Switched from stick to MIG for structural work and the difference is night and day

I spent the last 2 years doing all my boiler and tank welding with stick rods. Thought I had it down pretty good. Then last month I picked up a used MIG setup from a guy getting out of the trade. First time running a bead on 1/2 inch plate, I could not believe how much cleaner it came out. No slag to chip off, no stopping to change rods every 6 inches. My foreman noticed right away and said my weld looks better than my stick work ever did. I still use stick for outdoor jobs when it's windy, but for inside work MIG is just faster and leaves a nicer finish. Has anyone else made the switch and felt like they wasted years on stick?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jade6d ago

Count me in @barbara_sanchez88, stick taught me patience but MIG showed me what real speed looks like.

barbara_sanchez887d ago

Tell me about it, I spent so long chipping slag I could probably do it in my sleep now.