How you can Strike An Arc When Arc Welding

Learning how to correctly strike an arc when arc welding can be quite a head ache. There are a few
methods to strike an arc and we will go over all of them here. The one thing that probably makes it the
most difficult is that you cannot see what you are doing, so I strongly recommend getting a car
darkening welding helmet. It will probably be the most important investment you are going to make on
your quest to learn how to arc weld. Click Here For More Information

The basic concept behind how to strike an arc is simple. You must face the metal of the electrode
contact the metal you are welding on. It must then be immediately drawn away from the particular
metal about 1/4 of an inch. If you do not draw the idea away it will simply stick to your work. If that
happens a fast twist and tug will usually get it loose. If it does not break free on the first try you will
want to squeeze the clamp on the electrode holder and pull that away. Bear in mind any time the
electrode is stuck to your work, typically the welder is being shorted out. This will cause it to overheat
much quicker, and may blow a fuse or breaker in your breaker box.

There are a few techniques on how to strike an arc, I suggest you try them all and see which is most
comfortable for you. Keep in mind, practice is the key to being a good welder. The first technique is the
jab method. The way this works is you place the electrode about 1/2 an inch away from your projects.
Then flip your helmet down. Now you want to rapidly jab the rod into the work then immediately draw
it back. Another method is the scratch method. This technique works very much like striking a match.
Just imagine the electrode is the match, and the location you wish to lay your welding bead is the
striker. If you make sure to use a very quick heart stroke you are much less likely to have your electrode
stick when utilizing this method.

One common problem people have is that no matter what the electrode just freezes to the work. If you
are experiencing this, it almost certainly means that the amps need to be turned up on your welder.
Attempt turning it up 10 amps at a time until it stops adhering. If you are having success getting the arc
to start, but then the item immediately goes out, you are pulling the welding rod past an acceptable
limit away from your work. Remember, you only want to pull it back again about a 1/4 of an inch.

Once you have the arc heading, you need to immediately start feeding the electrode into it. The actual
electrode will get burned up fairly quickly, so you must keep them at the correct distance to maintain
the arc. When it is in the correct distance it will make a crackling noise. If you have it too far away it will
be more of a popping noise with leads to flying in all directions. If it is too close you will see the arc begin
to go out and it will make much less noise. If the arc is out after you have been welding a little you can
restart it easier while the metal is still molten. Simply stick the electrode back into the puddle while you
can still see it glowing during your mask.

Sometimes it is necessary to have the arc start in exactly the right place. This can be difficult without an
auto darkening helmet. One technique is to place a small piece of scotch tape on the metallic that ends
right where you want the bead to start. By doing this you can place the electrode on the tape with your
helmet upward, then drop your helmet and simply drag it from the tape.

Learning how to strike an arc can be one of the most annoying steps in learning how to arc weld.
Fortunately, once you get it straight down, it becomes almost natural. Learning how to arc weld is
mostly a procedure for practice. Get yourself some scrap metal and spend several afternoons burning up
electrodes before you try to weld anything essential.