weld strength for a project — staring at a t-joint with uneven metal thickness, wondering if my MIG welds would actually hold under load. Fillet welds might look simple, but getting their strength right is…
A stick welder not arcing can stop a project in its tracks, and I’ve faced that headache more than once in the shop. Everything looks ready—metal cleaned, rods lined up, machine buzzing—but instead of a smooth strike, the electrode just…
One of the biggest frustrations I’ve faced in the shop is pulling out a piece of steel, excited to start welding, only to find it covered in stubborn rust. Anyone who’s worked with filler rods, compared MIG vs TIG, or…