Stick welding is one of the most frequently used types of joining metals by heat and pressure. Even if you are an expert at stick welding or just a beginner, it’s important to study thoroughly how a stick welder works. And that’s what we are going to talk about today.
What Is Stick Welding?
Stick Welding or Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), as we have mentioned before, is a popular term when it comes to welding. The term “stick welding” originates from the fact that the electrode welding the metal comes in the form of a “stick”.
Stick welding is a viable technique for welding most combinations of joints and can be utilized inside and outside or in drafty regions. It’s additionally the most conservative welding technique and gives the capacity to make a viable bond on corroded or messy metals.
Stick Welding
Stick Welding Equipment
Among all electrical arc’s pieces of equipment, stick welding equipment is the most accessible one. A stick welder contains four components:
- A constant voltage power supply
- Electrode holder
- Ground clamp.
- Stick welding electrodes
Stick Welding Machine Parts
How a Stick welder works?
Stick welding can be extremely complicated if you have no idea about welding beforehand, so here is the simplest explanation we can offer you. This form of welding uses electricity, or to be more precise: its particles, named electrode, to melt a metal filler stick. The metal joint and electrode must be melted all at once for the bondage and joint-filling.
In details, the steps on how to stick-weld can be further explained like this:
- Attach your welding bar holder and ground clip to the welding power flexibly.
- Manage an attachment from the welder to the metal of the ground clamp.
- Put a welding bar into the anode holder. The bar or anode begins consuming and keeping metal into the joint, and you have a weld.
Stick Welding Result
During the welding process, electricity generated from the welder transfers through the rod and arcs. At the point where these metals meet, the temperature can exceed up to 7,000° F. From that moment, we can notice the rod starts to melt, and the coating creates a shield to prevent any oxidation. As you move the bar over the joint, it continues dissolving (increasingly like a splash of metal moving to the joint) by making a hole and filling the joint.
Basic Welding Safety
Welding is hazardous, whether you are a pro or an apprentice, welding can take your life if you take it for granted.
The first thing you need to do to ensure your welding project is safe for yourself is preparing decent protective clothes and equipment. A ventilation fan is also recommended in case your working area is confined. Bear in mind that welding fumes and debris are full of toxic. Once you inhale them by accident or not, serious injury can occur. Here is the list of the things you must prepare before starting stick welding:
- A welding helmet to protect your head from high obstacles
- Non-flammable-materials clothes to prevent the debris caught your skin to be hot (shirt, pants, boots)
- Ventilation fan
- Fire extinguisher
Welding Protective Gears
Indeed, even with the correct security gear (otherwise called PPE or individual defensive hardware), you hope to get your garments to burst into flames and consume from flashes and liquid metal.
Probably the most significant misstep is wearing sneakers! Sometimes falling molten metal will destroy the top and everything you can do is take the torch until it cools!
Conclusion
And that’s how a stick welder works. Besides the explanation on how this process functions, we also provide you with some tips so that you can perform stick welding in the safest and most effective way.
If you have any concerns about stick welding, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us. We will stay here to catch up with all of your requests.
Thank you for reading our article and good luck on your stick welding.