Q&A topic

Spot welding: 8 questions answered

• How does spot welding work?

  Spot welding (resistance spot welding): two copper electrodes clamp sheet metal and a burst of current makes a localized weld nugg…

• What is spot welding used for?

  Spot welding is used for sheet metal panels, auto body work, battery tabs and electronics and high-volume production. In Australia…

• How hard is spot welding to learn?

  Expect a week of ugly beads before it clicks.…

• Why does spot welding not need gas?

  Spot welding needs no bottled gas — no arc is exposed; the nugget forms between clamped electrodes.…

• What thickness can you weld with spot welding?

  Spot welding is a sheet process: most units are happy to about 2–3 mm total combined stack thickness.…

• Common spot welding mistakes and how to fix them

  The most common spot welding mistakes: electrode tips not dressed; too little clamping force: gap between sheets = no nugget; weld…

• Can you do spot welding outdoors?

  Yes — no shielding at all, just clamp and squeeze. Weather matters mainly for the material being dry and clean at the tips.…

• What angle should the torch be for spot welding?

  Square and clamped — the arms must squeeze the sheets flat together. Angle on a spot gun equals a weak, offset nugget.…