Understanding the Types of Welds and Joints

Welding is an extensive process with lots of components. Over hundreds of years, various types of welds and joints have been created to streamline the process. Keep reading to learn more about the different weld types, the difference between welds and joints, and how they’re used across the welding industry today.

The Difference Between Welds and Joints

Before diving deep into the types of welds and joints and how they work, you should understand their key differences.

A weld describes the technique used to fuse two materials via heat. There are four primary types of welds: tungsten inert gas (TIG), metal inert gas (MIG), flux-cored arc, and stick. The necessity of each welding process depends on a variety of factors, like the:

Handler’s skill level
Type of metal being used
Industry and location the welder is working in

A welding joint, on the other hand, is an edge or point where these two pieces have been joined together. Depending on the welding technique, the joint can form into one of five designs: edge, lap, corner, butt, and tee joints. Each design directly impacts the quality, and welders should be mindful of making the right selection.

The Types of Welds

These are some of the four most popular types of welding techniques.

Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding

One of the most common and accessible welding techniques for beginners, MIG welding is an arc welding process that joins two metals. Welders form an electric arc between a consumable wire and metals before guiding the wire through a contact tip. This type of welding employs a shielding gas that protects the molten pool of weld metal from reacting with any elements present in the atmosphere.

With a variable feed speed and excellent control, many new welders can use the MIG welding technique to produce consistently strong welds that take very little work to clean up.

Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding

The TIG welding technique is incredibly versatile, but it’s one of the more difficult welding techniques to master. It can be used for steel, stainless steel, aluminum, soft metals like brass and copper, and even exotic materials like magnesium.
This method fuses metal by forming an electrical current with a non-consumable tungsten electrode stick. Like MIG welding, an inert shielding gas is used to protect the weld area from atmospheric contamination. Welders using the TIG method must use two hands—one to feed the rod, and the other to hold a TIG torch that creates the heat and arc.
Welders that use the TIG method can excel at producing high-quality welds in thick or thin materials, making this method perfect for creating products like bike frames, fenders, door handles, and lawn mowers.

Flux-Cored Arc Welding

Similar to MIG welding, flux-cored arc welding has a spool that feeds wire into the weld. Because they’re so compatible, many machines offer both MIG and flux-core capabilities. However, flux-core system wires have a flux around the outside that’s solid until heated by contact with the weld. At this point, it releases an inert gas that creates a similar shield to MIG welding.

Since this technique doesn’t need the inclusion of a bottled gas, hose, or regulator, it’s a much more portable solution that needs little to no preparation. Plus, since the shielding agent is less affected by wind, it’s a good choice for outdoor welding. Unfortunately, this method is more expensive and can result in spatter that’s difficult to clean up.

Stick Welding

Shielded metal arc welding, otherwise known as “stick welding,” is one of the oldest welding techniques and was a preferred choice for DIY welders long before MIG welding became affordable. This process uses a flux-coated electrode to produce an electrical current.

Skilled welders use carbon steel and other metals to weld joints between base materials. True to its namesake, stick welding melts a rod of metal into the joint. Since the rod contains the elements necessary for the shield, a separate shielding gas is not required. Like flux-cored arc welding, this method is portable and suitable for outdoors.

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The Types of Joints

While there are various joint types, five of the most common are:

Butt Joint

The butt joint is a joint created when two pieces of metal are placed together in the same plane and each side is joined by welding. As the most common type of joint, butt welding is simple to prepare with many variations that can be applied to achieve the desired result, like square butt joints.

Edge Joint

Edge joints refer to a metal fusion on an even edge. These are formed by laying sides together so edges are next to one another. Many welders are attracted to this type of welding joint because of its seamless ability to bind pieces together and evenly distribute stress. However, welders should keep in mind that these joints are susceptible to compression, bending, and torsion and shear stress.

Lap Joint

Lap welding joints are considered a modified version of the butt joint that’s formed when two thin pieces of metal are placed in an overlapping pattern on top of each other. While they’re commonly used to join pieces with differing thicknesses together, lap joints are rarely used on thicker materials and are ideal for sheet metal.

Tee Joint

Aptly named, tee joints are formed when two pieces come together at a 90° angle and the resulting edges meet at the center of the plant in a ‘T’ shape. These joints are largely recognized as a kind of fillet weld, which means the joint is either perpendicular or at an angle. Tee joints aren’t limited to the average metal plates, but can also be formed when a tube or pipe is welded onto a base plate.

Corner Joint

Like tee joints, corner joints meet at a similar angle, however the metal is positioned in the ‘corner’ in an open or closed manner that creates an ‘L’ shape. These joints are especially common in the sheet metal industry and are essential in the construction of products like frames and boxes.

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