Welding Melts Two Metals Into One Piece
To weld is to join metals by heat. It differs fundamentally from soldering and brazing.
To weld is to join metals by heating them until they fuse. The distinction from soldering and brazing is precise: welding melts the parent metals themselves so they become one continuous piece, while soldering and brazing melt only a filler that bonds to unmelted surfaces. A welded joint can be as strong as the metal around it; a soldered one cannot. *Weld* is an altered form of *well*, in the old sense of to boil or rise up, describing the molten pool.
- To fuse metals. *Welding a seam.*
- A joint. *A clean weld.*
- To unite firmly. *Welded together.*
- Welder — the worker. *A welder.*
- From *well*, to boil up. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | weld | Welding. |
| Noun | weld | A weld. |
| Agent | welder | A welder. |
| Past | welded | Welded. |
| Related | well | To well up. |
- He welded the frame.Metalwork.
- Soldering does not melt the parent metal.Distinction.
- Welded into one piece.Figurative.
Welding, brazing and soldering
- Welding — melts the parent metals, forming one continuous piece
- Brazing — melts a filler above 450 degrees, parent metal stays solid
- Soldering — melts a filler below 450 degrees
- Strength falls in that order
- Only welding makes the joint part of the metal itself
An altered form of *well* in the obsolete sense of to boil or rise up, from Old English *wiellan*.
What is the difference between welding and soldering?
Welding melts the metals being joined so they fuse into one piece; soldering melts only a filler that bonds to unmelted surfaces.
Where does the word come from?
From well in its old sense of boiling or rising up, describing the molten pool at the joint.