You’ve got two pieces of metal that need to go together. Krazy Glue is not going to do the trick. Bring on the welder; it’s their job to literally melt metal in order to fuse a bond between the two pieces. Welding can be done on a small scale in the manufacturing of common household appliances and on a very large scale in the construction of autos, bridges and buildings.
A skilled welder will have over 80 different welding processes at their disposal to work with. Welding jobs can be accomplished either completely manually where the welder controls all the elements in play or semiautomatic where a welder operates a machine to forge the bonds.
The most common form of welding is arc welding. Here is how the US Department of Labor describes arc welding: “two large metal alligator clips that carry a strong electrical current. One clip is attached to any part of the piece being welded. The second clip is connected to a thin welding rod. When the rod touches the piece, a powerful electrical circuit is created. The massive heat created by the electrical current causes both the piece and the steel core of the rod to melt together, cooling quickly to form a solid bond. The speed with which the welder works can affect the strength of the weld.” And now you know!
Related to the welding are the processes of soldering and glazing. You’re still using molten metal to join two pieces but at lower temperatures meaning that only the metal you are using for the bond is what is melting. Remember the soldering kit you had as a kid? Think way bigger and you’ve got the general idea. A welder can also be trained in the use of arc, plasma and oxy-gas cutters. This is where the intense heat from the equipment is used to cut metal instead of joining it together. Not only is this process used in building objects but also in the dismantling of metal structures.
To be a welder means you have to have an understanding of all kinds of metals and how they react to heat. You need to know how to read a blueprint and operate various pieces of welding equipment. A lot of welders learned their trade in vocational training courses they found right out of high school. You can look up a school in your neck of the woods through the American Welding Society website. They will also provide information on certification programs you’ll need to be qualified for work in your area. The US Military has also gotten in on the training by providing courses for returning vets. If you’re a vet you should contact your local VA office to see what’s being offering near you.
All of this welding sounds simple when you read it on the page but this is a very intricate and hazardous occupation. You don’t get a lot of chances for “do-overs” and in most cases, such as the welding of support beams and other foundations, literally millions of people will depend on the high standards of your work every single day in every corner of the planet. Lucky for us, we’ve got a bunch of qualified welders over on the mrW tradesmen directory standing by to answer any question you might have about this rewarding industry. Let’s face it; if it wasn’t for quality welding we’d all fall apart.
— Meyer
