Joining metal of different gauge becomes a daily task for the professional welders. But which method they adopt to join thin metal? Most professionals recommend arc welding because they know how to weld thin metal with arc welder in a better way.
This welding method is a bit different and challenging. If you are dealing with arc welder for the first time then we are here to address you some useful tips and steps.
I think sharing expert’s guidelines will help you a lot to do this in less time with some perfection. So, don’t miss the details we are going to describe.
What Do You Need To Start The Arc Welding?
There are a few things you need to get first before you start the process. Let’s check all the necessary things.
- Get a DC ARC welder. Ensure that the welder can go as low as 20-25 amps. If you don’t get such one then look for the welder that limits the
- Collect welding rods for the welding. Try to get E6018 or E7018 1/16”. Before you start to weld, it needs to be baked.
- Get thin sheet metal of 0.021”. This thickness is perfect for welding with an arc welder.
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Practice Before You Start
Before you strike the arc welder for the real job you must practice more and more. It will make you perfectionists. So, take the arc welder and get used to it by striking the arc.
First of all, use it at very low amps. This method helps to avoid burning and making holes in the thin metal sheet. For a better result, you can adopt the padding method.
Most of the welder burns the rod down on the top of the material. But they do it in straight lines. In padding, you need to add more material.
Padding
The first thing you need to do is striking the arc on the metal. Don’t go for the touch to start. Because at low amps this type of start is not good for the thin metal. After touching the metal, it will stick strongly. So the better way to deal with it is to match striking techniques.
For the continuous arc, you need to pull it off after striking the sheet. For a better result, you can follow a straight line. It will be easier to get the working method. After completing the weld, clean the welded area with the brush and inspect the weld carefully.
Butt Joints
The butt joint is an important technique of arc welding, especially when you are doing it on your truck or car. This joint is essential for some rust repair. Butt joints refer to joining metal and welding them together after placing them side by side.
You must get the skill to join thin material. A wrong method can apart from the joint from the metal than making one. For the better result, you must do this butt joint trick. Joint directly can damage the material, especially when the rod touches one of the corners. So, you can make a bigger hole in the metal.
Butt joint will be perfect if you start it after doing a couple of stitches. After placing the metal side by side make some stitches (about 1 or 2 inches). If you need then make mare stitches. All these stitches will prevent the thin metal sheet from burning.
After completing the welding process, there are maybe some gaps you will notice. Fill all these gaps by making some more stitches. You can still burn holes if you are unmindful about it. To avoid burning, pushing and pulling the rod in the whipping motion method will help.
This method will reduce heat. You must continue it until all the gap is filled and the sheet sticks together perfectly. Let it cool and clean it perfectly after completing the process.
Tips and Precautions:
Most of the time professional welders go for some precious item to fix. Using arc welding can make it more effective if you know how to do it. Before you finally start to fix the item that is probably pricy, you must practice the arc welding on thin metal more and more.
To get the skill, try padding, butt joint, and tee joint in a different position on thin metal. You can do it in the vertical position, upwards, downwards, and overhead. After becoming a master you can do what you want to with an arc welder.
Before you start, make sure that you have all the necessary safety gear as precautions. Keep the extinguisher ready all the time because arc welding sometimes causes the fire. Don’t start welding in an oily spot, especially on the panel that oil sprayed.
To check the quality of welding, you should grind the weld down. If it seems poor to you then change the weld because poor weld can make the frame and metal weaken.
Conclusion:
As a welder, you may know that arc welding on thin sheet metal is difficult. Heat distortion makes problems for professional welders, especially welding thin material. For the thin material, arc welding becomes the most sophisticated method to weld.
When you know how to weld thin metal with arc welder in a proper way, all the risk and fault will be minimized. I hope you already know the secret of arc welding on thin metal from this detailed guideline. All the tips from this review will make the arc welding easy for you.
