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Experts consider MIG welding the easiest type of welding to master for a beginner. MIG welding uses a continuously fed wire electrode that doesn’t require changing nearly as much as the stick electrodes used for stick welding. You can continue welding without having to stop and change your electrode. The process also produces a low amount of slag and spatter.

Aluminum is the hardest metal to weld despite being one of the top three choices for welding among professionals (alongside low-carbon and stainless steel). In its ore or alloy form, aluminum has several physical and chemical properties that make welding complicated. For example, aluminum oxide, which forms naturally in a thin coating on the surface of aluminum, is an exceptionally hard substance. Combined with its high thermal conductivity, aluminum requires precise welding.

TIG welding produces the strongest welds and is reliable for high-quality results. Its slow cooling rate yields high tensile strength and ductility. TIG also produces the least distortion of all welding methods. However, it requires considerable skills and expensive equipment.

Welded connections are stronger than bolted ones. Welds offer better weight distribution of supported loads and greater resistance to rotational or shear forces. When done correctly, a welded joint is usually as strong, if not stronger, than the metal it joins. With bolting, cutting holes for bolts weakens the structure. However, bolting is less expensive, labor-intensive, and an affordable alternative to welding.