About
Independent welding information, built for Australia
WeldBase exists because the Australian welding internet is a graveyard: 2017 forum threads, US advice that ignores 240V reality and AS/NZS standards, and retail category pages that rank without explaining anything. We fix that.
What we publish
- Process guides — MIG, TIG, stick, flux-core, laser, spot and plasma, written for Australian power supply, gas supply and standards context.
- Q&A library — every real question welders actually search, answered directly with data tables, not fluff.
- Price index — observed Australian prices across machine categories, with sources and observation dates. Original data, free to cite with attribution.
- Calculators — amperage, gas flow, weld cost and machine selection tools.
Editorial standard
- Source of truth: technical content is written against the AS/NZS 1554 series (structural steel welding), AS 1674 (safety in welding), AS 1796 and AS 2214 (certification of welders and welding supervisors), plus manufacturer specifications.
- Data integrity: every price in the index carries an observation date and source. We never publish a price we have not seen displayed by an Australian seller.
- Independence: suppliers cannot pay to appear in guides or the price index. Quote requests are routed to vetted suppliers — that's how the site is funded — but ranking, pricing and recommendations are unaffected.
- Corrections: found an error? Tell us and we fix it with a dated correction note.
Who is behind this
WeldBase is run by a small Australian team of fabricators, writers and engineers. Technical content is reviewed by our technical review panel before publication. We are not a retailer and do not sell machines — we make the market easier to see, and connect buyers with suppliers when they ask.
How the price index works
Prices are observed from Australian retailer listings, marketplace listings and supplier quotations, recorded with source and date, and republished as ranges and per-model rows. Where a model is discontinued or a listing vanishes, it drops out of the index on the next refresh. Historical observation methodology is documented with each category page.
Verification ledger
We run a standing verification program over our technical and safety claims. Status as of August 2026 — corrected findings are logged openly, because a knowledge base that hides its corrections isn't one:
| Claim | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Welding fume: IARC Group 1 carcinogen (2017) | Verified | IARC Monographs Vol 118; Safe Work Australia |
| SWA workplace exposure standard: 1 mg/m³ per 8-hr day (reduced from 5) | Verified | Safe Work Australia welding fumes topic |
| AS 1796 certificate classes 1–9, administered via Weld Australia; 1G–6G are ISO 9606-1 test positions | Verified & corrected | AS 1796:2022; Weld Australia; TAFE course structures |
| Gas cylinder free-gas volumes: D ≈ 1.7–2.0 m³, E ≈ 4.0–4.6 m³, G ≈ 8.7–10.2 m³ | Verified & corrected | BOC cylinder specifications; Elgas/Coregas size guides |
| Laser welders legal in Australia; Class 4 WHS duties apply | Verified | AS/NZS IEC 60825 series; WHS regulations |
| Machine prices across the index | Observed | Live Australian listings — source + date on every row |
| Amps/thickness settings guidance | Trade practice | Manufacturer parameter charts; published as starting points, not procedure |
August 2026 correction log: AS 1796 ticket-class descriptions rewrote (classes 1–9 vs position codes); cylinder volume figures corrected (D/E/G); fume exposure standard added. Found an error? Tell us — corrections carry a dated note.
Cite our data
Journalists, forums and suppliers may quote the price index freely with attribution and a link. Original data helps the whole Australian trade — use it.