The Basics of Spot Welding

For metalworkers, the most commonly used types of welding techniques are spot welding and seam welding.  For sheet metal in particular the preferred method is using spot welding since this concentrates the welding into a small area of the sheet.This reduces damage to the metal and it also significantly reduces the time it takes the metal to heat up as well as for it to cool down.In the hands of a welder who knows how to do the job properly then your material will not be damaged.It is also very important that the equipment used is bought or hired from an established supplier of welding equipment.  This method of welding sheet metal is the easiest type of welding as it requires less work, making it much easier for those who have never stepped foot inside a metal shop.  For those people here is a brief step by step guide to the basics:

You should begin by laying two pieces of sheet metal, both being of the same thickness, on a flat surface area.It may seem like an obvious point to make but it is important that you avoid wood.

You will then need to flatten out the sheet metal with a soft mallet until the surface is as flat as you can get it.  Place your metal on the working area of the spot welder.  Carefull position the sheets under the two electrodes on the spot welder.  It is a good idea to use a practice or spare piece of metal for testing the weld.Make adjustments to the voltage on your welder when it is necessary.

It is important that you place aluminium sheeting under the welding area in order to catch any potential liquid metal.This is particularly useful if you are using a portable welder. 

Finally, simply turn on the power and press the button to begin welding.Continue welding from the edge, then to the middle, then on to the other edge of the sheet metal.Make sure that you spread out your weld spots in order to get the best results.

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