Professional MIG Welding Practices - Cliff's Welding

The difference between anyone who’s starting a new trade or skill and the salty dogs that have been doing it for decades is experience. Here are a few tips and tricks we use that differentiate our MIG welding services to better serve our clients.

Start Your MIG Welding Machine Right

Unlike some of the other welding techniques, MIG welding requires very precise attention to how the machine is set before you start. TIG and Stick welding tend to be a little more forgiving and workable without having the machine dialed in just right. To know how to set up the MIG welder correctly you need to know what type of metal you’ll be working on. You’ll also need to know how thick the metal is. Based on these factors you will be able to accurately set up the gas type, gas flow rate, wire feed speed, and the voltage.

Prepping The Joint For MIG

They say cleanliness is next to Godliness, and it couldn’t be truer for welding. All welding jobs need to start with clean surfaces for the weld to be any good. Debris that is in the area that gets into the weld will cause it to be less strong. And we all know weak welds can fail. Don’t fail to realize that this is a critical step in producing a quality weld.

Comfort Is Key In MIG Welding

It might not be a nice leather sofa that you get to weld off of, but it’s important to be comfortable when welding. MIG welding requires focus and precision. Having to reach or strain while doing the weld can mean that you’re less steady and risk not making the weld you want to make. Much like getting comfortable behind a rifle to get the best shots, ensuring that you’re well grounded in the area that you need to weld is what really separates the best from the rest.

Use The Right MIG Welding Technique

Depending on what you are welding and how thick the metal is you might choose to use one of two different MIG welding techniques. The two MIG welding techniques are back handed welding and fore handed welding. Back handed MIG welding is similar to Stick welding in that you drag the MIG welding gun towards you and create the weld. This creates a deep level of penetration in the metal and makes a narrow and high centered weld.

Fore handed MIG welding goes the opposite direction. You push the MIG welding gun towards the direction you are welding and it produces a shallower weld. In contrast the weld you create will be smoother and wider.


Professional Welding Services for Phoenix and Mesa

It takes years to master the finer points of MIG welding. Cliff’s welding has the tools, experience, and knowledge to choose the right kind of welding techniques every project you’ve got. Give us a call today!

Cliff’s Welding480-832-0570

1 Comment

Noah Monds 5 years ago

Back handed welding and fore handed welding are really a great techniques for every MIG welder. This article very helpful to me.

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