Grayson Hensley

English 4

Mrs.Wilson

November 20, 2018

Behind The Scenes Of Welding

Thesis: Welding is an important skill to have in life. There can never be enough welders in

America. Welding is a beneficial skill that always has career opportunities available, but

successful welders must be skilled, disciplined, and patient.

I. Welding is important in society.

II. What is welding?

III. Different Types of Welding

A. Tig Welding

B. Stick Welding

C. Mig Welding

IV. Physical and mental skills needed when welding

V. Injuries and burns

VI. Welding Jobs

VII. Conclusion
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Behind the Scenes of Welding

Welding is an important skill to have in life. There can never be enough welders in America.

Welding is a beneficial skill that always has career opportunities available, but successful

welders must be skilled, disciplined, and patient. Welding has many good things about it but also

has some injuries that can be very horrible.

Welding is the process of melting elements at the hottest temperatures possible. (So hot a

spark will burn your pant leg and skin off in seconds) To form together a new bonding metal that

which is strong. Two pieces are fused together as one tough functioning piece. How tough is the

new piece? It definitely depends on the type of weld gas used. The most popular shielding gas is

pure argon. Argon is used for both gas metal and tungsten arc welding of aluminum. There are

other times when you need to be concerned about a gas mixture for a clean weld but not when it

comes to TIG welding. As people will see, the proof is in the strength of the bond produced by

the welder and the type of weld the craftsman uses to complete the task at hand. TIG welding

uses argon gas when welding aluminum. From the words of Cherrie Moraga in her Poem

entitled “The Welder,” “No magic here. Only the heat of my desire to fuse.”

We are not so lucky on Earth. Why? The atmosphere puts a layer of oxidized material

between the surfaces making a welder’s job important and necessary. There are three distinctive

methods of welding: TIG, Stick, and MIG welding. The American Welding Society shared this

fun welding fact: “Did you know that if two pieces of metal touch in space, they become

permanently stuck together? Two pieces of metal without any coating on them will form into one

piece in the vacuum of space.” The process of joining metals together through extreme heat
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and/or heat and pressure can be done with these above mentioned methods. All three are unique

to the type of weld needed for the project at hand.

Tungsten inert gas welding, or TIG welding, is additionally referred to as GTAW, or

simply gas tungsten arc welding. ​TIG can be used “to weld copper, titanium, even two dissimilar

metals, and is handy for making tricky welds (e.g. s-curves, or welds on round things)”

(Stasterisk​).​​ TIG uses shielding argon gas produced by a tungsten electrode to make the actual

arc as well as heat for the weld. Our atmosphere contains gases such as water vapor, nitrogen,

carbon dioxide, and oxygen. These gases can make a weld weak because of excess splatter in

the weld pool as well as a plasm cloud forming around the weld. It is extremely important to use

a gas that shields the weld from the environmental forces while the welding puddle is being

formed. Pure argon is used most often with aluminum and nonferrous metal welding.

TIG welding has several advantages for a welder. The method is dirt free, it allows

materials liter gauge to be welded, and it is a very precise method making for a nice clean weld

and one you can be proud of laying. TIG is the most complex method as it takes both steady

hands and a patient welder to produce nice results. The welder needs to add the rod and operate

the weld at the same time. The point used during a weld matters a lot. In an article on how to

weld by​ ​Stasterisk,​ a welder known as Lincoln recommends a balled tip for AC welding, and a

pointed tip for DC welding.The pointed tip will give a smaller, more directed arc. The arc will

tend to dance around, when from a rounded tip. A different angle will produce a different weld

and better penetration.

Stick welding uses welding rods called sticks to manually form a metal arc. The sticks

contain a filler metal and flux. It is the most common form of welding and it still plays a major
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role in metal fabrication today. It may not be easy for the beginning welder and it will take a lot

of practice to learn the precise techniques. The sticks are more moisture resistant today and are

tailored for specific applications. When welding a person must not shake at all. Any slight

movement when welding can damage the weld and may burn the welder. Stick welding is great

because it is able to be used indoors and outdoors: ”If you are welding indoors, any process will

work. If welding outside, you can forget about MIG and TIG for the most part, as there are only

a few exceptions” (Gowelding). MIG and TIG require gases to operate and a significant source

of power, which is why stick welding is better for outside jobs.

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is simple in comparison to TIG welding. The process is

easier to learn. The welder feeds a continuous spool of welding wire that burns, melts, and fuses

the metal plates together. The power source is a constant voltage power supply. The “only

manual controls required of the welder for semi-automatic operation are travel speed, travel

direction and gun (torch) positioning” (Praxair). TIG and Stick uses constant amperage power.

Voltage is a measure of how much force electrons are under and amperage is a measure of the

amount of electrons moving in a circuit. The weld brings out a clean weld bead free of slag.

Weld slag is solidified flux used in the welding process combined with impurities or atmospheric

gases. MIG is a great welding technique to use on about any metal type. Most people chose MIG

welding for exhausts and fabrications.

A person can have a successful career as a certified welder, welding inspector, or welding

engineer. According to the IExplore Welding youtube video, the US Department of Labor states

there are approximately half a million welding positions needed in the United States. As a high

school student one can take the college and career promise courses at the local community
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college for two years as a junior and senior to earn certificates in MIG, TIG, and Stick welding

and then attend the college for one more semester to earn the welding diploma. Welders are in

high demand in our economy to work on industrial equipment, intricate assemblies with high

skill level in advanced manufacturing industries, robotics welding, structural welds, energy wind

turbines, building equipment for geothermal and solar energy, underwater welding, as well as

work in oil and natural gas fields.

A career in welding can be very rewarding and challenging. If a welder has an eye for

detail, patience, and enjoy working with his or her hands, this career may be for the welder! It

can provide financial stability as well. In an article on “Welding Career Options, Job Duties and

Salary Information,” it shows that

Welders willing to relocate to different states may find more job opportunities.

Salary ranges for welders vary by welding skills, industry experience and

employer; the median annual salary was $38,150 as of May 2015, per the BLS.

To be a welder, you need experience, a sharp eye for detail and a strict adherence

to safety, as their work can be quite complicated and hazardous. Even though the

job growth for welders is slow, there are still opportunities available for skilled

workers, with an expected salary of around 38,150.

The average pay for a beginning welder is seventeen dollars an hour with increases with

additional certifications such as stainless steel and metal fabrication welds as well as experience

in the field. The opportunities are endless and can take people all over the world. There is

nothing like finishing a weld that is solid, strong, and durable.

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Welding can be harmful if a person does not use the right protection. Welders often spend

a lot of money in just protective clothing and proper wear for the safety of the welder during the

process. Welding burns can very harmful and painful. Not everyone can weld. Welding is a very

serious job, a burn caused by a weld is very dangerous and is a first degree burn. Welding can

also cause other injuries. The Consumer Justice Group states that “​Welding is one of the most

hazardous occupations in construction. Traditionally, welders had to fear workplace injury from

burns, electricity, and “welder’s flash” (blinding and diminished vision). Recent studies have

shown that toxic chemicals released from welding rods put welders at an additional workplace

risk for less immediate but no less serious conditions of lung, brain, and nerve damage, such as

manganism” (“Welders’ Parkinson’s Disease”). All of the injuries can be fatal if one does not

use proper caution.

Welding is a very beneficial skill to possess in life. It can support a good welder

financially and has many chances for opportunities. Welding by far is not easy but once it is

learned it becomes enjoyable. Welding requires a person who is patient, strong, and disciplined.

Welding will never depreciate. A welding skill is becoming more and more important to have in

the world. The majority of community colleges have a welding program. The world needs more

welders and jobs are raising their pay to have better and more valuable welders.

.
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Works Cited

“About AWS.” ​Welding​, American Welding Society, ​www.aws.org/​.

Home.” ​Everlast Generators,​ ​www.everlastgenerators.com/importance-welding-machines​.

IExplore Welding Career.” ​YouTube​, YouTube, 19 June 2012,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOUfduzWeiE

Levi, Elia E. “Welding-Site-Building.” ​Welding-Site-Building: Building a Relationship with

Theme Based Content Pages​, Site Build It,

www.welding-advisers.com/Welding-Site-Building.html​.

REGELLO, ROSEMARY. “Welding Universe.” ​Welding Symbols - An Introduction to Reading

Drawings​, 2012, ​www.weldersuniverse.com/welding_symbols.html​.

Stasterisk. “How to Weld - TIG Welding.” ​Instructables.com,​ Instructables, 11 Nov. 2017,

www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Weld-TIG/​.

“The Welder by Cherrie Moraga.” VIVE LE VAGIN, 15 July 2013,

https://vivelevagin.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/the-welder-by-cherrie-moraga/

“Welding Information, Schools, Jobs and Supply and Equipment Directory.” ​GoWelding.Org,​

Ezoic, ​https://gowelding.org/

“Welding-Tips for Beginners, Types of Welds and Troubleshooting from Eastwood.” ​Youtube,​

Eastwood Company , 22 Oct. 2012, ​www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm5IZBJKv-M​.

“Welcome to the Praxair Direct Industrial Gas and Welding Information Center.” ​Industrial Gas
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and Welding Information Center | What Is Industrial Gas and Welding​,

www.praxairdirect.com/Industrial-Gas-and-Welding-Information-Center/index.html​.

“Welding Career Options, Job Duties and Salary Information.” ​Study.com​, Study.com,

study.com/welding_career.html.

“Welding Injuries.” ​Consumer Justice Group,​

consumerjusticegroup.com/workers_rights/workplace_injuries/welding_injuries/index.ht
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