Basics of MIG welding
The term ‘MIG’ refers to ‘metal inert gas’. MIG welding is also known as ‘gas metal arc welding’, or ‘GMAW’. The welding is done with a shielding gas which comes either from a gas bottle or from the wire itself.
In the MIG welding process, there is an electrical arc process in which a continuous wire electrode is sent through a MIG welding torch via a set of motorized rollers and into a weld pool. At the same time, a shielding gas of either argon mixed with carbon dioxide (CO2) or straight CO2 can also be sent through the welding torch to create an inert cover to protect the weld pool from atmospheric contamination.
The basics of MIG welding are easy to learn and you can easily be bitten by the MIG welding bug. Once you start making little projects and admiring your workmanship, your confidence will grow. You will discover how simple it is and your machine will get used more and more. I can’t count the number of times happy customers (women too) have come back looking for a machine the next size up, because the skills and range of their welding have improved. MIG welding, compared with stick or arc welding, appears relatively complex until the basics have been mastered.
With stick welding we have amperage power settings and electrode size and type as our main factors in setting up. With MIG we have:
• amps (which control our wire speed)• volts• a choice of wire size and type• gas or gasless wire• shielding gas and the types and flow.
