Welding can be fascinating, especially to an aspiring welder who has his or her eyes set on becoming a professional. If you are aspiring to be a welder, you have to brace yourself for constant learning and hours of practice before you can handle a welding project on your own successfully. You need to learn a thing or two about common welding methods and the required welding accessories. A broad understanding of different welding equipment will undoubtedly improve your chances of handling different welding projects.
With your eyes set on improving your welding skills, here are some tips that will help you chose the right welding machine.
Nature of the Metal
You have to understand the nature or type of metal you are dealing with. It is worth noting that welding is usually done on carbon steel, which shows a better ability to handle excess heat. Stainless steel, on the other hand, does not require high amperage. Stainless steel welding is often conducted on TIG or MIG machines. Aluminum requires consistent heat supply for the base metals to be conjoined relatively well. An ideal welding option for aluminum is TIG welding machines.
Amperage
You need to think about the amperage that you need when choosing a welding machine. The amperage often determines the nature of the jobs the device can handle. This is to say that the interests of individuals working on either thick on thin metals differ considerably in terms of amperage. As a welder, you have to know what works for you or the flexibility you need in a welding machine before buying.
Specs Sheet
Looking at the specs sheets brings to light some key elements about the machine that could prove vital when choosing between different welding machines. For instance, a specs sheet can help you to understand how long you can use the welding machine, duty interval- the number of welds you can weld in standard intervals of 10 minutes. You need to understand and access these variables as exceeding some like the duty cycle might lead to damaging the circuity of the machine.