By Amanda Carlson,
Associate Editor
Amid the rapidly changing weld- ing landscape is a process that, for the most part, has remained unchanged since Oscar Kjellberg invented the coated electrode. That’s right,
shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), affectionately known as stick welding, has
remained a simple yet effective method
to join materials in a variety of applications and locations.
It’s not fancy or high-tech, yet it can
be tricky and even downright frustrating to master. It doesn’t boast of aerodynamic welding guns or technologically advanced power sources, but it
has played a major role in shaping our
country’s infrastructure and skylines,
and contributed to energy production as
well as national defense.
Even though the technology behind
SMAW has remained much the same
for many years, it is still very much alive
as companies rely upon its portability
while veteran welders trust in its reliability. Because of this, it is important for
welding educational programs to churn
out welders capable of wielding a stinger
and electrode.
While other processes like flux-cored
arc welding (FCAW) are becoming more
widely accepted in industries traditionally dominated by SMAW, welding educational facilities are finding that a need
for skilled stick welders still exists. They
also have found that valuable lessons are
learned when students dive into the art
of SMAW.
SMAW: Laying a Foundation
Mark Smith, full-time welding instruc-
tor at Shasta College, Redding, Calif.,
said one of the first processes his new
welding students learn is SMAW. Smith
has 19 years’ experience at the college
and has found that having students start
out with SMAW is, in the long run,
easier on them.
