Welcome to the first part of our 5 part welding series; ARC Welding-what is it? I know just about everyone has heard about welding and welders in general- but for those of you who are still a little unsure on the details, our Welding Series is going to explain a few things.

We are starting with ARC welding. ARC welding actually refers to the use of an electric current to fuse two or more pieces of metal together. The process is quite simple really- the electric current flows in the gap between an ARC welding rod and the metal that you are attempting to weld. The electric current works to melt a portion of the metal and forms molten consistency, whilst at the same time the flux coating on the ARC welding rod is also melted. The two liquids mix together to form the welding mixture that fuses the two pieces together.

I am sure you are wondering why the flux is necessary when surely the molten metal would be enough to do the trick. Well actually the flux is a very important piece of the puzzle as stops the molten material from reacting with the air and stabilizes the ARC.

If you are in the market for a Welder then you may wish to consider an ARC Welder. They are quite reasonably priced, simple to use and are a very reliable means of welding. The reasonable pricing can in the most part be attributed to the fact that they do not use complicated electronics.

Some Advantages to ARC Welders include:

• The Price

• Simple to Use

• Great Results on Steel

Some Disadvantages to ARC Welders include:

• They are a bit limited when it comes to welding other types of metal (other than steel)

• They require some cleaning

• It may take a bit of practice to get great results

All in all they are pretty good at what they do and if you are welding steel then an ARC welder will do the job at a very reasonable price. Stay tuned for next weeks edition of the welding series- Welding Terms.