Preparing Your Welding Project

One of the most critical techniques of making a great weld is done even before the weld is started. This critical procedure is prepping the surface correctly. Weld prep can make the difference between a great weld and a weld that is just sufficient. Sure you can begin welding devoid of any preparation over rusty or paint covered steel and you will do the job, but if you do not want to compromise for less than optimal results it is important to decently prepare the welding surfaces before beginning on welding projects. If you do not do this it will suffer cosmetically and structurally.



Welding surface prep is a pretty straight forward process. It is usually completed by grinding the surface with an angle grinder. The best attachment to use for this is a fine grit flap disc. A flap disc is great as it will just remove the surface and not gauge into the material like a grinding wheel would, with a possibility of compromising the structure of the steel. To remove rust you will need to attach a cup wire wheel to an angle grinder and run that along the surface of the steel. To get rid of paints or heavy rust you need to prep the surface by grinding it at the beginning with a grinding wheel to remove most of the rust and then use a coarse or other grit flap disc attached to the angle grinder to smooth out the surface.



Another positive of grinding the surfaces of the metal is so you can be sure that the ground makes good contact with the metal. Keep in mind that any paint or rust will inhibit the flow of the current from the ground to the metal. This will result in a weld that may look robust cosmetically but will be very weak structurally because the weld did not penetrate the material sufficiently. So it is imperative to not only prep the surface where the weld is located but also where the ground makes contact with the steel.



There are other considerations as well when steel. If you are welding metal over a quarter inch thick it could be a great idea to bevel the edges of the metal. This technique will reduce the required penetration quality of the weld, thus making the bond between the plates stronger. This method is also great for people that have lighter duty machines as it gives you the opportunity to weld thicker material without having to invest in an expensive heavy duty machine.



In conclusion that is about all you have to do to prepare steel before welding. It may add some minutes to your overall welding time, but in the end it will be worth it as your welds will be much stronger structurally and look better as well.



To read more about welding and learn more about specific welders please visit welder reviews.