The Complete Guide to Essential MIG Supplies

 Both stainless and mild steel are popular materials used in metal fabrication and MIG welding is one of the best processes when it comes to joining steel workpieces. Metal inert gas welding was first developed after WWII and its simplicity is what made it so popular and one of the most used welding processes today.

You can use it in both industrial applications and DIY projects since the process is able to produce high-quality welds with minimal spatter and at a good speed. You can also join different meals together with MIG and the technique can be either full or semi-automatic depending on your needs. Without some supplies, MIG welding on its own isn't as capable as it seems.

Essential MIG Supplies

source: ogis.com.au

Contact Tip

It's all about the current and how it's transferred to the wire when it comes to MIG welding and the component that's responsible for this is the contact tip. These tips are essential MIG supplies that help transfer said current and there are three options - copper, chrome zirconium and silver-plated tips.

Copper tips are the most fitting for general-purpose welding applications while chrome zirconium tips are made for more heavy-duty applications as these MIG consumables last 2x more than copper tips. Silver-plated tips are much harder than both and more conductive than copper tips, meaning they reduce spatter and reflect more heat.

Liner

Also referred to as conduits, liners are used to guide the wire from the welder to the contact tip through the gun cable. There are conventional, front-loading and jump liners. Conventional or standard liners can be replaced from the back of the gun which is what makes them most common. Front-loading liners are replaced from the front thus takes you half the time to replace them than it does to replace a conventional liner. Jump liners are used through the neck of the gun which is great if you change your gun neck frequently.

Retaining Head

Gas diffusers or retaining heads are made to conduct the electricity to the contact top and to distribute the shielding gas at the same time. These MIG supplies also hold the tip and nozzle in place which is why they should be replaced on time so everything is in top order.

Gas Nozzle

Gas nozzles or gas cups as these MIG consumables are also known have one job and that is to direct the flow of the shield gas coming from the gun to the weld puddle. This MIG equipment comes made of brass, copper and plated copper. Brass nozzles are best for low amp applications between 100A and 300A while copper nozzles can handle more than 300A. A plated copper nozzle has the best spatter resistance especially if you're using a water-cooled gun.

Power Pin

A power pin is what connects the wire, gas flow and weld power so that the welder and wire feeder work effortlessly together. This makes the gun more efficient but it depends on the state of the power pin which also affects how compatible the gun is with certain welding machines. You also get to maintain your welder more easily and make fewer errors with power pins.

Electrode

An electrode or wire as it's also called is what is fed through the torch so that it gets melted and joins two pieces of metal together. Thicker electrodes are better for heavy-duty projects while thinner ones can pass with DIY projects that are not that demanding when it comes to making joints.

MIG Welding Processes

What MIG does is feed filler wire or electrode into the base of a material you're using the gun on as it melts it. There are different ways the wire can be transferred into the weld pool made up of the wire and base metal with there being a total of four. 

Dip Transfer

A short circuit mode or dip transfer as this MIG equipment is also called, relies on short circuits which happen between 20 and 200 times each second. This makes for a low heat and low voltage method which can be used in every position and shielding gas with anywhere between 75% and 85% argon.

Globular Mode

With globular mode you have the welder maintain a continuous arc between the metal and wire so that the wire is transferred into the weld pool as large drops. This is why globular MIG welding requires a lot of heat and shielding gas is pure CO2 making this a rather costly method.

Pulse Mode

A dedicated welder capable of pulse MIG welding is required in order to make use of this method which also involves maintaining an arc between the workpiece and wire but not achieving metal transfer. That's because the welder's using background current in this case and in order for the transfer to take place high current is used. Going back and forth between background and high current creates this pulsing effect.

Spray Mode

Spray MIG mode happens at high voltages usually at more than 25V for a 1mm diameter wire. The wire melts and passes across the arc in small droplets hence the name. This creates a clean weld bear and minimal spatter making for visually appealing welds.