Welding is still a very important part of work today. The auto industry, the military and many other industries use welding to bring together metals. Welding takes two pieces of metal and melts them so they can be bonded together.  There are many different types of welding but arc welding remains the most popular.

Welding actually dates back to ancient times and people have found evidence that it goes back to the Bronze Age. In ancient Egypt evidence of welding tools were found that date back at least 1000 years.

When the joints of metals are melted together they make a strong bond. This is necessary in many cases to make sure that products like automobiles will stay together when they are driving down the road.

The type of welding that is used will depend on the situation and the material being used. Most will use some type of torch that uses gas or electricity to make the weld. Some of the major types of welding and how they are done are listed here:

Propane torches — usually these are used when people have a smaller project to do. It is used to solder two types of metal together or when they want to sweat the joint. Jewelers often use this method when they are joining small pieces of metal in jewelry making.

Oxyacetylene torch– this torch is a step up from propane because it gets hotter and you can use it for larger projects. It is used when a very hot flame is needed. When a welder wants to braze, cut, solder or weld metals that require a very high heat to melt, they use this type of welding.

AC & DC Arc welders– this kind of welding is used for heavier gauged steel or when a project is using cast iron. Rods of flux coated steel or varied materials are fed through the welder unit and these are guided into the joint that is to be welded.

MIG also known as Metal Inert Gas — some welders prefer this form of welding because it is easier than other types of arc welding. A DC arc is used with a reel of thin wire. To make the weld, filler material is used and an inert gas is used to make the bond instead of flux.

Welding is a skill that many people possess and there is always a need for it.