The end of the year is a good time to look back, see what you’ve done right, and wrong, and a good time to take stock.  Give yourself credit for what you’ve done right, and for the things that didn’t go so well–  now you have an opportunity to do it better next time!

Continuous improvement has always been a part of the Arc-Zone culture, and while I hesitate to say “resolutions”  GOAL SETTING is an awesome way to start off the New Year.  It’s also a good time to replenish the stock and look at ways to improve for the upcoming year.

If one of your goals is to improve your weldshop and maybe get some new equipment, here’s some places to start your research:

Miller EQUIP TO WELD.  Miller Electric just launched this easy-to-use online tool to help you select, customize, and even price the welding system you need.

Weldcraft Torch Selector. Weldcraft also has an online tool that guides you to selecting the torch for your specific welding application.

Welding Design Online Buyers Guide. From Cylinders to Safety products and welding equipment, this guide lists many of the industry’s top manufacturers though you may have to dig around to find where to buy…

If one of your goals is to learn more about metal fabricating and the welding  industry and keep up-to-date on equipment, technique, and what’s happening  (aside from reading this blog, and CarmenElectrode.com) check out The Fabricator magazine and its affiliate publications  Tube and Pipe Journal, and Practical Welding Today.  You probably qualify for a free subscription.

AND… since you know this is an Arc-Zone.com powered site, I have to add:

The place to end your search is Arc-Zone.com–  for a wide variety of high-performance MIG, TIG and Plasma Arc Welding and Cutting accessories.  You’ll also find a great selection of welding safety apparel and equipment, welding books and DVDs, tungsten electrodes for TIG welding and Plasma Arc Welding, tungsten electrode sharpeners, water coolers for welding… well you get the picture!

Check it out for yourself. And if you don’t find what you’re looking for, or need help making a decision on what you need, give us a call.  We’re available online (Live Chat and email) and on-the-phone (7am to 5pm California time) and it’s a top priority for us to make sure our customers find the right product to amp up their weldshop and Weld Like A PRO !

May 2011 be good to all of us!

Happened upon a great article –really informative–about welding aluminum over at The Fabricator.  We get lots of calls from customers trying to weld aluminum, and wondering what the best way to go about it is.  This article answers many common questions about welding aluminum:

By Matt Tavernelli

The reactive nature of aluminum to the welding arc, which is much more pronounced than that of other base materials, presents many challenges, including excess heat input and burn-through, porosity, poor bead appearance, poor fusion, and cracking.  Technology advancements have made tackling these challenges easier by providing a balance of high travel speeds with a narrow, focused arc.

CONTINUE READING OVER AT THE FABRICATOR ->

And for anything you need to start welding aluminum, be sure to head over to Arc-Zone.com, where we’ve got all types of  TIG rod available, as well as TIG consumables and TIG torches.

Great article here at The Fabricator magazine about how to select a MIG gun:

Welding guns 101: light- or heavy-duty?
Which semiautomatic GMAW gun is right for the job?

By David Bellamy

From tacking operations that require short arc-on times to completing long, continuous welds on thick plate, the welding gun needs to offer the appropriate welding capacity for the job.

When it comes to choosing welding equipment, welding operators may find themselves contemplating which power source to use—and rightly so. The power source significantly affects weld quality, productivity, and overall costs of welding. But having the correct semiautomatic gas metal arc welding (GMAW) gun for the job is equally important.

CONTINUE READING AT THE FABRICATOR –>

And when you’re ready to buy your MIG torch, check out the line-up at Arc-Zone.com: from hand-held to machine MIG guns and replacement parts to nozzle cleaning stations, wire feeders and flow meters, we’ll get you dialed in!

Miller Electric Mfg. Co. has just introduced WeldX™, a revolutionary new apparel line for personal welding protection that is lightweight and breathable, yet provides exceptional flame and spatter resistance–available at Arc-Zone.com!

This stylish safety apparel comes in classic black and is sixty percent lighter than most leathers and also lighter than many flame resistant cotton garments, WeldX represents the next generation in protecting welders from the hazards of heavy-duty welding, while also reducing the potential for heat stress-related injuries.

The WeldX line offers protection in a welding apron, welding bib, cape sleeves, welding jacket (pictured above) and welding sleeves.

Originally developed for military applications, Miller’s new WeldX fabric combines the lightweight and breathability benefits of cotton with exceptional spatter and flame resistance to provide maximum welder protection.

Flame resistance is inherent to WeldX – laundering will not degrade its performance over time. WeldX is based on a fabric technology that has proven its performance and durability in iron production, race car driving, high voltage electrical work, firefighting and other potentially catastrophic applications. The fabric consists of a blend of oxidized acrylic fibers and modern strengthening fibers, which are then treated with a proprietary compound that allows the resulting material to “shed” spatter and sparks upon contact. The proprietary compound is embedded into the individual fibers rather than being applied topically, allowing the garment to retain a high degree of pliability and maneuverability. In even the most extreme environments, WeldX will not burn, melt, ignite or shrink.

The newest addition to Miller’s popular Arc Armor™ line of welding protection, WeldX garments are available as standard welding jackets, sleeves, cape sleeves, bibs and aprons, offering a range of protection options for a variety of applications and industries. For most applications, WeldX will deliver the highest level of welder protection required without a corresponding increase in heat stress, keeping your welders safe, comfortable and more productive.

About Miller
Miller Electric Mfg. Co., headquartered in Appleton, Wis., is a leading worldwide manufacturer of Miller brand arc welding equipment and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW).
For more information, visit Miller’s Web site at www.MillerWelds.com

NICE FENCE – WHO DONE IT? Hayes Fencing

My sister Lori bought a house with some land in Ramona California. As soon as she moved in she began to convert it to the horse property that she always wanted; she needed some fencing to start. When she asked her fellow horsemen who builds the best corals and arenas, it was unanimous–”Hayes Fencing, they do quality work”.

Steve Hayes owner of Hayes Fencing in Ramona California and his son Ryan fenced the entire property, including a pasture, paddock, pipe corrals and stalls, custom steel cross-ties, hitching posts, a huge arena and obstacle course, tie racks, a wash rack etc. They built some things in their shop, but almost everything was welded on site with their Hobart Handler portable 110V MIG welding machine.

When Lori added a couple of goats, however, she needed to build up her fencing on one area of the goat pen– those critters climbed up to the top of that big rock and jumped over to the neighbors!

I was out visting Lori and was talking to Ryan about welding tools, welding helmets, protective gear etc. when I noticed Ryan was using a Profax MIG gun made in USA (available from Arc-Zone) I asked him about it. He said, “It’s good, but the local supplier has no parts for it.” The supplier actually suggested Ryan buy a new gun ($150) when all he needed was a gas diffuser ($3)!

He was thrilled when I told him we had parts for his MIG welding gun in stock, and that he could order online. “It costs us a lot of time and money to roll into town and take our chances on being able to get the supplies we need– if I can get the parts and other supplies we need from Arc-Zone it will really help us be more productive.” Town, after all is about 20 miles away.

If you want to build a business and make a damn good living, you should look at the Hayes family. They work hard and do what it takes to get the job done right… When Lori needed some extra work done, Ryan came out on a Sunday to make some extra coin.

Don’t buy into all the media balderdash about no jobs, bad economy etc. This job alone was worth over $35,000! So get out there and start building and billing today!

Just got this news from Miller Electric about their new diesel engine-driven welder/AC generator (see below).  This thing is its own power plant!

And don’t forget, Arc-Zone.com offers TIG torches and replacement parts, MIG guns and replacement parts, stick holders and leads, and plasma arc cutting torches and replacement parts.

Miller Electric Mfg. Co. today introduces the Big Blue® 350 PipePro diesel engine-driven welder/AC generator. The Big Blue 350 PipePro, purpose-built for transmission pipeline welding, provides 20 to 400 amps for both DC Stick (325 amps at 100 percent duty cycle) and DC TIG welding, 14 to 40 volts for MIG and Flux Cored welding (350 amps at 100 percent duty cycle) and 12,000 watt peak/10,000 watts continuous auxiliary generator power for running tools on site. Built for the harsh elements encountered in pipeline welding, the machine is also designed for structural steel, construction, fabrication and MRO applications.

(more…)

Interesting behind the scenes look at Miller Electric, including some great old photos

And did you know Lincoln Electric was founded in 1895?

And did you know that whatever your machine… you can Weld Like A Pro(TM) with welding accessories, from TIG Torches to MIG torches and from welding apparel to welding positioners… from Arc-Zone.com, of course!

Excited for the new Iron Man 2 movie coming out this summer?  Well, while you’re waiting, why don’t you check out this new IronMan 230 All-in-One MIG Welder from Hobart Welders?  It has everything you could want in a MIG machine — we only wish it had a bit more in common with its namesake (flying while welding anyone??)

Hobart Introduces IronMan 230 All-in-One MIG Welder with Superior Arc Quality and Greater Precision
Jon Crowley | Jan 14, 2010

Hobart Ironman 230

The IronMan™ 230 is a total redesign of the full-size MIG platform, outperforming the competition on arc quality, voltage control, duty cycle and value. It delivers 30-250 amps of pure power in a heavy duty cabinet. The arc of the new IronMan™ 230 is optimized to deliver a flawless weld, making spatter and post-weld cleanup almost non-existent. The IronMan™ 230 easily runs aluminum – just add the optional Hobart DP-3545-20 spool gun and you’re ready to weld aluminum from 18 gauge to 1/2″.

For improved feedability with aluminum wires or for extended reach with other wires add the Hobart 3545-20 spool gun with its 20 ft. cable length.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Gravity.  It’s simply a fact of life; we can’t change it.  But we may be able to work around it.

Gravity Can Make Welding More Expensive, Learn How to Lower Your Welding Costs

12/28/2009 9:46:00 AM – Article #2909

By Mechanizing the Weld System Using the Proper Positioning Equipment and Multi Wire Welding, Expect a 60 Lb. Weld Deposition per Hour

Gravity makes welding more expensive, it’s a fact.

That is why downhand welding will cost less than vertical or overhead welding.

It’s all about deposition rates.

When welding in the vertical or overhead position, the higher your metal deposition rate, the more likely the weld metal is to sag and run out of the joint.

To combat these problems try using a pulsed power source that produces less heat, or use current and voltage settings that reduce the burn-off rate or use smaller diameter electrodes with good out of position characteristics.

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Interested in learning about restoring classic cars? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

The folks over at Second Chance Garage have given us a step-by-step guide to choosing the right welder for the job:

Selecting the Right Welder for Classic Car Restoration Projects

What Welder To Use?

The most common welders used in auto restoration, therefore, are MIG (metal arc welders, gas or flux-cored), TIG (tungsten arc welders using shielding gas) and Arc Welders (the traditional “stick” electrode).

To choose the most appropriate one for your needs, you have to consider the following parameters:

* What is the maximum and minimum thickness of metal to be welded? Fortunately, automobiles use metals that fall into a relatively narrow range.

* What is the metal type? Again, automobiles generally are made of steel and, rarely, aluminum.

* What is the normal position the welding “head” will be put in? Do you need to do a lot of welding overhead? The answer is usually no here.

* How much current is available in your shop and do you have 220 volts? Check your circuits.

Let’s be frank. Our overwhelming favorite type of welder is the MIG. We’ll explain why shortly, but first we’ll give an overview of the other contenders. Here we go!

CONTINUE READING ONLINE ->

Once you’ve chosen a welder, come on over to Arc-Zone.com where you’ll find MIG guns, TIG Torches, Oxy-Fuel Torches, Plasma Arc Cutting Torches…  not to mention some really trick accessories like Trailing Shields, and everything you need to Weld Like a Pro!