microwelding
technique used to weld ribbon material to the work piece to repair such areas as parting lines, edge and corner repairs as well as scratches and pin holes. Ribbon material is
specifically designed for microwelding and is similar to shim stock except it is available in mold and die steels such as H-13, P-20, S-7, A-2 and stainless steel.
The repair material is positioned over the damaged area, in the case of parting lines and other edge repair, it is common to let a portion of the repair material to extend past the edge slightly. The repair material is
microwelded by pressing down on top of the ribbon material with the tip of the silver-tungsten electrode. The footswitch is then depressed, producing a weld. This will permanently resistance weld or spot weld that portion of the repair material to the repair piece, which is directly under the electrode. Continuous
microwelds are accomplished by holding down on the footswitch while simultaneously rolling the tip of the electrode along the repair material (see video). The goal is to roll at such a rate so the
microwelds will actually overlap each other without leaving any voids between the welds.
The side of the electrode is used to form this material over the edge and weld it to the perpendicular face of the edge. This forms a complete cap over the damaged edge when the repair material is completely
microwelded in place. It is then possible to either finish the area off using traditional mold polishing practices or
microweld another layer of repair material if it is necessary.
