Welding Vocabulary

The following are common terms in welding.

Abrasive - A material, such as sand, silicon or crushed stone, used for surface cleaning.
Acetylene Gas - A chemical combination of two elements: carbon and hydrogen.
Alloy - A metal that is made by mixing two or more metals, or a metal and another substance.
Alternating Current (AC) - Is an electrical current in which magnitude and direction change in cycles,
as opposed to direct current, in which direction is constant.
Arc Welding (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) - A welding process where similar materials are joined
with a heating process caused by an electric arc. In the most common use, this process includes the use
of a fller metal.
Argon - Is a chemical element designated by the symbol Ar. Argon has atomic number 1 and is the
third element in group 1 of the periodic table !noble gases". Argon is present in the #arth$s atmosphere
at slightly less than 1%, ma&ing it the most common noble gas on #arth.
Brazing - A process where metals are joined by using a fller metal that melts at a temperature abo'e
()*+.
Butt Joint (Butt Weld) - A joint !or weld" where the two pieces being connected come directly
together in the same plane.
Buzz Box - Another term for a general,purpose arc welder. The name is deri'ed from the sound made
when the welder is running.
Consuable ! non-consuable electrodes - +onsumable electrodes pro'ide a path for the current.
They also supply fuller metal to the joint. -onconsumable electrodes are only used as a conductor for
the electrical current, such as in gas tungsten arc welding.
Cutting "i# - The part of an oxygen torch that directs the .ow of the gas.
Cutting "orch - The de'ice used in oxygen cutting to control and direct the .ow of the gasses used for
cutting and heating metal.
Cylinder - A container to store and transport compressed gas.
$e%ective Weld - A weld with one or more of the following defects: /orosity, undercut, slag inclusion
and improper weld si0e.
$irect Current ($C) - 1r 2continuous current,2 is considered as the constant .ow of electrons in the
single direction from low to high potential.
$o&n 'and Weld - A 'ertical weld where the welder starts at the top and wor&s downward.
(dge Weld - A weld where the edges of two pieces come together.
)(lectrode (Arc Welding) - A rod made up of fller metal with a coating on it designed to aid and
protect the bead during the welding process.
(lectrode 'older - The 2handle2 portion of the arc welder that holds the electrode in place.
*ace Shield ('elet) - A safety de'ice worn o'er the face to protect the eyes and face from the arc,
spar&s and molten metal. Arc welding without proper eye protection can lead !3uic&ly" to permanent
damage to the eyes.
*errous - +ontaining or relating to iron.
*illet Weld - A weld joining two pieces of metal that are more or less perpendicular to each other.
*iller etal - Is a metal added in the ma&ing of a joint through welding, bra0ing or soldering. 4arious
types of fller metals exist.
*ixture - A tool or de'ice used to hold pieces in place for welding.
*lat Weld - A weld where the pieces being joined come together hori0ontally in front of and below the
welder.
*lux - A substance that facilitates soldering, bra0ing and welding by chemically cleaning the metals to
be joined.
*orge - A de'ice used to heat metal for forming and bending. !5lac&smithing"
*uel Gases - 6ases mixed with oxygen in heating and cutting operations.
Gas "ungsten Arc Welding (G"AW) or ("+G) - +ommonly &nown as tungsten inert gas (TIG)
welding; an arc welding process that uses a non,consumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld.
'and Shield - 7imilar to a Face Shield or Helmet, but held in front of the face rather than worn.
+ron - A base element that is the primary substance in the ma&eup of steel, cast iron and wrought iron.
+nert gas,Shielding gas - A gas that does not normally combine chemically with materials. Their
purpose is to protect the weld area from atmospheric gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide
and water 'apor.
-a# Joint - A joint where two pieces of metal lap o'er each other, allowing a bead to be placed
between the edge of one piece and the face of the other.
)M+G Welding (Metal +nert Gas) - Also &nown as wire,feed welding, although it is possible to do wire,
feed welding without the inert gas. 8etals that are di9cult to arc weld may be 8I6 welded.
Mild Steel - 7teel with less than *.1)% carbon. !Also called low carbon steel". 8ost steel in common
use is mild steel.
.ut-.%-/osition Weld - Any weld where the wor& is not .at in front of the welder.
.verhead Weld - An in'erted weld where the pieces being joined are abo'e the welder.
.xy%uel - /ure oxygen combined with gas
/lasa - A gas that has been heated to the point where it will conduct electricity.
/lasa Cutting - A cutting process where the metal is heated to the melting point by an arc through
the plasma and then remo'ed by the pressure of the gas as directed by the no00le. +-+ !computer
numeric control" plasma cutters are used for precise cutting of complex patterns in metal.
/olarity - The polarity of a machine refers to direction of current .ow. /olarity can only be obtained on
a :+ machine.
0adiation - #nergy from heat or light that you cannot see.
Shielding Gas - ,,See Inert gas.
Slag +nclusion - -on,metallic material trapped in a weld.
Soldering - A method of joining metal parts using a fller material !solder" that has a melting
temperature below ()*;+ !(<;=".
S#ot Weld - A weld between two o'erlapping pieces of material> normally used for sheet metal.
"ac1 Weld - A small weld used to hold pieces of an assembly in place prior to the fnal !continuous"
welding.
"+G Welding ("ungsten +nert Gas) - A welding process where an inert gas protects the molten metal
from the atmosphere to produce a high 3uality weld.
"ungsten - A non,consumable material used in TI6 welding to carry current to the weld puddle. !'ery
hard, hea'y, steel,grey,to,white transition metal> ? in the periodic table."
2# 'and Weld - A 'ertical weld where the welder starts at the bottom and wor&s upward.
3entilate - To cause fresh air to enter and mo'e around an enclosed space
Weave Bead - A welding pattern often used in butt welds where the welder mo'es the arc bac& and
forth across the joint while also mo'ing along it.
Weld - To join two pieces of metal together permanently by melting the parts that touch.
Welder (noun) - A person whose job is welding.
Welding /o&er Su##ly - A de'ice that pro'ides an electrical current to perform welding.
Welding 0od - A means of deli'ering fller metal to the weld. In arc welding, the rod is called an
electrode.
3oltage (3) - Is the pressure re3uired to mo'e the electric current.
An #@*<( electrode, for instance, will ha'e the following characteristics:
# , electrode !arc welding"
@* , multiplied by 1*** means @*,*** psi !pounds per s3uare inch" tensile strength.
< , .at position
( , A+ and :+ !straight and re'erse"
Basic Rules for SAW
1) Arc !ength: The distance between the tip of the electrode and the base metal being welded. The
correct distance must be kept.
2) Angle of electrode: :uring welding, the electrode must be held at the correct angle.
3) Speed of tra'el: If a good weld is to be made, the correct speed must be kept.
4) Amperage: Incorrect amperage heat) !ill result in a poor !eld.
7ome welders use the word AB,A,7,CD to remember these four points.
!engt" # Angle # S$eed # %eat (a&$erage)