Articles: Welding & Brazing How-to

     Automotive and motorcycle  work can involve swapping engines, installing lift kits, building roll cages and tire carriers, restoring vintage Willys frames or repairing the broken and fatigued chassis of a Jeep CJ or Wrangler. To do this properly requires a knowledge of metals, especially their tensile strength, metallurgy and chemistry.  Filler rod or wire must match the base metals; aluminum requires special TIG (GTAW) welding; and each carbon steel has its preferred welding method.

     This section of the magazine offers in-depth welding and brazing tutorial and how-to articles. Topics include learning to weld and braze, metallurgy and safe use of welding equipment. Learn to weld properly and fabricate metal safely.   *Click on the “Site Content Directory” button for the entire roster of  articles and HD Video how-to!  Click here for the 4WD Tech How-to Video Channel playlist, which includes in depth HD video coverage of welding processes!     Moses Ludel has welded professionally and instructed welding processes and metals fabricating. Improve your skills at gas welding and brazing, ‘stick’ SMAW welding, MIG/GMAW wire feed and spool welding plus the art of TIG/GTAW welding. Professionalize your welding skills and make better Jeep modifications and repairs. There is much more to welding than ‘running a bead’ on metal! Learn about steel alloys, heat treating, case hardening, metallurgy, casting repairs and choosing the best materials for your project.   Table of Contents for Welding and Brazing Processes

• Welding & Cutting Methods Apply various welding techniques to your Jeep projects. Learn stick, MIG and TIG welding, gas welding/brazing and plasma cutting techniques. Repair a Jeep 4WD frame, build a roll cage, create off-road accessories, build a trailer, fix axles, weld alloy steel, tubing, aluminum and stainless steel, Modify or repair Jeep 4WD suspension, axles and gear cases, using metallurgically correct, structurally sound procedures! Welding-&-Cutting-Methods.html

• Metal Cutting Fabricating with metal always involves cutting. Plasma cutting, oxygen-acetylene, bandsaw or hole saw cutting is all part of metal fabrication. Learn the various options for preparing and fitting metal pieces for welding and how to avoid damaging sensitive heat treating and case hardening. Metal-Cutting.html

• Oxygen-Acetylene Welding & Brazing A welding subsection devoted to the oxygen-acetylene welding and brazing processes. “Gas” welding and brazing are older, proven methods, highly useful in the repair and restoration of Jeep 4WD vehicles. Modern silver brazing and metal spray methods get surprisingly strong, reliable results! Oxygen-Acetylene-Welding-&-Brazing.html

• MIG Welding MIG or ‘GMAW’ is today the most popular welding process for fabrication and industrial use. Many 4×4 shops and Jeep 4WD enthusiasts have a wire-feed MIG machine. While MIG is fast, “forgiving” and quick to learn, there are many ways to improve your MIG welding skills. Learn when and how to use MIG process. MIG-Welding.html

• MIG Welding Project: Installing the Pivot King When our rugged, six-year-old tire carrier sagged, the Pivot King square tube pivot axle became the solution. Pivot King provides the optimal foundation for building a carrier from scratch, restoring an older carrier or upgrading your rectangular tubing spare carrier. This makes a practical MIG welding project, too! MIG-Welding-Project-Installing-the-Pivot-King.html

• TIG Welding Technique TIG (GTAW) weldors earn respect throughout the welding industry.This welding method, once associated with aluminum ‘Heli-Arc’, is now used for titanium, all alloy steels, aluminum and stainless steel welding. Mastering TIG is both creative and productive. TIG welding offers controlled, penetrating heat, precise filler deposits and exceptional fusion. Requiring focus, good hand-to-eye coordination and the utmost cleanliness, TIG welding can produce high strength, precise welds. TIG-Welding-Technique.html

• Metallurgy & Heat Treating Welding properly and getting safe, strong results require an understanding of metals and processes. This includes heat treating, annealing, normalizing and case hardening. You need to know how heat affects metals. Choosing the right filler materials or welding and brazing process depends on metallurgy, not guesswork or opinions. Metallurgy-&-Heat-Treating.html

• Welding & Cutting Equipment A weldor is only as good as the welding equipment—and vice versa!…Moses Ludel introduces Jeep 4WD enthusiasts and 4×4 shop owners to quality, cost-effective welding and cutting equipment. Perform safe Jeep maintenance, restoration, upgrades and modifications. Learn which tools and welding equipment will prove most useful and cost-effective over time! Welding-&-Cutting-Equipment.html

• HTP America: Welding Product News HTP America is Moses Ludel’s equipment choice for the 4WD Mechanix Magazine ‘Welding & Metal Fabrication Workshop’. Supplying superior welding and cutting equipment for Jeep enthusiasts, 4WD professional shops and industrial applications, HTP America offers exceptional quality at affordable prices! HTP-America-Welding-Product-News.html

• HTP America’s MicroCut 600 Plasma Cutter HTP America’s MicroCut 600 plasma cutter is a workhorse. At 40 amps of power, you can cut up to ½” steel. Small size and just 22 pounds means you can take this powerhouse anywhere. With inverter technology, the MicroCut 600 only needs 30 amps of 220 volt power! HTP-America’s-MicroCut-600-Plasma-Cutter.html

• HTP Circle Cutting Attachment for Plasma Cutters HTP America offers affordable solutions for welding and plasma cutting. Cutting circles is always a challenge, and HTP America has simplified the process with a new, affordable accessory! HTP-Circle-Cutting-Attachment-for-Plasma-Cutters.html

• HTP Introduces the New Invertig 221 Welder HTP America’s newest Invertig 221 TIG and DC welder is a highly versatile addition to the welding equipment line. The 4WD Mechanix Magazine welding and fabricating section is pleased to announce this latest edition to our welding test equipment! HTP-Introduces-the-New-Invertig-221-Welder.html

• HTP Website and Location Changes! HTP America’s press releases announcing the new HTP website and a new corporate location! HTP-Website-and-Location-Changes!.html

• Top Products from HTP America HTP America has an extensive welding equipment catalog. Moses Ludel shares products designed for professional weldors and enthusiasts. If you need high quality welding products, consider the HTP America line! Top-Products-from-HTP-America.html

• HTP America Invertig 201 Welder For performance and versatility, HTP America’s proven Invertig 201 TIG welder has the features Jeep repairs, restoration and metal fabricating require. Moses Ludel sets up a new Invertig 201 water-cooled welder for the ‘Welding & Metal Fabrication Workshop’ projects! HTP-America-Invertig-201-Welder.html

• HTP America Invertig 221 Stick & TIG Welder The ‘Welding & Metal Fabrication Shop’ has replaced its HTP America Invertig 201 TIG machine with HTP America’s latest Invertig 221 machine. The additional amperage and features make the Invertig 221 a formidable AC/DC welder and TIG machine!HTP-America-Invertig-221-Stick-&-TIG-Welder.html

• Jeep Trail Use Welders On-board and portable welders come in a variety of types. This section contains reviews and insights into the welders best suited for backcountry Jeep 4WD repairs and emergencies. Jeep-Trail-Use-Welders.html

• Jeep Trail Welder Series: Portable ‘Ready Welder’ Details on a popular alternative to the onboard, alternator-powered frequency welder. Ready Welder is a spool gun, battery powered welder for use in the field or Jeep 4WD trail repairs. Jeep-Trail-Welder-Series-Portable-‘Ready-Welder’.html

• Welding & Metal Fabricating ‘Q & A’ Moses Ludel has welded professionally and taught adult vocational education welding and metal fabrication courses. He understands metallurgy firsthand. Find answers or submit your own questions on welding and brazing processes. Get professional answers, including the right choice of metals and filler materials for your Jeep project. The punishment of desert racing and backcountry trail pounding demand the right materials, most effective welding techniques and filler material choices for safe, lasting work! Welding-&-Metal-Fabricating-‘Q-&-A’.html

• Tool & Equipment ‘Q & A’ Questioning a tool purchase or special tool requirement for a Jeep 4WD project? Write to Moses Ludel’s ‘Tool Q & A’ column for answers on what to use, what to buy and what you can create at your shop! Tool-&-Equipment-‘Q-&-A’.html

   If you repair, modify or upgrade Jeep 4WD vehicles or four-wheel drive components, welding is a vital skill. This section of 4WD Mechanix Magazine focuses on welding, brazing and safe metal handling practices. Safe, reliable fabrication work requires the right metal, the right filler material and the right welding methods.

  I have welded for over four decades and instructed vocational adult welding for six years. Today, I approach the fusion welding processes, brazing and spray welding techniques with a deep respect for metallurgy and a clear understanding of the best practices for joining and repairing metals.

—Moses Ludel

  Welding requires hand-to-eye coordination and the mastery of welding principles. Brazing and silver brazing are much different than fusion welding; often, one process will work better than the other. The base metal has certain chemical and tensile properties, and welding must respect these properties. If not, the end result will be a weaker, failure-prone finished product.

  For that reason, the welding and fabrication section at the 4WD Mechanix Magazine website includes welding methods and an ongoing discussion about metals and structural design. Learn how I make crack-free cast iron weld repairs, build strong motor mounts, construct roll bars and create frame brackets. Metallurgy is a regular topic, including heat treating processes, case hardening, annealing and restoring tensile strength and hardness.

If you can benefit from stick (SMAW), MIG (GMAW) or TIG (GTAW) welding, brazing, silver brazing or plasma cutting, this section provides the how-to articles, step-by-step welding videos and slide presentations to improve your welding and brazing skills. Aluminum welding, silver brazing, working with case hardened metals and welding mild and low-alloy carbon steel—each requires the right process, the right technique and the right filler materials.

  I enjoy welding and sharing the various processes! Once past the basics, you will discover the creativity and problem-solving benefits of welding and brazing. In addition to my HD videos and articles covering gas, stick, TIG and MIG welding, we’ll explore newer niche processes like metal spray welding and advanced TIG techniques.

Follow my how-to restoration tips for saving obsolete metal parts, including gears, brackets, iron castings and even ‘pot metal’ or die castings. I encourage your mastery of welding, metals fabrication and metallurgy!  Watch the how-to videos at the “4WD Mechanix Tech How-to Channel“ and improve your welding skills!—Moses Ludel

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