Stick Welding

Welding thin metal with a stick welder is one of the more demanding tasks in the shop. The margin between a clean bead and a hole melted straight through the…

When you’re buying stick electrodes in bulk or trying to estimate how many rods you’ll need for a job, knowing the count per pound saves you from running short or…

The Lincoln Electric AC 225 is one of the most common transformer-based stick welders you’ll find in home workshops and small fabrication shops. Simple as it is, getting the leads…

Setting up a Miller stick welder properly ensures safe operation and quality welds. This guide walks you through the complete setup process, from initial unpacking to making your first weld.…

Welding stainless steel with an arc welder can feel frustrating if you approach it the same way you weld mild steel. In real shop work, stainless reacts differently to heat,…

One of the first technique questions that comes up with SMAW is do you push or pull stick welding, and it usually pops up after a weld doesn’t penetrate the…

After spending years welding in shops and on job sites, one thing I’ve learned is that not all welding rods can be treated the same once the box is opened.…

When I first tried welding stainless steel with a stick welder, I assumed it would be just like running mild steel—same machine, same mindset. That mistake showed up fast in…

Stick weld problems in spot welding usually show up when everything looks set correctly, but the welds keep sticking or tearing metal instead of forming clean nuggets. From hands-on shop…

A lot of people hear the term arc welding thrown around in the shop and never stop to ask what does arc welding stand for or what actually makes it…