What’s the Best Way to Weld Plastic? Methods, Tools, Tips
“Plastic weld” can mean a few different things. Sometimes people mean a real thermoplastic weld (plastic fused into one piece). Other times they mean glue, solvent cement, or even “that two-part epoxy that says plastic on the label.” If you want the joint to be permanent, strong, and repeatable, the best approach depends on: what […]
What Is Quenching? Process, Stages, Media, and Examples
Quenching is a rapid cooling step used in heat treatment—most commonly after austenitizing steel—to “freeze in” a microstructure that delivers higher hardness and strength than slow cooling would. In plain terms: you heat the metal to the right temperature, hold it long enough, then cool it fast enough that the atoms don’t have time to […]
SMAW Welder Pay in the US: What You’ll Really Earn
SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding)—also called stick welding—is still one of the most valuable field welding skills in the US because it works when conditions aren’t ideal: outdoors, wind, dirty steel, remote sites, and awkward positions. That practicality shows up in pay, especially once you add overtime, per diem, and union scale. I’m Clive at […]
What Gas Is Used For Welding?
When the majority of people listen to “welding,” they visualize a mask, sparks flying, and liquid steel. They focus on the warmth and the bright light. Yet when I listen to “welding,” I think about the gas. Without the appropriate gas, that gorgeous weld puddle comes to be a solidified sponge filled with holes. Welding […]
What causes dross in welding?
Question The Short Answer What is dross in welding? This is a common but critical confusion. Dross is from thermal cutting (like plasma). The waste from welding (like stick welding) is called slag. They are not the same thing. What causes dross formation? An incorrect “recipe” of cutting parameters. The three main causes are: 1) Wrong Travel Speed (too fast or too […]
How difficult is tigger welding?
Alright, Clive here. Let’s get one thing straight right from the start. You’ve come here asking about “Tigger” welding, and while that brings to mind a rather bouncy, striped character, the process you’re actually looking for is TIG welding. Don’t worry about the typo. It’s one of the most common misspellings in the trade, and […]
What does it mean when something is annealed?
Alright, let’s get straight to it. You’ve asked what “annealed” means, and the honest answer is: it depends entirely on who you’re asking. If you’re talking to a geneticist about a DNA sample, it means one thing. If you’re talking to a machinist like me about a block of steel, it means something entirely different […]
What is the flux in FCAW?
Before we dive in, let’s get you the answer you came for. The world of welding is filled with acronyms and jargon designed to confuse outsiders. Here’s the simple breakdown. Question The Simple Answer The “Clive” Explanation What is the flux in FCAW? It’s a chemical mixture inside the hollow welding wire. It’s a self-contained […]
What are the 4 main types of welding?
Right, Clive here. This is the first question everyone asks, and for good reason. Walk into any fabrication shop, including ours at RapidManufacturing, and you’ll hear a confusing storm of acronyms: MIG, TIG, Stick, FCAW. It sounds like a secret code. But it’s not. The truth is, while there are dozens of ways to join […]
What is welding in simple words?
The User’s Core Question Clive’s Simple, Honest Answer What is welding in simple words? Welding is the process of using intense, focused heat to melt the edges of two or more pieces of metal, causing them to flow together and become a single, solid, monolithic piece upon cooling. It’s not gluing metal; it’s re-forging it […]
