Before beginning to weld you must have a clean joint and your MIG welding machine must be set properly. I cannot stress this enough! MIG welding is very easy to learn but since it is a semi-automatic process much of the skill relies on machine set-up! Once you have that down you are ready to weld.

The 3 patterns that work the best are:

1. The whip, a back and forth motion.
2. Circles are a circular or oval motion.
3. Weaving is a side to side motion.

The whipping technique is commonly used on fillet welds. It allows a narrow bead and gives good penetration. When whipping, the back and forth motion also helps control travel speed when doing stringer beads. This technique works well on fillet welds in all positions. This is especially true of fillet welds in the overhead position.

Circles are just that! This technique works well on fillet welds and grove welds in all positions. When doing circles you can go from a very small circle that is almost a steady motion to a larger circle that can wash the weld into the sides of the joint. The weld produced can range from narrow to moderately wide bead.

Weaving is a side to side motion that is typically used on grove welds or wider joints. This welding technique is most commonly used in the vertical up position. The reason for using this technique when welding vertical up is, it produces a shelf of weld to work upward on. MIG welding in the vertical up position produces a very convex weld. It is very difficult to make a flat or concave weld in the vertical up position unless the weld is wide. Vertical down is a different story and produces a flat to concave weld. The trick to welding downhill is to stay ahead of the puddle and weave quickly. If your travel speed is too slow, the puddle will roll over the joint, and not penetrate properly. Outside of weaving in the vertical position all of the other positions work well with the weave technique. When it comes to weaving most welders have one thing in common. Most pause on the sides of the joint. This helps spread out the weld and if you count the time when you pause you will produce a very consistent weld. An example of this is to say 1001, and then move to the other side and say 1002, and keep repeating this.

Mild steel is defined as any steel that has low carbon in it and about 85% of welding is done using this type of steel. Usually these steels have an AISI series of C-1008 through C-1025. They are the steels that are most often used in construction or industrial fabrication. They are welded through the use of gas, arc or resistance welding.

Mild steels are resilient and they can be bended or twisted or moved into other shapes as they are welded. You can use mild steel sheets or wire to do this type of welding. You can also use it to weld pipes. As an example, you can use mild steel pipes when you want to work within air conditioning or refrigeration. This can also be used for heating when you want a low pressure.

You can also use steel wire or steel sheets to do welding on mild steel. Mild steel can be used in the following types of welding:

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)– this is a type of welding that uses a solid electrode wire that is continuously used as a filler metal. It also uses a shielding gas. The wire that is used is mild steel, and it can be a copper color to protect it from rusting. This will also improve the way that it conducts electricity.

Flux-Cored Arc-Welding — this type of welding uses a wire that is covered with flux so that it will automatically give you the shielding gas. This is the favored way of doing welding on mild steels in an outdoor environment.

MIG Welding — this is one of the easier forms of welding and is also a good idea for welding on mild steel in an indoor environment. It is one of the first types of welding that beginners learn how to do and it is a bit more flexible than other types of welding. You can also use it to weld other materials like aluminum, nickel or stainless steel.

There are advantages and disadvantages of welding many different types of wire and it is important to know what you want to do before you start. Here are a few tips as you decide to work with welding on mild steel:

Before you start working with mild steel make sure you clean the surface first. Make sure the clamp that you have on the work is tight so that it is a solid connection for the electricity to flow through it. You will also want to make sure that your steel is free of rust , paint or any other debris. Paint or rust will insulate your steel and you won’t get the solid connection.

Many people forget that the welder should be put on a different circuit breaker than other things you are doing, especially when you are working at home. The reason to do this is because you are working with higher heat and it needs more power.

Make sure that the two pieces you want to weld are flush with each other or at lest have a solid joining to prevent any problems with the weld.

There are a variety of different types of gases that are used in welding. One of the major ways that gases are used is for shielding the area to be welded from gases that come from the atmosphere. The reason the shielding area needs to be welded is because these other gases can change the way the weld looks or make it difficult to use.

Whether a gas is used, the type of gas, and how it is used will be determined by the welding process that is used. Some of the most common gases and their uses are listed here:

Acetylene Gas — this is a flammable gas that is also colorless and some people say it smells like garlic. The periodic table designation is C2H2. This gas gets the hottest of all hydrocarbon gases because it has a structure that is called triple bon. When you combine this gas with oxygen, which is how it is often used, the temperature of the flame can get as high as 5580 degrees Fahrenheit. This gas can be used for small or large projects. This gas is often called Oxyacetylene when it is also combined with oxygen.

Uses: bracing, welding, cutting and soldering and they are usually stored in pressurized steel cylinders.

Air — believe it or not air is considered a gas in a welding situation. Air is found in bottles and is often compressed for the purpose needed in welding.

Argon — this is a nontoxic, nonflammable and inert gas which means that it doesn’t have a chemical reaction when it comes in contact with metal or other material. This is also a colorless gas and doesn’t carry an odor.

Uses — it is basically used for arch welding, the manufacturing of electronics, making steel and heat treating. Also used to weld aluminum and stainless steel (when combined with oxygen).

Oxygen — is primarily used to work with other gases where high heat is necessary to do the weld. It is most often used with acetylene but it can also be mixed with argon and other types of gases.

Uses — necessary when you want to use a high heat on metal.

Gases are most often used with a torch that has a regulator that can control the amount of gas that is distributed at any given time. The torch itself is attached to the regulator through hoses and the regulator is attached to the cylinders that hold the gas. Some gases like propane are in cylinders that have a short torch at the end; the torch is connected directly to the cylinder.

There are many safety precautions one should use with gases so that you cut down the risk of being hurt. Some things are common sense but it is a good idea to mention them anyway. Some of the precautions you should take include:

Store the cylinders in a place where they won’t be damaged or over heated. If they are large cylinders make sure they are chained in a way that stops them from falling. If you have extra gas or cylinders with oxygen they should be stored separately.

Wikipedia defines welding as “a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals.” This is done by melting the part of the materials to be joined and adding some additional molten joining material. When the molten material cools, it forms a strong bond or joint.

Welding is the most widely practiced way of joining metals together due to the efficiency and economy of the process. It has been estimated that approximately 50% of the Gross National Product of the USA arises from activities that are in some for or another related, perhaps remotely, to welding. As an example, farming may appear to have nothing to do with welding, but the equipment the framer uses to grow and harvest his crops will have used welding in their manufacturing process.

Until the advent of the 20th century, welding was confined to blacksmith shops where two pieces of metal were heated to very high temperatures in a forge and then hammered together until the joining occurred. This is what is called forge welding.

With the introduction of electricity into industrial processes, welding became both quicker and easy, and also more economical. Today there are 4 types of welding techniques that are commonly used.

· The most basic for is Arc Welding where the parts to be joined together are brought into contact with strong electrical current and heated. The molten parts are then joined together to form a weld. This is the low technology end of welding in its cheapest and least sophisticated form.

· Gas Welding is generally used for repair work especially in the case hollow items like tubes and pipes. Hot gas is forced onto the surfaces to be welded. This procedure requires the parts to be subjected to less heat and is suitable for material that may be damaged by exposure to high temperature. For this reason it is used in the jewellery industry which has to work with soft metal with low melting points.

· Resistance Welding requires that an additional sheet of material is used to cover the pieces that are to be welded together. This provides great strength to a weld, but the process requires expensive equipment and also the use of additional material to encase the weld which makes it expensive and not suitable for all applications.

· Laser Welding is the most modern technology available. High intensity lasers can be tightly focused and produce controllable heat on the surfaces to be welded very quickly. This is perfect for material which can be damaged by prolonged exposure to extreme heat. Laser welding is very accurate and can be used to produce even the smallest of welds. However, because of the high capital cost involved in purchasing this equipment, the cost of welding is also high.

Although the perception of welding is that of a simple process of heating and joining, it is a high technology industry with huge amounts being spent of research and development to find stronger, more accurate and cheaper methods. The welding process plays a big role in metallurgy with a constant effort underway to find newer and more weld friendly alloys.

Sheet metal is nothing but a metal rotated into a sheet having a thickness between the plate and the foil. It is one of the basic forms utilized in metal working and it can be bent and cut into different shapes. The thickness of this material varies from thin foil to thick plate. They are obtainable as coiled strip or as flat pieces. Coiled strips are nothing but the continuous running of the sheet. Different metals like brass, titanium, and aluminum, and copper, nickel, tin and steel are converted into sheets of metal. Sometimes, even precious metals like platinum, gold and silver are converted into sheet metals for decorative purposes. Every day different objects like car bodies, wings of airplane, building roofs, medical tables and tools are manufactured with the help of sheets of metal. The tools used for cutting the sheet metal differ according to the purpose for which the sheets of metal is going to be used.

Different tools like metal rollers, tip snips, etc. are being used to cut the sheet metal. The difficulty level in using sheet metal tools can be hard or easy; this depends on the tools being used. For instance, for the process of deep drawing, metal rollers can be used and thick sheets can be bent by using a tool called press-brake.

For the purpose of stamping designs and images in the sheet metal a tool called machine or stamping press is being used. Thus, each tool makes its own effect on the metal. The most important benefit of using these tools is that a tool available for one purpose need not be used for some other purpose. For instance for deep drawing of sheets of metal, the tool called rollers would be the best option, instead if the tool called press-brake is used for this purpose the desired result cannot be attained. So different tools can be used for different purpose, this helps the technician to shape the metal according to his desire.

Sheets of metal tools are used for different purposes like wheeling, deep drawing, ironing, cutting, bending, perforating, stamping, spinning, rolling, press-brake forming, roll forming, etc.

Sheet metal tools must be used with utmost care. It is better to use the sheet metal tools only after getting training in using them. If an inexperienced person uses the tools he may get some injuries and it is also safe to keep the sheet tools out of the reach of the children.

Tools Needed:

Drill
3/4″ speed bore drill bits - approximately 1 for every 20 balusters.
Caulking Gun
Angle Grinder or Metal Saw to cut iron balusters
1-5/8″ drywall screws
Jig Saw or circular saw.
Products needed:
Iron balusters of your choice and color
Baluster Shoes
Epoxy adhesive or polyurethane adhesive
Installation Instructions:

LAYOUT GUIDE AND DESIGN - Before ordering your balusters, make a detailed drawing of your stairway, layout in a straight line or circular line (depending on the stairway design) each of the steps and the number of balusters on each step, and the landing areas (flat areas) with the number of balusters in the landings. Assign a circle to each of the space. In other words, if your steps have 3 balusters per step, you would assign 3 circles to each step in your layout as shown below in diagram #2. Please make note that the layout has been determined and a number has been assigned to each baluster and then totaled to place the proper number for your order.

Step #1 Baluster Removal - Remove the wood baluster by cutting them with either a circular saw or a jig saw half way between the treads and the handrail. Pull out the lower portion and the upper portion and then remove any remaining nails left in the holes with pliers.

After the baluster has been removed, you will have either a hole in the tread like pictured above, or the area will be flat with no hole, depending on the installation of the old wood balusters.

Step #2 Drill Holes for Iron Balusters - You will now drill a 3/4″ hole in the center of this space vacated by the wood baluster, drill as deep as the drill will go, preferably 3-4″ deep.

Step #3 Measure the Baluster Length - Set the new iron balusters in this new 3/4″ hole UPSIDE DOWN and mark the other end (actually the bottom) of the balusters against the bottom of the handrail near the corresponding top hole. Be careful to align the top and bottom in a plumb (level) line as it is easy to move from one side to the other giving you an improper length. This mark is where you will cut the new iron baluster baluster. NOTE: By placing the baluster upside down in the hole and marking the other end, you are actually marking the bottom of the baluster. YOU ALWAYS CUT THE BOTTOM OF THE BALUSTER. When you are drilling holes, you will occassionally encounter nails in the lower framing. Do not worry if your drill penetrates the wood framing completely, sometimes this will happen.

Step #4 Baluster Cutting - Cut the baluster approximately 1/2″ shorter than the mark, this will allow for you to slide the baluster into the hole, and up inside the top hole of the handrail.

Always test your baluster fit before gluing. Slide your shoe onto the baluster. The baluster should slide down into the lower hole first, and then into the upper hole. If you drilled the hole deep enough and cut it properly, your baluster should fit in this space by filling the upper hole and still have 2″ into the lower hole.

Step # 5 - Adhesive in the TOP hole - Apply adhesive (epoxy or polyurethane) to the upper hole.

Step #6 Fastening the Baluster in the LOWER hole - Place a 1-5/8″ drywall screw into the lower hole on the side of the baluster at a 45 degree angle, wedging it into place. Repeat this process on the adjacent side if necessary. These two screws will wedge the baluster firmly into place holding it permanently.

Adhesive can also be applied.

Final Steps
Wipe off any adhesive left in the top hole.
Slide the shoe down over the baluster for a finished look.

Align the baluster so it is properly aligned.

Enjoy your new stairway.

Always wear safety glasses when operating power tools and use tools in the manner they were designed.

Neither Stairway Creations Supply or any of its employees assumes any liability for the installation of products purchased from our company. Installation instructions are general because each and every job will be different and certain conditions will have to be adapted to the individual situation. We assum no liability for use or misuse of any equipment or products.
Please make sure you comply with all building codes.