MIG Welding
MIG stands for Metal Inert Gas. In simple terms it is a shielding gas that displaces the atmosphere at the point of welding so that the welding ARC can form in and create a weld pool. If you attempt to weld without this protective gas shield the atmosphere which will cause defects in the weld. Argon is used as the inert gas but as practice has shown it is best when mixed with other gases.
Types of MIG Welding Gas
Strictly speaking if you were to follow the definition of MIG you would use an inert gas like Argon (AR) to weld and you would not be able to use a shielding gas like Carbon Dioxide (CO2) which like Oxygen is reactive gas. But you don't use pure Argon and you could weld perfectly well with CO2. The best gas for MIG welding is a mixture of Argon, CO2 and Oxygen (O2). For deeper penetration Helium can be mixed with Argon gas but that is quite uncommon.
CO2 for MIG Welding
For mild steel or carbon steel which is typically what most people will be welding CO2 will work quite well. It is cheaper than other gas mixes and will achieve a perfectly strong weld. However your weld will not look so good ascetically which often is an important factor and you will get quite a bit of splatter. For this reason it is not the first choice of most fabricators.
Argon Mix Light
This is a gas mix specially formulated to achieve good weld qualities in mild or carbon steel up to 7.0mm thick. It consists of 93% Argon, 5% Carbon Dioxide and 2% Oxygen and is called Argon Mix 5. Go figure. BOC s equivalent (similar anyway) gas mix is Argonshield Light and Air Supply's is called Cougar 5.
Argon Mix Heavy
This is a gas mix specially formulated for best results when welding mild and carbon steels from 7.0 to 15.0mm. It consists of 78% Argon, 20% Carbon Dioxide and 2% Oxygen.
What Size Bottle Do I Need?
2L Gas Bottles are most suited for hobby welding or for service or repair technicians. There are lightweight and portable.
9L Gas Bottles are what are commonly referred to as Hobby Gas bottles. They appeared on the market in response to consumer needs for an inexpensive alternative to the rental bottles from BOC and Air Products that both require you to set up an account with an expensive yearly direct debit for bottle rental. This bottle size is the typical choice for the hobby or occasional welder.
20 Litre Gas Bottle is the smaller size professional bottle. This bottle is used by the busy hobbyist and trade users like garages, tyre centres, farmers and maintenance departments. It is still of a manageable size and weight for portable operations, just.
50L Gas Bottles are for the busy workshop or engineering works and represent the best value for the heavy user.
Rent Free Bottles
Our bottles are what are commonly known as Rent Free Bottles. That means that you do not have to pay a yearly rent by direct debit for bottle rental. However you have to pay a once of bottle deposit of which about 80% is refundable when you return the bottle.
