Blogs about welding & welding products

If you're a DIY enthusiast stepping into the world of welding, having the right supplies is absolutely essential. With the right tools in your arsenal, you'll be able to tackle any welding project with confidence, precision, and safety. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the top 10 must-have welding supplies that every DIY enthusiast should have.

While there have been shortages in the helium market since 2006, it was expected that new facilities being built and coming online would lift the market in 2022. Unfortunately, a series of events prevented that from happening. It is now anticipated that the shortage could continue into 2026.

Get to grips with dry ice and learn its lifespan in our informative guide! Discover everything you need to know about this versatile substance here.

With six locations throughout the tri-state area, AllGas is your local welding supply store. We carry top brands from industry market leaders like Hypertherm, Lincoln Electric, Thermal Dynamics, ESAB, Miller, Victor, Harris, Speedglas and many others.

Just a few short years ago there was an abundance of helium. The pandemic saw a decrease in demand for industrial and entertainment applications, that in turn, saw increase supply. Since then, there have been a series of events that have led to a decrease in supply that is leading towards higher prices and less product.

Join us for an open house at our new Monticello location

Plasma welding, first introduced as a welding process in the early 1960s, was used in special lowcurrent applications (microplasma) from 0.5 amp or lower, or up to 500-amp applications for heavy industry. In this article by Steve Milner, you will be able to examine the art of plasma welding.

Falls remain at the top of the list when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced its preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2021.

Welding built the world we live in - from our houses, buildings, cars, bridges, and even spaceships. Are you curious about welding and want to learn more about it? Do you want to know about the different welding processes? Or what do the welding acronyms GMAW, GTAW, SMAW stand for? You’ve come to the right place. 

This video covers the steps you should take to ensure safe operation of your plasma cutter. Always refer to your Safety and Compliance Manual if there are any safety concerns or questions when using Hypertherm plasma equipment.

Whenever looking for information on welding, it's always a good idea to start with the equipment manufacturers. Many, like Miller Welding, are a great resource for how to videos, blog posts and podcasts. The following is a beginners guide to welding from Miller Welding and the Arc Academy.

Published in The Welder on April 7, 2021, this article offers great tips for preweld actions that will help guarantee a good welding project.

AllGas Welding Supply includes all the highest quality industrial and specialty gases, welding equipment and supplies, along with filler metals and safety equipment. Since 1980, AllGas has been the premier welding supply company serving downstate New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Northern New Jersey with a state-of-the-art filling plant in Monticello, NY.

AllGas, Combined Energy Services and Tri-State Carbonation Service are excited to announce the opening of a new location at 155 Route 303 in West Nyack New York. AllGas Welding Supply will bring a complete welding supply store including all the highest quality industrial and specialty gases, welding equipment and supplies, along with filler metals and safety equipment. Since 1980, AllGas has been the premier welding supply company serving downstate New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Northern New Jersey with a state-of-the-art filling plant in Monticello, NY that is also getting a new location.

How COVID-19’s quarantine affected the CO2 shortage

We have seen numerous photos of the positive effect that the quarantine had on the environment. From night skies being brighter to waterways becoming clearer. The fact that less vehicles on the road benefited Mother Nature is hard to dispute.

With less people driving comes lower fuel production. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, "COVID-19 mitigation efforts resulted in the lowest U.S. petroleum consumption in decades." The was a 41% decline from January 1 – March 13, 2020 in motor gasoline and a whopping 62% decline in jet fuel.

So, what does this have to do with the carbon dioxide (CO2) shortage you ask? Less driving and fuel consumption means less ethanol production. Less ethanol production means less CO2. The carbon dioxide that we use to carbonate beverages and produce dry ice is a by-product of ethanol production.

Ethanol is typically made as additive to gasoline from corn, sugar cane and sugar beets. The resulting CO2 from the process is captured and reused. CO2 can be produced and captured from a variety of processes, but the purity of beverage grade CO2 is 99.9% pure. Not all processes result in CO2 capture that has these few impurities.

If you are looking to purchase dry ice or would like a quote, please give us a call at 800-380-1427.

While more people are on the road now and fuel consumption is creeping back up, it will take a while before supply catches up with demand. Industry experts expect the shortages to last through at least the end of 2020. This drives up the cost of CO2 and its availability. It also plays a significant part in the availability of dry ice that is made from compressed CO2.

During an extended power outage, such as the one caused by Tropical Storm Isaias, refrigerated and frozen foods may spoil. A great way to preserve your groceries that need to be kept cold or frozen is with dry ice.

Dry ice is very cold. -109 degrees F cold! It can help keep frozen foods frozen and refrigerated goods cold. Here are some guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agricutlure:

• Wear gloves when handling dry ice.
• Allow 2½ to 3 pounds of ice per cubic foot of freezer space. A 50-pound block of dry ice should keep food safe in a full 18-cubic-foot freezer for at least two days. More will be needed in upright freezers, and ice should be placed on each shelf. Your supplier may be able to cut blocks into slabs.
• If food from upright freezers can be tightly packed in coolers with dry ice, it may be easier to keep the food frozen for a longer period of time.
• If a freezer has a limited amount of food in it, pack the food compactly in coolers with dry ice.
• Fill a partly empty freezer with material like crumpled newspaper, clean bath towels or blankets to cut down on air circulation, which hastens dissipation of dry ice.
• Some suggest separating dry ice from direct contact with food packaging by placing boards or heavy cardboard between packages and ice. Ice may be wrapped in brown paper for longer storage.
• As dry ice dissipates, it becomes a gas. To avoid gas fumes, wait a few moments after opening the door of a chest freezer before bending over it. Stand back a bit when opening the door of an upright freezer.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) also offers this power outage food safety infographic:

AllGas is the premier manufacturer of dry ice in the area. Made to order in Monticello & New Hampton (Goshen) and in storage at our Newton location, we offer dry ice as 3/8″ pellets and 1/8″ rice.

Dry ice is made from solidified carbon dioxide (COs). Called "dry" because when it sublimates (goes from a solid to a gas) it doesn’t leave any moisture behind. That’s not the only difference between regular ice and dry ice. Dry ice is exceptionally cold – it sublimates at -109° F – that’s cold! It also lasts long which makes it the perfect "ice" for portable coolers.

Dry ice is used in a variety of commercial & residential applications. It is used in:

• Industrial dry ice blast cleaning
• Shipping frozen food & medical products
• Travel & camping refrigerators and coolers
• Special effects fog
• Power outages
• Science & school projects

A relatively new addition to our dry ice manufacturing is the rental of dry ice blasting equipment. Dry ice cleaning is like sand blasting except for no secondary waste. The dry ice evaporates leaving less clean up. It also is non-abrasive and non-toxic.

Dry ice cleaning/blasting is used in a diverse list of industries. From automotive to graffiti removal, it is the preferred method for high pressure cleaning.

For additional information on renting a dry ice blaster or purchasing dry ice, contact us at 800-380-1427 or complete the form below.

Graffiti Removal with Dry Ice

Many building owners have struggled with how to remove graffiti, and often simply resort to painting over it. In the past, the only other option was to sand or soda blast the graffiti, but that can result in damage to the building as well as extensive clean-up. Many building owners, especially those owning historical buildings, have decided to turn to the use of dry ice blasting when removing graffiti. Dry ice blasting is time efficient and effective when removing graffiti from almost any surface, and it causes little to no harm to the existing building.

Benefits of Dry Ice Blasting for Graffiti Removal:

• One-Pass Cleaning – Unlike sand blasting & power washing, dry ice blasting only needs one sweep of the wand to clean the area. A real time and labor saver!
• No Clean-up – Dry ice sublimates, meaning it dissolves into a gas upon contact. All that is left is minimal paint clean up.
• No Odor & No Hazmat Issues – You are not using harsh chemical, so there is no smell. This means there’s also no harmful residue.
• Doesn’t Harm Structural Integrity – This is a relatively gentle process that can be used on a variety of architectural structures. Especially useful in removing graffiti from historical artifacts and brick.

Rent the equipment from AllGas and you could be in business today! Give us a call at 800-380-1427 for details.

Welding processes explained

Sometimes you happen across an article that explains something so well, there’s no point in trying to replicate it. We search each week for something to share on LinkedIn and Google. This week we hit the nail on the head with a Welding Champs blog post "9 Different Types of Welding Processes" by Jacob Mills. Welding Champs is a made up of a group of people who love welding. They have taken the time to put together a website of everything welding. It’s a great resource for people just starting out in welding as the articles and posts are well written and easily understood.

Here are the 9 differenty types of welding processes:

1. TIG Welding
2. Flux-Cored Arc Welding
3. Stick (Shielded-Metal Arc Welding)
4. MIG Welding
5. Laswer Beam Welding
6. Electron-Beam Welding
7. Plasma Arc Welding
8. Atomic Hydrogen Welding
9. Electroslag

Enjoy the whole blog post here. Remember, you can get all of your welding supplies and equipment at your nearest AllGas location.

• We continue to closely monitor the updates from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), state health departments and other experts. We have increased health and safety at every local office following best practices for preventative measures.
• We strongly encourage our customers to interact remotely via email or over the phone. Our customer service representatives will continue to be available over the phone. We recommend that you call before coming to any of our locations. The situation may dictate that we close our storefronts without notice.
• We recommend that our employees follow the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for disease prevention. These include cleaning your hands often with soap & water for at least 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer when available. We ask that our employees forgo customary handshakes and to keep a safe distance between themselves and others. Social distancing practices call for avoiding any unnecessary physical contact. Let’s say hello with a smile and not a handshake.

Bleach is a strong and effective disinfectant – its active ingredient sodium hypochlorite is effective in killing bacteria, fungi and viruses, including influenza virus – but it is easily inactivated by organic material. Diluted household bleach disinfects within 10–60 minutes contact time. Learn more.

What is Dry Ice Cleaning? Environmentally responsible cleaning & surface preparation!

How it works

Dry ice cleaning is similar to sand, bead and soda blasting in that it prepares and cleans surfaces using a media accelerated in a pressurized air stream. It differs in that dry ice cleaning uses solid CO2 pellets or miroparticles, which are blasted at supersonic speeds and sublimate on impact, lifting dirt and contaminants off the underlying substrate.

 ​Why it’s better

The unique characteristics of dry ice make it the perfect cleaning media. Dry ic is non-abrasive and non-conductive and will not damage surfces or equipment. It sublimates on impact, leaving behind no secondary waste. It is non-toxic and safe for employees.

These atributes make dry ice cleaning a efficient, cost effective and enviornmentally responsible cleaning solution.

Who uses dry ice cleaning?

The power of Cold Jet dry ice innovation brings winning solutions to a diverse list of industry leaders around the globe.

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Contract Cleaning
• Fire Restoration
• Food & Beverage
• Foundry
• General Maintenance
• Historical Restoration
• Medical
• Mold Remediation
• Packaging
• Petrochemical
• Plastics
• Power Generation
• Printing
• Rubber
• Weld Lines

Find out more by visiting our New Hampton, NY location or calling 845-294-7771.

Dry ice can be a real money saver in the event of an emergency. Preserving your frozen foods for the length of an extended power outage. Read more.

– brought to you by PHYS.ORG

Various optical materials such as quartz, borosilicate glass and even sapphire were all successfully welded to metals like aluminium, titanium and stainless steel using the Heriot-Watt laser system, which provides very short, picosecond pulses of infrared light in tracks along the materials to fuse them together.

The new process could transform the manufacturing sector and have direct applications in the aerospace, defence, optical technology and even healthcare fields.

Professor Duncan Hand, director of the five-university EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Laser-based Production Processes based at Heriot-Watt, said: "Traditionally it has been very difficult to weld together dissimilar materials like glass and metal due to their different thermal properties—the high temperatures and highly different thermal expansions involved cause the glass to shatter.

"Being able to weld glass and metals together will be a huge step forward in manufacturing and design flexibility.

"At the moment, equipment and products that involve glass and metal are often held together by adhesives, which are messy to apply and parts can gradually creep, or move. Outgassing is also an issue—organic chemicals from the adhesive can be gradually released and can lead to reduced product lifetime.

"The process relies on the incredibly short pulses from the laser. These pulses last only a few picoseconds—a picosecond to a second is like a second compared to 30,000 years.

"The parts to be welded are placed in close contact, and the laser is focused through the optical material to provide a very small and highly intense spot at the interface between the two materials—we achieved megawatt peak power over an area just a few microns across.

"This creates a microplasma, like a tiny ball of lightning, inside the material, surrounded by a highly-confined melt region.

Read more: https://phys.org/news/2019-03-welding-breakthrough.html

We get asked all the time - "How much helium do I need to fill up XX of balloons." The answer depends on several factors, including the size of the balloons. Read more.

Welding defect can be defined as any deviation in size and shape of the given metal structure regarding technical and design requirements. The deviation can be caused by process limitation in terms of wrong welding process/technique or due to certain human behavior.

Welding defects can occur at any stage of the welding process and they can affect both the inside and outside of the metal structure. Although it is almost impossible to create a defect-free weld, it is important for you to reduce their occurrence to prevent loss of material and maintain the intended quality.

It is important to note that some of the defects are permitted if they do not compromise set standards and quality, but some like cracks cannot be accepted. Having said that, this guideline will help you to detect these common welding defects, their causes and remedies. 

Types of Welding Defects

Defects in welding joints are classified into 2 broad categories .i.e. those that occur internally and those that occur externally.

• External Welding Defects – are also known as surface of visual defects because they manifest themselves on the surface itself. They include surface cracks, overlaps, undercuts, porosity, and spatter. We will discuss each one of them in the next section.
• Internal Welding Defects are defects that occur at some depth in the material. They are visually invisible since they are not present on the surface, but they carry equal weight as the external ones. These defects include incomplete fusion, slag inclusion, and incomplete penetration.

External Welding Defects Explained

Cracks – Cracks are the most common defects and they can occur anywhere on the surface of the weld material. Some cracks can also be present inside the weld material especially on areas that are affected by direct heat (HAZ). Cracks presents themselves in two major types:

• Hot Cracks– These cracks occur during the welding or during crystallization where temperature can be as high as 10000-degrees Celsius.
• Cold Cracks– Cold cracks occur after completion of the welding process or during the solidification process. They are normally visible after several hours or even several days after welding.

Causes of Cracks

• Wrong joint design.
• Contamination of the base metal coupled by poor ductility.
• Use of hydrogen gas as a shield gas while welding ferrous metals.
• High content of carbon and sulfur in the base metal.
• High welding current.
• Rapid cooling of the weld joint.
• Inadequate preheating.
• Residual stress can also lead to cracks.

Remedies

• Avoid rapid cooling of the weld area.
• Preheat the metal to the required level.
• Consider a low-hydrogen electrode.
• Use the correct joint design.
• Use proper amperage settings.

Overlaps – Overlap results when the weld pool overflows on the surface of the weld metal. The molten metal does not fuse with the base metal leading to an overlap which may extend to form an angle not exceeding 90 degrees.

Causes of Overlaps 

• Large deposition at a go.
• Using the electrode at the wrong angle.
• Using too high current.
• Longer arc.

Remedies

• Employ the right welding technique to avoid wrong arc length.
• Position the electrode at the appropriate angle.
• Use correct deposition during each run.
• Use low welding current.

Undercuts – Undercuts presents themselves as narrow gutters on the base metal next to the weld metal near the edge. This occurs when the base metal melts away from the weld area reducing the thickness of the base metal and the result is a weakened workpiece. These undercuts run parallel to the metal weld.

Causes of Undercuts 

• Too fast weld speed.
• High arc voltage.
• Too large electrode.
• Use of wrong filler metal.

Remedies

• Decrease the travel speed, but at the same time not too slow.
• Use the right electrode size and it should be positioned at the correct angle; between 30 to 45 degrees
• Reduce the length of the arc and lower the voltage.
• Use proper current and pay close attention to thinner areas and edges.

Porosity – Porosity is a condition that manifests itself inform of gases or air bubbles that are trapped in the weld metal. It is mainly as a result of contamination of the weld metal, which is weakened, and it can collapse with time.

Causes of Porosity

• It can occur when the electrode is not well coated.
• Presence or oil or rust on the weld surface can cause porosity.
• Use of incorrect shielding gas or improper shielding.
• Too high gas flow.
• Presence of moisture on the weld zone.
• Improper surface treatment.

Remedies

• Clean the materials and the weld surface before you begin welding.
• Slow the welding process to allow the gases to escape.
• Make sure that the surface is free from oil or rust and any other contaminant.
• Make sure that the gas flow meter is configured with the correct flow settings.

Spatter – Spatter occurs when metal particles from the weld is stuck on the area adjacent to the weld area. This defect is common in gas metal arc welding and it is sometimes very hard to remove the particles.

Causes of Spatter 

• Running on very high amperage can cause spatter.
• Use of incorrect polarity.
• Irregular wire feeding.
• Contamination of the weld surface
• This defect can also result from improper gas shielding.
• Positioning the electrode at a very steep angle.

Remedies

• Eliminate any feeding issues.
• Use the right polarity as per weld requirements.
• Adjust the amperage settings.
• Clean up the surface before you do any welding.
• Use proper gas shielding.
• Increase the plate angle according to the condition of the welding.

Internal Welding Defects Explained

Incomplete Fusion – Lack of fusion or incomplete fusion occurs when the weld metal and the base metal are not accurately welded due to improper melting resulting into unfilled gap. Improper fusion can also occur between layers within the weld itself. Although this is an internal problem, it can be manifested on the outer surface too if the outer sidewall is not properly fused with the parent metal.

Causes of Incomplete fusion 

• Incomplete fusion can result from low heat input.
• Using wrong electrode diameter when compared to the thickness of the material.
• Too fast travel speed can lead to incomplete fusion.
• Sometimes the weld pool may be too large, running ahead of arc and this can lead to incomplete fusion.
• Improper placement of bead.

Remedies

• Try to increase the travel speed to minimize the chances of incomplete fusion.
• Position all beads properly to avoid sharp edges from meeting each other.
• Try to reduce the deposition rate.
• Make sure the molten weld does not flood the arc.

Incomplete Penetration – Incomplete penetration results when the depth of the weld is not enough. As such, the metal grove is not filled fully meaning that the weld does not extend through the entire joint.

Causes of an Incomplete Penetration

• Improper joint alignment
• Moving the bead too fast which means little deposition of the weld metal
• Too much space between welded metal can cause incomplete penetration.
• Using too low amperage which may not be enough to melt the metal completely.

Remedies

• Ensure enough deposition of the weld metal.
• Employ correct joint geometry and ensure proper alignment.
• Use proper welding amperage
• Reduce the speed of travel.

Slag Inclusion – Slag inclusions are compounds such as oxides that are mainly trapped in the weld or on the surface of the weld zone. These compounds are byproducts of welding processes such as stick welding and arc welding. In addition, insufficient cleaning can leave some slag behind which reduces the strength of the weld and it can act as a starting point of serious cracking. Serious slag inclusion may require you to do a re-weld.

Causes of Slag Inclusion 

• Too little current density which may not be enough to provide enough heat to melt the weld metal. 
• Failure to do proper cleaning, especially after a welding pass. 
• Too fast cooling of the weld pool may be a potential for slag inclusions.
• Welding at an inappropriate angle and wrong rate of travel.

Remedies

• Increase the current density to appropriate levels. 
• Increase the welding speed so that weld and slag don’t mix.
• Clean all surfaces including all edges and previous welds. 
• Ensure that the weld pool cools down moderately, not to fast but not too slow either.

As a parting shot, we can all agree that it is important for you to identify and remove any defect that may be present in your workpiece. We believe that this article has comprehensively addressed those defects and we hope that it will help you during any manufacturing process to prevent loss of material and to keep you safe.

This blog post is brought to you by the folks at Toolshaunt.com.

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