Welding Resources and Tips

Build Your Welding Library: The Latest Welding Book Releases

Just as welders have to update their skills to stay fresh and ahead of the competition, welding libraries should always be stocked with the latest welding books out on the market. Check out what has been updated, newly released, and some welding books that are coming soon.

Books below have been released/updated within the last 90 days except for the books in the Coming Soon category.

 

Resistance Welding: Fundamentals and Applications, Second Edition [Hardcover]

“Drawing on state-of-the-art research results, Resistance Welding: Fundamentals and Applications, Second Edition systematically presents fundamental aspects of important processes in resistance welding and discusses their implications on real-world welding applications. This updated edition describes progress made in resistance welding research and practice since the publication of the first edition.”

 

 

 

 

 

Changes made to the Second Edition (publisher’s description):

• Significant addition of the metallurgical aspects of materials involved in resistance welding, such as steels, aluminum and magnesium alloys, zinc, and copper
• Electric current waveforms commonly used in resistance welding, including single-phase AC, single-phase DC, three-phase DC, and MFDC
• Magnesium welding in terms of cracking and expulsion
• The effect of individual welding parameters
• 2-D and 3-D lobe diagrams
• New materials for the ultrasonic evaluation of welds, including A-scan, B-scan, and in-line A-scan

Price: $137.19 at Amazon

 

Materials with Complex Behaviour II: Properties, Non-Classical Materials and New Technologies (Advanced Structured Materials)

“This volume highlights the latest developments and trends in advanced materials and their properties, the modeling and simulation of non-classical materials and structures, and new technologies for joining materials. It presents the developments of advanced materials and respective tools to characterize and predict the material properties and behavior.”

Price: $179.00 at Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

Books Coming Soon

Advanced Automotive Welding (Pro Series)

“American Welding Society Vice President Jerry Uttrachi is a master welder and he reveals all major welding processes and techniques, so you can repair and fabricate using advanced materials and complete complex projects. TIG, MIG, oxy-acetylene, and stick welding techniques are illustrated for a wide range of automotive applications.”

Publication Date: April 15, 2012

Price: $19.77 at Amazon

 

 

 

 

Welding Deformation and Residual Stress Prevention

“Generally, welding produces welding deformation and residual stress in the products, which influences the quality and performance of the products. Although many engineers and researchers have made great effort how to control these incidents, they have still remained unresolved. Welding Deformation and Residual Stress Prevention provides a unique computational approach to the prediction of the effects of deformation and residual stress on materials. The goal is to provide engineers and designers with the ability to create their own computational system for predicting and possibly avoiding the problem altogether.”

Publication Date: March 30, 2012

Price: $131.98 at Amazon

 

 

Top 5 Books That Should be in Your Welding Reference Library

To be successful in any profession you need to stay on top of all the changes, advancements and trends in your field of expertise. To remain current and effective in your industry you must always be learning, striving to grow and adding to your knowledge base. This holds true for CEO’s, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and even welders. 

Staying on Top of Your Profession

One of the best ways to sustain your pursuit of new and cutting-edge welding knowledge is reading up on the important books and trade journals relevant to the welding trade. Any successful welder should have their own well-rounded welding reference library.

Expanding Your Knowledge Base

Another important reason you need to maintain a well-rounded reference library, a reason that applies to all of the professions outlined at the beginning of this post, is to address special or unique jobs or projects which require specific or specialized knowledge, beyond the realm of your current expertise.

Building Your Reference Library

Toward the end result of developing your own well-rounded welding reference library, the following list outlines the top 5 welding reference books you should have in your own personal library:

• Welding Complete: Technique, Projects Plans & Instructions by Editors of CPi

Compiled with input from multiple authors, in addition to offering outstanding general welding knowledge, it also incorporates literally tons of fun, challenging, and practical welding projects ideas.

• Welding: Principles and Applications (7^th Edition) by Larry Jeffus

Heralded as the ultimate welding reference book (as evidenced by the fact that it’s been updated and reissued seven times), this is an absolute must for welders of all skill levels and disciples.

• Audel Welding Pocket Reference by James E. Brumbaugh and Rex Miller

Think of all those times you’ve been in the field or on a remote job site and you needed a little insight into a particular welding project you were unfamiliar with. Wouldn’t it be great if you had some kind of quick reference guide? Well the Audel Welding Pocket Reference covers all of your in the field reference needs. An excellent quick reference guide for welders of all levels, just slip this little gem into your tool box, and wherever are, you’ll never be without the guidance you need again.

• Welding Essentials by William L. Galvery Jr. and Frank B. Marlow

Written in an easy to grasp style and packed with helpful illustrations, this informative text makes an excellent companion for everyone from beginning to more advanced welders. With basic introductory material on general welding theories and basic welding processes, to more advanced metallurgy and electrical concepts, this board based reference book also includes details on welding inspections and American Welding Society (AWS) certifications.

• Printreading for Welders by Thomas E. Proctor and Jonathan F. Gosse

If you want to become a “professional welder,” or advance your home project welding skills, you’re eventually going to have to learn you’re way around the welding schematics that illustrate many construction, manufacturing, and fabrication welding projects, commonly known as welding prints. Printreading for Welders offers a comprehensive overview of all the how, what, and why you need to know in order to read and understand welding prints, including understanding American Welding Society (AWS) welding symbols. Overall, an excellent reference book for any welder seeking to expand their print reading knowledge base.

For additional reference welding material, Weld My World (sponsored by Bakers Gas and Welding Supply) has some excellent recommendations for welding reference books you should add to your welding library. You should check out Three Books That Should be on Your Welding Reading List, and Welding Reading Lists - Back to Basics.

Welding Books for Automotive Welding

Welding is one of those skills that can have countless practical applications. That, plus a little bit of do-it-yourself spirit, can lead to all sorts of problem-solving abilities that you can put to use in your own home or shop. 

Odds are that if you’re a regular reader of Weld My World, you’re a welder. But in addition to being a welder, are you what your friends might call a “car person”? If so, don’t miss the books we’re featuring today. We’ve compiled a list of books for welders who are interested in applying their welding skills to motor vehicles. No book will teach you how to weld, but they can often serve as a good instruction manual for advancing the skills you already have or for showing you how to take what you know and apply it to a new facet of the craft. Whether you want to restore a classic, fix up a problem sitting in your driveway, or build the hottest set of wheels on the block, these are some books that can get you on your way to learning the same skills that the pros on television use. 

Monster Garage: How to Weld Damn Near Anything*

If you’ve ever seen Monster Garage, you’ve probably scratched your head once or twice, wondering how in the world they did one of their welding projects or another. While you won’t get the promised step-by-step instructions that this book claims on its covers to have, there is some great advice on selecting equipment, prepping for projects, and setting up your shop. There’s a big emphasis on high-strength welding projects (airplane fuselages, anyone?), but the tips should make it worth a look. Great for beginning and experienced welders. 

Welding for Collision Repair*

Nobody likes paying for auto body repair, especially skilled craftsmen who prefer to do and make things themselves (and that’s you, right?). After reading this book, you may pick up some new skills (or learn to apply skills you currently have) to repair your own vehicles. Topics include restoring a vehicle’s structural integrity and information on working with the special plastics that are used so often these days in vehicle construction. It’s a little pricey, but if it saves you from having to hire a body shop just once, it’ll prove to be worth more than its price tag. 

Performance Welding Handbook*

If you’ve got a vehicle that could use a little love, this could be a great resource for you. Written by a NASA welding consultant, this book takes you from equipment selection through welding techniques for various metals, as well as plasma cutting. While it’s a good resource for those with limited welding experience, it’s not the best for beginners who are brand new to the craft. Reviews indicate that it’s particularly great for those wanting to read up on TIG welding. 

If any of these books are of interest to you, you may also be interested in Automotive Welding: A Practical Guide. You can check out an earlier Weld My World review of that book here.

And don’t forget that BakersGas.com also has a wide selection of high-quality welding books, guides and references. These are published by the manufacturers themselves, so you can have confidence in the quality and accuracy of the content. Visit www.bakersgas.com/welding-books.html to see the current offerings. 

 

*These are Amazon Affiliate links.  

AWS Welding Handbooks

Are you a welding inspector? Are you currently in class studying to be a welder? Are you a welding teacher? Then you might want to consider investing in the American Welding Society (AWS) welding handbooks.

No matter how long you have been a welder, or how many classes you have taken, there will come a time when you need to refer back to one of the handbooks. A teacher may have to refresh their knowledge before a lecture or prove a point to a stubborn student. An inspector may need to look up a code for a job while welders can find all the facts that they need to succeed in the field.

The handbooks are published by the AWS and cover all of the topics that deal with welding that someone may encounter. In fact, the collection is the largest and most thorough body of knowledge on the technology and science of welding that is available. Inside is hands-on, practical information that is easy to put to immediate use. The books contain the most current information on weld qualification, safety, and quality. No other welding books come close to these handbooks as they are written by the educators, engineers, leading scientists and other field experts. Each chapter is reviewed by the peers of the experts to ensure that nothing is left out.

The entire welding technology and science spectrum is covered in these books. This includes welding materials, applications, and processes. AWS members compiled each volume with every chapter being reviewed by Chapter Chairs, the Chair of the WHC, the Volume Committee Chair and members of the Welding Handbook Committee. The AWS Safety and Health Committee and the Technical Activities Committee provide two additional reviews. It is easy to see how valuable these books are.

The 9th edition of volumes 1-4 is currently availabe at the AWS website at http://www.aws.org/weldinghandbook/index.html. Each book is $192 and includes all the information that anyone involved in welding could need. Individual chapters can be bought in electronic format for $20 each from the hard copy order page. The 8th edition of volume 4 is also available in hard copy for $160. A free preview of each book is also available.

The price may seem steep, but these books offer a wealth of information that can't be found in just four volumes anywhere else. They are a valuable resource for educators, students, and certified welders and inspectors in any position.

Three Books that should be on your Welding Reading List

Are these three books in your library? They should be.

“Welding Secrets”

With a tagline “No other book will prevent more accidents,” we were intrigued. This book is different because it tells you where NOT to weld. The author, a welder with 49 years of experience, explains everything in simple terms – but with authority.

The book contains many photographs and sketches, explains why a weld bead shrinks more where it ends than it does at the start, and shows (not tells) why a weld in the wrong place will cause a break adjoining the weld.

Hal Cleveland Wilson, the author, dedicated the last years of his life to preventing welding accidents. He was aware that breaks cause accidents with fatal potential. People die from trailers breaking loose, catwalks falling, construction accidents, bridges falling, and airplane crashes. How many accidents could’ve been prevented if welders knew where not to weld? It was that determination that moved Wilson to write.

In this short read you will learn how to flatten a warped steel frame, to remove a bad bearing race from a hole, how to burn a lap weld while salvaging both pieces, and how to repair a crack in a pipe. And the list goes on and on.

Get Welding Secrets on Amazon

“Automotive Welding, a Practical Guide”

This book, a Cartech guide by Jeffery Zurschmeide, is great for the beginner or intermediate welder. The application truly is practical. It covers projects a car enthusiast is likely to undertake, even a self-trained user. Topics include types of welding and metalworking, tools required, types of welder, basic technique, grinding and cutting, sheet metal work, frame repair and reinforcement, and tube steel projects.

This guide saves money for do-it-yourselfers who would otherwise fork out hundreds or thousands of dollars on repair and restoration, structural body work, or frame work. And you’ll gain the satisfaction that comes with doing it yourself.

If you have a pending project, want to restore a muscle car, build a hot rod or rat rod on a budget, or simply want to improve your automotive skills – this book will pay for itself. It walks you through from common alloys to repairing a rusty floor. Projects discussed include rebuilding a front sub frame, repairing rust, and shrinking/stretching curves in sheet metal.

Get Automotive Welding, a Practical Guide on Amazon

“Pipefitters Handbook”

Pick up the third edition of the handbook by Forrest R. Lindsey. The classic handbook is a handy, pocket-sized reference guide containing thousands of facts and figures. Anyone concerned with layout and installation of pipe will find relevancy in the 464 illustrated pages.

Pipe fitters and steamfitters will use the answers to all sorts of problems. Categorized by job description, the handbook saves precious time. A special reference section highlights the 24 most useful on-the-job subjects. Pipe bending and welding fitting fabrication – both in shop and field – are covered. Spark tests, sheet metal weights, valve types, and more fill the pages. All types of bends, soldering and brazing, travel and run, fitting dimensions, threading pipe, and relative physical properties are discussed.

Get Pipefitters Handbook on Amazon