Welding Supplies Blog

Thinking about getting yourself a Lincoln MIG welder? Or maybe you’ve already purchased one and are stoked to lay some beads. Knowing the right way to set up your machine can save you a massive amo...

Within the world of welding, there are a massive amount of options as far as which process you can use – everything from cold welding in the vacuum of space to laser welding. But by far, the main t...

Howard had been welding for more than a decade. But tonight, he was at home, watching a movie with his wife on the couch. In the movie, a background character picked up a welding torch and struck a...

“Plasma cutting” and “good plasma cutting” are two entirely different things. “Plasma cutting” is almost as simple as not pointing the nozzle at your face and pulling the trigger. But plasma cuttin...

It might come as news to those just getting started in the industry, but the welding process doesn't end once you've fused two pieces of metal together. It also starts long before firing up your ma...

There’s no doubt about it: We saw a couple of reindeer carb-loading the other day, Santa ordering a bunch of coal, and some of the best deals of the year on welding equipment; the holidays are offi...

Whoever says size matters has never seen two things: a Tasmanian Devil amped up on Red Bull mixed with beaver steroids—and the ESAB Miniarc Rogue ES 180i. The good things that come in this small pa...

In a previous month, we covered portability while welding out in the field. However, there are many of you that weld in a workshop or your garage. This doesn’t mean portability isn’t important to y...

Power requirements have never been demonstrated better than 1989’s Christmas Vacation. As Clark Griswald excitedly goes to plug in his elaborate Christmas lights display, his joy turns to dread as ...

Have you ever gone camping? For some people, it’s a nightmare. You’re cold, hungry and have to sleep on rocks—then a raccoon tries to snuggle with you halfway through the night. You end up having a...

Flux-core is the Hunchback of welding processes. Like Quasimodo of Notre Dame, flux-cored welding is sometimes cast away because of its hideous appearance. But with a little bit of love and a grind...

It doesn’t matter if you weld so well that the mere sight of one of your beads makes grown men weep for joy—if you don’t protect it, your welds are basically worthless. That might seem a little har...

If welding had unlockable achievements, porosity would be on everyone’s list. It’s just part of the welding learning curve. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see welders with years of experience whose ...

Last year was one heck of a crazy winter: cold where it wasn’t supposed to be, warmer where it was. It’s like Jack Frost had a midlife crisis and just did whatever he wanted. While we’re hoping thi...

Whether you’re shopping for the welder in your life or just looking for a smart way to use that holiday gift money you got, we’ve put together an excellent gift guide based on several pricing tiers...

Stainless steel sounds like the world’s greatest weld metal, but the more you weld it, the more it quickly becomes a living nightmare. While many welders can weld stainless steel, they often end up...

September 2021 Multiprocess machines have come a significant way, and a lot of the information comparing them against dedicated machines is often wrong or out of date. The truth is, both multiproce...

Up until a few years ago, only mass-manufactured products tended to be planned out beyond a simple sketch and some rough dimension estimations. Recently, there's been a huge influx in easy-to-use, ...

For a beginner, even figuring out what equipment you need for welding can feel like a daunting task. Many first-timers get all set up, thinking they have everything, only to realize there are still...

Here’s a fun fact for all you Scrooges out there, even before Christmas was “Christmas,” many cultures had a tradition of giving gifts during the winter season. Because let’s face it, as the weathe...

Old man winter might make welding difficult, but summer has its own challenges. While the warm weather melts away the snow and makes it easier to weld in open spaces, the heat can be miserable. In...

Every time mankind is thrown a curveball, our reaction is to go underground. From tornados to nuclear bombs, shelters have been a key survival tactic. But even more interesting is how much of a pro...

Welding is a science, there’s no doubt about it. But in reality, it often comes down to experience: the “feel” of the weld pool, how the arc sounds. Welders learn by doing over and over, creating h...

There’s that feeling, when you realize that you can pretty much build anything you can dream up. It’s empowering. You’re no longer shackled to what others are selling. Don’t like the look of that o...

What does New Years have to do with welding machines? Everything. Because there’s this awful little nugget called inflation. To keep up with inflation, welding companies have to increase prices. Th...

Geez, seems like an obvious question. Goals are always a good thing, right? According to a recent study, only 8% of people accomplish their New Year’s resolution. If 92% of your welds failed, you’d...

While incredibly rewarding, working on motorcycles can be quite challenging. Using a jig and being very careful with your measurements is a basic first step. But there are also some key tips when i...

Society is more addicted to automobiles than any substance. Think about it, how much of your daily life is only possible because of modern transportation? Because of this, welders with the ability ...

When the temperature drops, a lot of welders usually have two questions: Will the low temperatures hurt my machine and how will this affect my welds? These are valid questions and ones that many we...

Gift buying with welders can get a little tricky. Your friends and family ask, “What can I get you for the Holidays?” Of course, you want something for welding. But you can’t just say “something fo...

If you learned anything as a kid, it was to say “NO” to crack. It’s time we all took another look at those life-guiding words of wisdom. Because welding cracks are a common, yet incredibly serious ...

How could anyone possibly screw up tacking? The truth is, you could be tacking wrong and never know it. This is because most of the problems with tacking incorrectly often don’t become apparent unt...

  In the immortal words of Freddie Mercury, “I want to weld my bicycle, I want to weld my bike.” No, that’s not exactly how the song goes, but now that line is now stuck in your head. Don’t fight i...

Penetration: One of the most important, most innuendoed topics in all of welding history. In every new welder’s journey, there comes a point when they realize welding is more than just “sticking” 2...

Imagine little metal termites eating through your weld, digging out craters and carving tunnels. Not only is that what porosity looks like, it’s a great visual of what it actually does to your weld...

Wouldn’t it be great if your workpiece wasn’t covered in metallic baby vomit after you finished welding? Completely preventing spatter has been the Holy Grail of welders and welding equipment compa...

Keeping it clean, it’s difficult. And that’s not even counting our language. But if we had a list of public welding enemies, dirt would be right at the top next to welding naked (sounds fun, it’s n...

“Life on the farm”. For some people, the phrase conjures up images of straw-hatted hillbillies pulling potatoes out of the ground with their bare hands. In reality, modern farms in the US are actua...

Visual learning is the best. You can see exactly what you need and how you need to use it. No guess work here. Frankly, we love welding videos. At least, we love the idea of welding videos. Here’s ...

We’ve never seen a man stabbed with a welding torch, but if we did, it would most likely be over a push-or-pull debate. Out of all the debates within the welding world, it’s been the longest, most ...

Here’s why you might hate welding symbols: They look like an inebriated gang of crop-circling aliens took a shot at recreating the enigma code. Here’s why you should love welding symbols: Once you...

Ah Copper, our old nemesis. Mankind’s struggle to tame this metallic beauty has lasted for thousands of years. In 5000 BC, our caveman started melting down copper, successfully making it the first...

Studying welding in college can be a significant boost for your career and your skills, especially if you’ve got your eye set on a Welding Engineer or Welding Inspector role. But the increase in p...

There’s nothing like welding: The flash of the sparks. The pure ecstasy of laying down that perfect bead. For many of us, that’s all we need. We’re satisfied with welding as a hobby. This isn’t a b...

Take a hot glass pan, drop it into ice cold water. We all know what happens next, right? The glass cracks and splits apart in seconds, turning into a barrage of sharp, clear shards. So, what can yo...

The way we see it, there’s two types of resolutions you could make. The first type is something you’ll hate doing: losing 15 pounds, winning over your mother-in-law, learning to waltz. Then there’...

Hard Surfacing (or surface welding) has somehow become a trade secret. It’s an incredibly useful process buried in a mountain of complicated details, surrounded by a circus of welding elite all ch...

Buying someone welding equipment can get a little hairy. We’re a very passionate bunch, who know exactly what we want. For instance, get me 1/8” wire instead of .035” and I’m not going to be a hap...