by Marie Milton

Created on: September 18, 2010   Last Updated: July 18, 2011

Knowing the difference between MIG and TIG welding can be fairly daunting and confusing. And that isn't even going anywhere near Stick welding and Ali welding. So unless you have used and understood each type of welding style, and how it functions, it is difficult to understand the differences.
A little piece of Advice before I continue: If you intend to weld any part of a car or vehicle, unplug the battery!...Also make sure you know the code for your radio and remove that too!

You must unplug the battery because the welder can earth itself through the car, causing a fuse shortens out. This flattens the battery. Also you must disconnect your radio because if you don't you will need to re-code it. And if you're like me and lost the number long ago, you'll have a vehicle without a radio.

I'll start with MIG Welding since it is probably the most easiest of the two.
MIG Welding has many names: MIG (Metal Inert Gas), MAG (Metal Active Gas), or GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding). MIG welding consists of a continuous flow of a consumable wire electrode, called MIG Wire, and a Shielding inert gas called ArgoShield (a mixture of Argon and Carbon Dioxide). Both the wire electrode and the gas flow out of a "gun" which is initiated by the user by the use of a trigger.
The MIG welding machine contains the control board and the MIG Wire itself which is supplied in a large coil. MIG Wire is normal steel wire coated in a copper finish to reduce the spatter (or splatter, as it sometimes called). Splatter comes from the gas and steel coming together whilst melting the joining two pieces of steel. Spatter is seen as a multitude of tiny glowing sparks.

It is important to remember not to look at the ultraviolet light that the welding creates when in progress. In order to work unaffected, a special helmet us used. The helmet is specially designed with blackened sides and a liquid-crystal face plate. This darkens when an arc is made. Without the use of a helmet (i.e. if nothing or even sunglasses are worn), prolonged exposure to the heat and light will burn the retina of the eye and cause inflammation of the cornea. This condition is known as arc eye.

Next is the TIG Welding. This is more of an art welding. It can take years of practice to become efficient at TIG Welding.
GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding), or more commonly known as TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas Welding) is a form of welding that consists of using a tungsten, a non-consumable electrode, to heat up two pieces of metal to bond them

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