Welding Supplies Blog

We’re in the middle of the cast-iron renaissance. Seriously, this material was actually named as one of 2016’s “hot” items. A new wave of younger Americans are rediscovering the cast-iron ways, esp...

We were there, in the beginning. The automobile was first coming into public view, blanketed by a shroud of excitement and mystery. These metal marvels allowed us to exceed speeds we’d been limited...

Think about how often people take welding for granted. You and I see precision beads done by a highly skilled worker. They see a fence with some decorative bits. The cars we drive, the buildings we...

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...

The stress should be enough to give a silverback gorilla an aneurysm. You’ve got a $3,000,000 precision machine at the mercy of your torch. Every bead counts, every arc needs to be perfect. Engines...

For hundreds of years we’ve been working with the same materials: Copper, bronze, iron. For the most part, we’ve got these metals figured out. Then suddenly some scientists come along and zap up so...

We’ve all heard of Rosie the Riveter, but what about Winnie the Welder? In the 1940s, when the U.S. became involved in WWII after Pearl Harbor, thousands of able-bodied men left their welding jobs ...

After busting a few welding myths of our own, we’ve decided to look into 2 of the world’s most famous Myth Busters from the hit TV show MythBusters. Few fans of the show realize that both Adam Sava...

Throughout the years, we’ve heard a lot of questionable statements about welding. Some of these have been created by Hollywood’s depiction of welding, while others have been spread through the comm...

“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 ...

How’d your Valentine’s gift go over? Wait, you thought your sweetheart was serious when they said they wanted a low-key evening? Well, there’s still time to redeem yourself if your V-Day turned out...

Machine assistance: It’s a trend that’s been happening all around us for decades, and yet we hardly notice it. For instance, you hop into your car and turn the wheel. That’s a machine making your d...

Oxy-acetylene welding, often referred to as oxy-acetylene or gas welding, has been a cornerstone of metalworking for over a century. This process involves the combination of oxygen and acetylene ga...

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 ...

Ah, imagine that: Being your own boss, working the hours you want to work and only taking the jobs you want to take. Freelance welding can be incredibly enticing. But before you give your foreman t...

If you’re thinking about getting a new welding machine sometime within the next year, there’s a couple deals going on right now you owe it to yourself to check out. All 5 of these welders are staff...

Nothing is normal about living on a man-made island of steel. It’s a world of its own. Everything and everyone you know is stacked on top of each other in the same 250 ft by 400 ft space. Like the ...

You’re interested in artistic welding. You feel passionate about creating with metal in one hand and torch in the other. Could you explain that sensation to someone if you tried? And yet, artistic ...

Close your eyes. When I say “Welding”, what’s conjured up into your brain. Maybe a construction site with sparks flying around or a couple steel plates being tack welded. How about Tom Hardy runnin...

You peer over the edge of a muddy trench as bullets whiz overhead. Blurry black shapes struggle towards you through the rain and slurry. A man behind you runs down the trench, screaming in a thrill...

As summer’s coming to a close, the cold weather makes for a good excuse to retreat back into your workshop (assuming you ever left). Now all you need is inspiration, a muse to fuel the madness. To ...

Until 1889, aluminum was one of the capstones of rare, expensive metals. A single ounce cost around $300 in today’s money. Now, it’s everywhere, from cars to streetlights to sliding doors. It has...

You could write a college dissertation on the interesting trends taking place in welding right now. On one end, there’s a big push for better technology. Less buttons, more screens. Less switches,...

Over the years, our experts here at IOC get a lot of questions. How does duty cycle really work? How do I keep burnback from ruining my workpiece? Can I weld in a swimming pool? Addressing these q...

It’s hard to imagine a world where the tri-faced king of processes didn’t reign supreme. But beyond MIG, TIG and Stick lies a fascinating realm of barely-known welding processes. Here are 2 you’ve...

We know what you’re thinking. How can a wave also be a square and still be called a wave. Shouldn’t it be called the Lincoln Paradox TIG 200? Well, my observant reader, here’s why the Square Wave ...

There’s no need to sugarcoat it. We know as far as hobbies go, welding’s quite a bit more dangerous than miniature trains or lawn bowling. But we’re safe, right? We wear our helmets, use gloves an...

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...

Welding machines are built tough. They’re tested against high temperatures and made to survive industrial environments. So what maniacal little critter brings these metal behemoths’ to their knees...

Often welding is split into 2 different categories of thought: structural welding and artistic welding. This differentiation has caused a lot of welders to assume some welding techniques can only ...

We’ve got manless drones soaring around and children scooting down the streets on electrical motorized machines. Half our cashiers are robots who always seem to suspect we’re trying to steal somet...

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...

Lincoln just launched one of the best deals on welder/generators we’ve seen in at least a decade. Now Miller has joined the party with a sweet deal of their own. This War of the Welder/Generators ...

With many new features available on newer welding machines, now is the perfect time to explore the latest advancements in this technology. No matter how experienced you are, knowing current trends...

1. The Emma Maersk Ship Half a century ago, steel ships were built with rivets. Hot metal dowels were placed in the holes of two overlapping steel plates while the dowels were still malleable. The ...

Scorching metal well beyond its boiling point takes more heat than the devil himself could handle. Throw a giant, air-trapping steel cage over your head and you’ve got your own personal inferno. Be...

It’s a ravine. A big fat, deep ravine and no one knows how big it truly is. That ravine is the shortage of welders America is facing. Some experts are stating that within the next couple of years,...

One of our favorite seasons is swinging into full bloom starting April 4th. What, Spring? With all the pollen in the air and the blooming flowers and the animals coming out of hibernation and fall...

Imagine if welding and ceramics both went to an unchaperoned Charlie Sheen party. Then they had a baby. That baby would be glassblowing: A little bit welding, a little ceramics, a little something...

Strap on your boots and tight’en up your helmet, we’re taking a good, hard look at whether welding in the military is right for you and yours. It’s not as black and white of an answer as you’d exp...

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...

Certified Welding Engineers are vital to major welding projects. Their role is to plan and strategize how to get the job done. They develop welding procedures to minimize the amount of time and ma...

We’re like the Godfather. The brands we sell are more than just brands, they’re family. And we’re very picky about family. You ain’t gonna find any unreliable, useless bums here unless they want a...

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...

You’re a self-taught welder. Or maybe someone showed you the ropes. Either way, your school was a workshop and your books were a spool gun and a grinder. Still you’ve always wondered, “What really...

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’...