Welding pliers are a must-have for anybody with a MIG welder. Read more for lots of pictures and explanation on how they work.
They are also commonly called MIG welding pliers or just MIG pliers. If you saw them at the store, you would probably think something along the lines of ‘What are those funky looking pliers used for??’.
Now you will know.
MIG Welding Pliers
There are many features of MIG pliers made specifically for working on and cleaning MIG welders, which contribute to their funky shape.
Nozzle Removal and Installation
The backside of the pliers have a groove for nozzle removal & installation
Internal Nozzle Cleaning
To clean the inside of the nozzle, grab the nozzle with your gloved hand and twist the pliers back and forth to knock off the spatter. The outside of the plier tips have a file/rasp surface that helps get the slag off.
The nozzle is responsible for directing shielding gas around the weld puddle to keep contaminants out. Nozzles are typically made out of Brass or copper. These materials allow heat to dissipate quickly and for the spatter to be removed. A dirty nozzle can restrict shielding gas flow and mess up your welds.
External Nozzle Cleaning
If you have spatter on the outside of the nozzle, you can use the pliers to chip it off. Be careful not to bend the nozzle while doing this.
Tip Removal and Installation
The smaller groove towards the front of the pliers is to remove the threaded tip by rotating counter clockwise. Usually the tip can be removed by hand, but sometimes I have to use the pliers to get it off.
Wire Pulling and Cutting
The welding pliers also have a cutter to be used for cutting off excess wire when needed.
Most welding pliers also have a small hammer / slag chipper protrusion and some gauges on the side to determine certain metal thicknesses. I never really use these features though. If I need to hammer something I just go grab a hammer.
Hope this helps. If you have a MIG welder, this is pretty much a required tool so be sure to get yourself one.
Now YOU, get out in the garage and work on something!
This very important topic for new user of mig welding. Piler is very essential tool for removing different parts. In this article you show very nicely to remove different part of mig welder. Thanks for the share.
Great! that’s are the frequent task and definitely an essential guideline for any user. It’s very simple but technical work, so need some extra dedication. Here you have nicely presented all issues and clearly explain the matters. So that anybody can understand and follow. Thanks for your effort and sharing us.
Regards
All tools plays unique role in welding, and it is a great guide for those who are new in this filed. Really impressive blog, would share my colleagues to learn from this. Thanks.
Great tips. Bookmarking this post for future reference. I am planning to purchase a MIG welder and this article will be very handy! I am very green in welding but i am sure you’ll be of help to me since you’re a master in the field.
Pliers are very important tool for welder gun setting. Its multifunction feature helps welders to use it in different tasks. You have shared how to use a plier to set and fix mig torch in an informative way. Its worth praising.
Thanks for sharing.