How to Weld Steel

When learning how to weld steel we first need to determine both the type of steel to be welded and the thickness of the steel. Basic steel is typically mild steel that is used for most structural purposes and various other applications such as automotive bodies, chassis building and many types of appliances.

Stainless steel on the other hand comprises of different compositions of metals and requires specialized equipment for welding. A good test to differentiate mild steel from stainless steel is to try and attach a magnet to the metal. Stainless steel is not magnetic where as mild steel is.

There are four different types of welding techniques that can be used when learning how to weld steel and are as follows.

Gas welding.

Gas or oxy-acetylene welding is seldom used to weld steel these days. The process requires that the two metals to be welded are heated and fused together generally with the aid of a filler roe also made of steel. Best used for light metals and sheet metals.

Arc or stick welding.

Ideal for home use or maintenance. Arc welders can weld metals starting at 1/8th (3mm) inch thick up to 1 inch (25mm) thick. While the process. Thinner metals can be welded however it does require more skill. Stick welders use flux coated electrodes that are used to generate the electric arc or heat source and act as the filler material to fuse the steel.

Mig welding

Mig welding is the easiest way how to weld steel. Mig welders operate in a similar way to arc welders except the electrode is in the form of a continuous wire feed allowing the operator to work for long periods without the need to change the wire. The welding wire is contained on a spool that comes in various sizes depending on the machine.

Mig welders also use a shielding gas to prevent contamination at the weld area. With arc welders this is similar in a sense to the flux coating on a welding electrode. The need for shielding gas does limit a mig welder as to the portability of the machine and is not very useful if welding in a stiff wind as the gas gets blown away. There is now however a flux cored welding wire for mig use that removes the need for shielding gas.

Mig welders can be used on most any thickness of steel depending upon the power of the machine. They are ideal to learn how to weld with and excellent for welding thin steel as on automotive bodywork.

Tig Welding.

Tig welding is a specialised process that requires great skill by the operator. Ideal for sheet metal work where precise and pure welds are required.

While learning how to weld steel is quite an easy process, the basics of welding need to be learned from both a practical and a theoretical point to get things right from the beginning. Many hours can be wasted through trial and error welding where some simple tuition can get you welding very well in a short period of time.