Oxford welder plus welding advices: A welder is a long term investment where many find that they get what they pay for. While it is sometimes advisable to test the waters with a used model, picking the right machine the first time around can save a lot of headaches and cash in the long term. No one wants a used welder to fail in the middle of a big job or to discover that a used welder’s price can help make ends meet but the welder itself can’t make two pieces of metal meet. The best welder will complete every project that comes down the pike and minimizes limitations. This means that the most expensive welder is not always the best for each situation. However, the cheapest welding machine that can’t handle every job a welder hopes to accomplish fails to pay for itself in ways that make it worthwhile to review the possible options before investing in a welder. The Work Determines the Welder One of the most important questions to consider when selecting a welder isn’t what projects it will be used for in the next week, month, or even year. Those interested in buying a welder need to ask if they see themselves using it more frequently in the future for many different kinds of projects.

All our machines are 100% designed & made in the UK which we think counts for a lot in todays uncertain times. With so many machines on the market today its very difficult to make the right choice when buying a new machine. If you are considering a MIG welder then the choice is often between a transformer based workshop machine on wheels or a portable inverter. For workshop use a good European made transformer based basic MIG machine with simple switches to control the output power is the sensible choice for many applications. (Commonly referred to as step voltage or transformer type machines). They are generally cost effective, reliable, perform well, have a long life span. Discover a few extra details at Oxford Mig Welders.

Should the electrode accidentally touch the metal or the filler, the electrode often becomes contaminated – meaning some of the rod or base metal gets stuck to it. Once the electrode is contaminated, the arc cone becomes misshapen, making it difficult or impossible to aim the arc with precision, and the boiling contaminants on the electrode may spit out impurities, further compounding your problems. The angle between the torch and the base metal is important, too. You need to angle the torch slightly to see the puddle, and provide access for the filler rod. A 15-degree angle is a good starting place, although some welders prefer a bit more or less. If you hold the torch at 45 degrees (or more), you’re losing a lot of the coverage from shielding gas, and the flatter angle will make the puddle longer than it is wide. For the record, the torch is tipped with the electrode pointing forward, in the direction of motion.

Delivery of parts to the welding station in an organized and logical fashion is also a way to reduce welding costs. For example, one company was manufacturing concrete mixing drums. In the fabrication process, the company produced 10 parts for one section, then went on to make 10 parts of another drum section, etc. As pieces came off the line, they were put onto the floor of the shop. When it was time to weld, the operator had to hunt for the pieces needed and sort through them. When the outside welding expert pointed out the amount of time being wasted in this process, the company started to batch each one on a cart. In this way, the pieces needed to weld one drum were stored together and could easily be moved to the welding area. This type of scenario is also true for companies that may outsource parts to a vendor. Though it may cost more to have parts delivered in batches, it may save more in time than having to organize and search through parts to be able to get to the welding stage. How many times each piece is handled in the shop may be an eye-opener to reducing wasted time. To measure such an intangible as this, operators are asked to put a soapstone mark on the piece each time it is touched – some companies are surprised to find out how many times a part is picked up, transported and laid down in the manufacturing process. In the case of one company, moving the welding shop closer to the heat treatment station eliminated four extra times that the part was handled. Basically, handling a part as few times as possible and creating a more efficient production line or work cell will reduce overall costs. Read even more info at weldingsuppliesdirect.co.uk.