Everything You Wanted To Know About Everlast Welders & Basic Welding, Technical Questions Answered

We’ve covered most all of the common questions about Everlast, it’s products, and the basic differences between transformers and inverters in previous blogs this month but now we are going to focus on some of the top technical questions related to basic welding setup and use.  One of the top tech calls we get concerns perceived arc instability.  Both MIG welding and TIG arc stability are dependent upon good connections of both the work clamp to the welder and the work clamp to the piece to be welded. Often referred to as “ground”, it is really a  misnomer to call it that.  The work clamp provides completes the electrical circuit, and depending upon the welding process may serve as either the positive connection point or the negative connection point.  Improper placement of the work clamp can create issues, since the arc is always looking for the best path to ground.  If the work clamp is attached indirectly to the work piece, such as to the table, the current has to bridge a shaky connection if there is any conductive-resistant materials such as rust, mill scale, oxides, coatings or paint.  If the metal being welded is not entirely flat  or is uneven in its surface area  a narrow point of contact may be established as well which forces high current through a tiny point of contact which in turn heats up the contact point creating further resistance to electrical flow through the metal.  A work clamp should always be placed as close to the weld as possible, directly on the piece being welded.  Additionally a spot should always be ground to remove any isolative oxides from the metal where the work clamp makes contact.   A work clamp that is abused or neglected may also be a point of poor contact itself due to corrosion or issues with corroded or poorly fitted cables or connectors.

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