How to Weld a Fence & What Type of Welding to Use

Dust off the metal or wrought iron pickets and rails with a soft cloth. This provides a clean surface to ensure proper bonding.

Wear long sleeves, long pants, heavy duty work gloves and a welder's mask during the welding process. This protects your skin and eyes from burns. Wool clothing and leather gloves are less flammable than other materials. A leather apron is also advisable.

Practice on old scrap metal before attempting to weld the fence. This enables you to become familiar with melting and feeding the metal rod and using the welder. Many non-experts find an electric arc welder less difficult to use than a gas-powered machine. An electric welder is less complicated to maneuver and is more lightweight.

Lay out the fence rails and pickets on a sturdy work surface. Choose a metal table, a concrete floor or another hard, non-flammable surface.

Plug in the arc welder and set it at the appropriate temperature for the thickness of the fence parts. Temperatures above 1,450 degrees Fahrenheit often cause the wrought iron material to crack, therefore it is advisable to keep the welder between 500 and 1,250 degrees.

Clamp the first two pieces of the metal fence together with a welding clamp. The melted slag is slippery, so the clamp ensures it stays together until the bond is secure. Use multiple clamps to put longer lengths of the fence together to speed up the process.

Place the welding rod at the section on the metal pieces where you want to join them.

Touch the arc welder tip to the welding rod until it starts to melt. Move the welder along the area until the pieces are welded together.

Remove the hot tip of the welder and allow the pieces to cool and bond. This normally only takes a few seconds.

Repeat the process by removing the clamp and welding additional pieces of metal together.