Home Welding Machines

Gas Welders

Gas welders are the best-known type of welder available for home and professional use. In this type of welding, shielding material that is used to keep the weld pool free of impurities is in a gaseous state, unlike flux-core welding, which uses a solid material that turns to gas when heated. Mig welding with gas requires the use of a separate gas tank that is connected to the welder and fed through the welding gun. The gas is turned on when the welding trigger is pulled. Commonly used gases for welding include helium and argon, though argon gas is the more often used.

Flux-core welders are typically used by hobbyists or others who don't need to do large amounts of welding. Flux-core welding incorporates a welding gas within the welding wire, suspended in a solid state. When the welding electrode touches the metal being welded, the resulting heat vaporizes the flux material, producing the necessary shielding gas. Flux-core wire is more expensive than standard welding wire, but the tradeoff is that you don't need to refill gas tanks when you weld.

Oxy-acetylene welding, while commonly used in industrial applications, is also useful for large-scale welding at home, such as in the repair of farm machinery. Oxy-acetylene welding utilizes two gases, oxygen and acetylene, which are combined, and then ignited using a torch lighter. The resultant flame is then adjusted until the proper gas mix is obtained, and a sharp, blue flame is formed. The welding material is a rod that is between 16 and 18 inches long. Oxy-acetylene welding requires practice to perform correctly, but can be used for anything that flux-core or gas welding are used for.

Hobbyists who restore or modify classic cars on a regular basis would be wise to invest in a spot weld machine. Essentially the same as the welders found on robots in automotive factories, spot weld machines are actually relatively affordable. The machine has two long arms that act as electrodes. They are pressed together with two pieces of sheet metal between them, clamped in place, and then the trigger pulled and held for between one and three seconds. The result is a perfectly formed spot weld that does not require any type of shielding gas to create. They are indispensable tools when installing body panels onto cars, and are often seen in body shops.