Fledgling Hawk

Thank you, all of you for your input. I believe I have enough to use for my paper. Thank you again.

No, no. Not as a shielding gas. Of course not. And I know GMAW and GTAW don't use it as an inert gas. I meant when it comes to heating the metal for reforming, you use Propane. Like with a gas forge.

Using a Dump Truck in place of a Cargo Ship is impractical, yes. However, both do similar things. Just in different capacity. A Cargo Ship is just a big Dump Truck that "swims". It is true, Blacksmithing and Welding do different things, but they aren't ENTIRELY different. The practice of Forge Welding comes to mind. Forge Welding is done in Blacksmithing. The Welding Association acknowledges that Forge Welding IS a form of Welding. Welding is the process of combining two metals with or without heat and with or without filler metal. Metal is welded with Pressure and Heat. Heat is created under pressure or from an outside source. Blacksmithing is using heat and pressure to combine two metals into one piece, just without the extra "umph" of an electric current. In fact, Blacksmithing and Welding aren't even that different in the ways they heat metal. A Blacksmith might use a gas forge, one powered with Propane. Welders commonly use a 75/25 gas mixture for MIG or TIG welding. So, in conclusion, your response is not entirely correct. Yes, Blacksmithing and Welding are different, but one was derived from the other. Hence, they do similar things.

So, I'm writing a paper for my English class, and I decided to write about two things I have a passion for. My question is which version of metal work is better? Who here would take blacksmithing over welding and vice versa. Why do you choose one over the other? I'd love all of your opinions and I can't wait to hear from you all.