A Guide to Arc Welding

Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) - also known as Manual Metal Arc (MMA) welding or stick welding - is a manual arc welding process that uses a consumable electrode coated in flux to lay the weld. An electrical current is used to form an arc between the electrode and the metals to be joined.

As the weld is laid, the flux coating of the electrode disintegrates, giving off vapours that serve as a shielding gas and providing a layer of slag, both of which protect the weld area from atmospheric contamination.

The Arc Welding Operation

To strike the electric arc, the electrode is brought into contact with the workpiece in a short sweeping motion and then pulled away slightly. This initiates the melting of the workpiece and the consumable electrode, and causes droplets of the electrode to be passed from the electrode to the weld pool. As the electrode melts, the flux covering disintegrates, giving off vapors that protect the weld area from oxygen and other atmospheric gases. In addition, the flux provides molten slag which covers the filler metal as it travels from the electrode to the weld pool.

Once part of the weld pool, the slag floats to the surface and protects the weld from contamination as it solidifies. Once hardened, it must be chipped away to reveal the finished weld. As welding progresses and the electrode melts, the welder must periodically stop welding to remove the remaining electrode stub and insert a new electrode into the electrode holder.

Arc Welding Applications

Shielded metal arc welding is one of world's most popular welding processes, accounting for over half of all welding in some countries. Because of its versatility and simplicity, it is particularly dominant in the maintenance and repair industry, and is heavily used in the construction of steel structures and in industrial fabrication. Because of the low equipment cost and wide applicability, the process is likely to remain popular, especially among amateurs and small businesses where specialized welding processes are uneconomical and unnecessary.

The thickness of the material being welded is bounded on the low end primarily by the skill of the welder, but rarely does it drop below 0.05 in (1.5 mm). No upper bound exists: with proper joint preparation and use of multiple passes, materials of virtually unlimited thicknesses can be joined.

You can find a wide selection of SIP, Sealey and Draper Arc Welders at our web site or give us a ring on 01162 692471 to enquire about any item or spare part. Alternatively, drop us an email at enquiries@aktivetrading.com.

Basic Principles of Welding

If your were to take two ice cubes from the refrigerator, the outer surfaces under the heat of the day will begin to melt to ice water. Place the two wet cubes one on top of the other back in the refrigerator and within a short time the two cubes are welded together to form one block of ice. The addition of heat has melted portion of the two parts to be joined and they both cool down to one structure, the melted section becoming an intimate part of the bond.

This is the basic principle of welding - the base materials being joined are melted at the abutting faces and become all or part of the weld.

Compare this with the glueing of two cubes of wood. The wood forms no part of the bond and adhesion is achieved by the strength and intimate contact of the glue with the two abutting surfaces. This is more akin to the processes of soldering and brazing, where a metallic cement melting at a lower temperature than the parts being joined flows and solidifies in intimate contact with the components to form a bond.

Introduction to Draper Socketry and Socket Sets

The Draper Expert range is aimed at professional motor mechanics, maintenance and service engineers and general workshops. The sets come in a variety of finished - satin, mirror and combination of both - and are presented in soft zip , blow mould or metal cases.

Metric and MM/AF combination sets are available in individual drives - 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4" - or in tool kits with a range of drives.

Draper Expert HI-TORQ sockets have 6 or 12 corners with special radius design giving added torque. They extend the life of the socket and the fastener by reducing the probability of 'rounding off'.



Draper Expert VORTEX System

THE REVOLUTIONARY DRIVE SYSTEM THAT RE-INVENTS THE SOCKET.

The system features a hollow head design with flutes on the outside of the socket allowing the Vortex ratchet to drive the socket from the outside. This allows the fixing to pass through both the socket and the ratchet, avoiding the depth restrictions encountered when using conventional sockets.


ELORA Socketry from Draper



Professional quality German socketry manufactured to the highest international specifications

All ELORA products are hot dropped forged which means strict production control resulting in top quality tools. This means that in the ELORA factory wrenches, ratchets, socket parts and many other products are forged under ELORA's control to its own exacting high standards. The major proportion of the range is made from one-piece forgings. Hardening takes place in a continuous automatic hardening furnace followed by tempering in oil. This strictly controlled process gives clean and precisely hardened products.

You can find a wide selection of Draper Socketry at http://www.aktivetools.com/ or give us a ring on 01162 692471 to enquire about any item or spare part. Alternatively, drop us an email at enquiries@aktivetrading.com.

Introduction to SIP Woodworking

SIP offer an innovative selection of the highest specification woodworking machinery.

Engineered to the most exacting standards the equipment is durable, robust, simple to operate yet sophisticated and feature rich. Above all it offers what SIP customers have come to expect - superb quality at affordable prices.

All with a 2 year warranty!

Independent product tests prove time and again the quality and value of the range. Recent reviews include:

12" Disc Sander (01336) "To sum up, a robust and solid performer - powerful, competitively priced"

Dust Extractor (01453A premium priced extractor that works well and is ideal for connecting to a saw or planer. Superb value for money"

14" Bandsaw (2 speed) (01489) "Given that this saw is offered at an extremely competitive price I was pretty impressed as I set it up. This bandsaw is exceptionally good value. It's much better made and finished than "budget" equipment and offers power with a decent depth of cut and a pretty wide throat. I particularly liked the fact that it cut accurately and had enough power for the maximum depth of cut. A very decent bandsaw at a very decent price."

Heavy Duty Morticing Machine (01375) "All in all I liked this SIP morticer. It's well designed and very robust and it does offer very good value for money."

You can find a wide selection of SIP woodworking products at http://www.aktivetools.com/ or give us a ring on 01162 692471 to enquire about any item or spare part. Alternatively, drop us an email at enquiries@aktivetrading.com.

Meet our suppliers - Draper Tools

Draper Tools started out in 1919 when the founder, Bert Draper, sold government surplus and tools from a hand barrow around the Kingston-Upon-Thames markets. This led to the purchase of the original warehouse in Kingston, from which the Draper Tool Company Ltd was born.


Although Drapers sold it's own brand as early as this time, it was also a quality Engineers Merchant and Tool Wholesaler, selling brands well known today, such as, Britool, King Dick, Elliott Lucas,etc. With the increased business and cramped conditions at Kingston , Draper Tools purchased the freehold rights to the current premises in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire at auction in 1963.



Draper Tools continues to thrive on a mixture of inward investment and striving for operational efficiency, all underpinned by the golden rule since 1919 - Guaranteed Quality.


The current premises in Chandlers Ford, have been added to considerably since it's purchase and has now reached a size of 400,000sq.ft. It is now probably the largest stock of tools in one place in the UK.


We are proud to include garden power tools, welders, air compressors and air tools, woodworking equipment, generators, garage and workshop equipment in our range of products.
We also supply the full range of Draper spares and can provide technical specifications and manuals for the full Draper range.


You can find a wide selection of Draper products at http://www.aktivetools.com/ or give us a ring on 01162 692471 to enquire about any item or spare part. Alternatively, drop us an email at enquiries@aktivetrading.com.

Meet our suppliers - Sealey Power Products

Sealey was established in 1979 by John Sealey with a range of jacking and lifting equipment imported from Denmark. From the small beginnings the business now boasts over 6200 product lines and employs over 250 staff.


The business is based in Bury St Edmunds with a massive warehouse boasting unrivalled stock levels giving a wide choice with fast delivery.



Computer controlled warehousing and picking methods ensure accurate and prompt despatch of all products, including more than 50,000 spare parts! Huge stocks allow Sealey to offer levels of price and availability unmatched by any competitor.



Sealey operate their own fleet of 30 delivery vehicles to ensure quick and safe despatch - with a guaranteed next day service at a small extra cost.



Our product range includes all types of garage and workshop equipment, hand tools, power tools, tool stoage, engineering tools, welders and accessories, air compressors and air tools and woodworking equipment from Sealey. We also supply the full range of Sealey spares and can provide technical specifications and manuals for the full Sealey range.


You can find a wide selection of Sealey products at http://www.aktivetools.com/ or give us a ring on 01162 692471 to enquire about any item or spare part. Alternatively, drop us an email at enquiries@aktivetrading.com.

Meet our suppliers - SIP (Industrial Products) Ltd

We have been associated with SIP for many years. Before growing to be their largest distributor both Ashley and myself worked for SIP - as Sales Ofiice Manager and Operations Controller respectively. Our knowledge of their products, people and systems allows us to offer a unique interface between them and our end-user customers.

SIP themselves have operated in the East Midlands for 40 years. The Company has production and/or marketing facilities in England, Italy and China and SIP exports worldwide to countries including North America, Australasia, Africa, throughout the EU, the Middle East and the Far East. SIP products are now used in millions of households, workshops and industrial plants worldwide, reinforcing their reputation for providing reliable and dependable service - day in, day out.

Alongside technical and manufacturing expertise, quality and innovation are vital elements in SIP's thinking. However with SIP, high quality does not automatically mean products are at a premium price as they strive to deliver the perfect balance of quality and value for money.

This approach matches perfectly our own objective of supplying only products whose quality we can trust, thereby minimising quality problems, returns etc. This means that we can keep our costs down and pass on the benefits to our customers. We are proud to include welders and accessories, air compressors and air tools, woodworking equipment, generators, garage and workshop equipment in our range of products.

We also supply the full range of SIP spares and can provide technical specifications and manuals for the full SIP range.

You can find a wide selection of SIP products at http://www.aktivetools.com/ or give us a ring on 01162 692471 to enquire about any item or spare part. Alternatively, drop us an email at enquiries@aktivetrading.com.