Welding for dummies / by Steven Robert Farnsworth.

Includes index.

Introduction -- About this book -- Conventions used in this book -- What you're not to read -- Foolish assumptions -- How this book is organized -- Part 1: Understanding Welding Basics -- Part 2: Welding On A Budget: Exploring Stick And Tig Welding -- Part 3: Discovering Mig Welding -- Part 4: Getting Fancy: Plasma Cutting, Oxyfuel Cutting, And Special Processes -- Part 5: Putting Welding Into Action With Projects And Repairs -- Part 6: Part Of Tens -- Icons used in this book -- Where to go from here -- Part 1: Understanding Welding Basics -- Chapter 1: Diving into the world of welding -- If you can't beat 'em, join 'em: understanding why welding matters -- Fabricating metal products -- Repairing metal pieces or products -- Getting familiar with metals -- Steel -- Stainless steel -- Aluminum -- Taking the time to understand welding safety -- Exploring welding methods -- Stick welding -- Mig welding -- Tig welding -- Other welding methods -- Looking at the future of welding -- Chapter 2: Considering commonly welded metals -- Steeling yourself for using steel -- Getting a handle on forms of steel -- Knowing when steel is appropriate -- Preparing steel for welding -- Exploring steel welding methods -- Going with stainless steel -- Understanding the differences between steel and stainless steel -- Deciding when to use stainless steel -- Looking at stainless steel welding methods -- Working with aluminum -- Perusing the properties of aluminum -- Eyeing aluminum welding techniques -- Considering other metals -- Chapter 3: Setting your sights on welding safety -- Gearing up to protect yourself -- Choosing eye protection -- Keeping the right fire extinguisher on hand -- Wearing protective clothing -- Watching health hazards: using a respirator and material safety data sheets -- Observing basic safety rules -- Keeping your work space clean -- Checking for leaks -- Getting the ventilation right -- Storing flammable liquids and gases -- Knowing your surroundings -- Protecting yourself from electric shock -- Shielding yourself from burns -- Maintaining your equipment -- Being prepared for injuries and accidents -- Equipping your first-aid kit -- Knowing how to handle injuries -- Chapter 4: Setting up your welding shop -- Choosing a location -- Deciding how much space you need -- Contemplating indoor versus outdoor -- Equipping your welding shop -- Making sure you have the basic hand tools -- Choosing a welding table -- Selecting your welding machine -- Considering a few accessories for your welding shop --

Part 2: Welding On A Budget: Stick And Tig Welding -- Chapter 5: Getting on the stick: understanding stick welding -- Looking at the pros and cons of stick welding -- Understanding the factors that influence stick welding -- Getting familiar with stick welding equipment -- Discovering the differences among stick welding machines -- Setting up your stick welding machine -- Nailing down the basics of stick welding's electrodes -- Choosing tools and supplies every stick welder needs -- Chapter 6: Getting to work with stick welding -- Preparing to stick weld -- Setting up your work area -- Understanding stick welding electrodes -- Setting the machine -- Choosing polarity -- Setting the amperage -- Preparing to weld -- Striking and maintaining an arc -- Assume the position: stick welding in all positions -- Welding on a flat surface -- Going vertical -- Exploring horizontal welding -- Reaching overhead -- Chapter 7: To tig or not to tig: understanding tig welding -- Taking a closer look at tig welding components -- Considering the advantages and disadvantages of tig welding -- Brushing up on tig welding basics -- Showing your metal: looking at a few metals for tig welding -- Taking steps to ensure quality welds -- Stocking the shop: examining tig welding equipment -- Considering fully equipped tig machines -- Thinking about tig torches -- Selecting and managing shielding gas -- Controlling current and amperage -- Selecting filler metal -- Exploring tungsten electrodes -- Chapter 8: Trying out tig welding -- Getting your welding setup tig-ether -- Taking care of tungsten electrode details -- Making sure your shielding gas is set up correctly -- Figuring out your tig filler rods -- Matching materials and settings -- Getting a handle on using your tig torch -- Choosing an electrical current and striking the arc -- Get a grip: holding your tig torch correctly -- Giving tig welding a try -- Tackling the first weld -- Trying a butt joint -- Welding a lap joint -- Making a T joint -- Part 3: Discovering Mig Welding -- Chapter 9: Understanding the ABCs of mig welding -- Understanding how mig welding works -- Considering mig welding's advantages and limitations -- Bringing out the big guns (and other mig welding equipment) -- Mig welding machines -- Mig welding guns -- Electrode wire feeders -- Sifting through shielding gases for mig welding -- Taking a look at electrode wire -- Adjusting mig equipment to suit your mig welding project --

Chapter 10: Practicing mig welding -- Preparing to mig weld -- Getting the equipment ready -- Setting the wire feed speed and voltage -- Trying out mig welding -- Making vertical mig welds -- Joining pieces of sheet metal -- Watching out for common mig welding defects -- Part 4: Getting Fancy: Plasma Cutting, Oxyfuel Cutting, And Other Processes -- Chapter 11: Examining plasma and oxyfuel cutting -- Understanding plasma arc cutting -- Identifying some good materials for plasma cutting -- Taking a look at plasma cutting's advantages and disadvantages -- Perusing and preparing plasma arc cutting equipment -- Getting a handle on plasma cutting equipment -- Setting the equipment up properly -- Exploring oxyfuel cutting basics -- Considering what you can (and can't) cut with oxyfuel -- Looking at the pros and cons of oxyfuel cutting -- Checking out and setting up oxyfuel cutting equipment -- Examining oxyfuel cutting equipment -- Deciding among different gas cylinder sizes -- Setting up oxyfuel cutting equipment -- Chapter 12: Ready, set, cut! Trying out plasma arc cutting and oxyfuel cutting -- Exploring plasma arc cutting -- Slicing a straight line -- Cutting a circle -- Creating a bevel -- Practicing oxyfuel cutting -- Lighting the torch -- Making a straight cut -- Cutting out a circle -- Taking on a beveled edge -- Chapter 13: Exploring special weld processes -- Working through the basics of welding with gas -- Taking a gander at gas cylinders -- Looking at more gas welding equipment -- Getting to work with gas welding -- Discovering brazing (braze welding) -- Keeping a few brazing rules in mind -- Giving brazing a try -- Finding out about fusion welding -- Soldering on: exploring soldering -- Following the rules of soldering -- Understanding the two types of soldering -- Trying the soldering process -- Chapter 14: Exploring pipe welding -- Delving into the different kinds of pipe -- Getting down to welding steel pipes -- Getting set up and preparing the pipe -- Making the tacks -- Welding the pipes -- Trying some other angles -- Peeking at a few more types of pipe welding joints -- Keeping an eye out for common pipe welding defects -- Chapter 15: Working with cast iron -- Casting light on the three most common types of cast iron -- Gray cast iron -- Malleable cast iron -- Nodular cast iron -- Getting the (cast) iron in the fire: welding gray cast iron -- Stick welding cast iron -- Oxyfuel welding cast iron -- Mig welding cast iron -- Part 5: Putting Welding Into Action With Projects And Repairs -- Chapter 16: Two welding projects to boost your welding shop -- Creating a torch cart -- Gathering the materials -- Acquiring the right steel pieces -- Measuring and cutting pieces -- Making the welds -- Adding the wheels -- Checking your welds -- Picking out your paint -- Fabricating your own portable welding table -- Rounding up your tools -- Picking out the parts -- Assembling the pieces -- Ensuring smooth edges -- Choosing your paint -- Putting on the wheels -- Chapter 17: Constructing a campfire grill -- Fabricating a campfire grill -- Getting your tools in order -- Obtaining the proper steel pieces -- Cutting the steel pieces to length -- Welding the grill -- Picking out your paint -- Seasoning the cooking surface --

Chapter 18: Fixin' to fix things: analyzing and planning -- Determining whether something is fixable -- Planning a repair strategy -- Identifying the metal and what it means for the repair -- Deciding which welding process to use for your repair -- Making and following your plan -- Getting ready to make repair welds -- Preparing your repair piece and work area -- Gathering your equipment and tools -- Selecting filler rods and electrodes -- Considering cracks -- Part 6: Part Of Tens -- Chapter 19: Ten tools every welder wants -- 4 1/2 inch grinder -- Hacksaw -- Air compressor -- 3/8-inch electric drill -- Wrench set -- Steel sawhorses -- Cutoff saw -- Bench grinder -- Bottle jack -- Toolbox -- Chapter 20: (Not quite) ten advantages of being a certified welder -- More job opportunities -- Better pay -- More chances for advancement -- Certification that travels with you -- Ability to join a national organization -- Qualification in specific areas of welding -- Increased confidence in your welding skills -- Listing in the American Welding Society database -- Head start on additional types of welding certification -- Chapter 21: (Almost) ten welding defects -- Incomplete penetration -- Incomplete fusion -- Undercutting -- Slag inclusions -- Flux inclusions -- Porosity -- Cracks -- Warpage -- Spatter -- Chapter 22: Ten signs you're welding correctly -- Weld is distributed equally between parts -- Slag or shielding material doesn't stick to the weld -- No holes or irregularities on the weld surface -- Weld is tight -- Weld is leakproof -- Weld has full penetration -- Weld has no undercutting -- Weld has no overlap -- Weld meets strength requirements -- You're safe and healthy -- Chapter 23: Ten maintenance tips for your welding equipment and shop -- Checking on your hand tools -- Taking care of power tools -- Doing basic housekeeping in the shop -- Protecting your welding helmet -- Seeking to stick welding machine maintenance -- Working on maintaining your mig welding machine -- Tuning up your tig welding machine -- Taking care of your oxyfuel equipment -- Keeping your air compressor working -- Drill press maintenance -- Glossary -- Index.

From the Publisher: Get the know-how to weld like a pro. Being a skilled welder is a hot commodity in today's job market, as well as a handy talent for industrious do-it-yourself repairpersons and hobbyists. Welding For Dummies gives you all the information you need to perform this commonly used, yet complex, task. This friendly, practical guide takes you from evaluating the material to be welded all the way through the step-by-step welding process, and everything in between. Plus, you'll get easy-to-follow guidance on how to apply finishing techniques and advice on how to adhere to safety procedures. Explains each type of welding, including stick, tig, mig, and fluxcore welding, as well as oxyfuel cutting, which receives sparse coverage in other books on welding; Tips on the best welding technique to choose for a specific project; Required training and certification information. Whether you have no prior experience in welding or are looking for a thorough reference to supplement traditional welding instruction, the easy-to-understand information in Welding For Dummies is the ultimate resource for mastering this intricate skill.