Work out the materials before you spend the money.
Free calculators for home, DIY and welding projects: paint, concrete, metal and more, with guides that explain the numbers. Works on your phone in the store or the garage.
Calculators
Metal weight calculator
OpenWeight of plate, bar, tube and angle in steel, stainless, aluminium and more.
Welder generator size calculator
OpenHow many watts your generator needs to run your welder and tools.
Paint calculator
OpenLitres or gallons for a room, and which can sizes to buy.
Concrete calculator
OpenSlabs, patios and post holes, with premix bag counts.
Flooring calculator
OpenBoxes of laminate, vinyl plank or hardwood for your rooms, with waste.
Fence calculator
OpenPosts, panels or pickets, and bags of concrete for a run of fence.
Home and DIY guides
How Many Tiles Do I Need? Floors, Walls and Showers
How to work out how many tiles to buy for a floor, wall or shower: measuring, tile and grout sizes, waste by layout, boxes, and how much adhesive and grout to plan for.
How Much Concrete Do I Need? Slabs, Patios and Post Holes
How to work out how much concrete you need in cubic yards, cubic metres or bags: slab and post-hole formulas, bag yields, worked examples (including a 10×10 slab), and when to order ready-mix.
How Much Flooring Do I Need? Measure, Add Waste and Buy the Right Boxes
How to work out how much laminate, vinyl plank or hardwood flooring to buy: measuring rooms, waste for each layout, box counts, underlayment, trim and a worked example.
How Much Paint Do I Need for a Room? Walls, Ceilings and Coats
How to work out how much paint you need: measuring walls, subtracting doors and windows, coverage per gallon or litre, number of coats, ceilings, trim and primer, with worked examples.
Welding guides
Butt Fusion Welding: How HDPE Pipe Is Fused, Step by Step
Butt fusion welding explained: how HDPE and polyethylene pipe is joined, the six steps, heater temperature, interfacial pressure, bead sizes and cooling times (ASTM F2620), equipment, and butt vs electrofusion vs socket fusion.
GTAW Welding (TIG): What It Is, How It Works and How to Do It
GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding, also called TIG) explained: how it works, equipment, shielding gas, tungsten types, settings charts for steel and aluminium, technique, pipe welding and certification.
STT Welding Explained: What Surface Tension Transfer Is and When to Use It
STT welding explained: how Lincoln's Surface Tension Transfer process works, how to dial in settings, pipe root tips, and how it compares to MIG, pulse MIG, TIG, RMD and CMT.
Welding vs Metal Fabrication: What's the Difference?
Welding vs metal fabrication explained: what fabrication includes (cutting, forming, machining, welding, assembly and finishing), the difference between a welder and a fabricator, tools, careers and how to get started.
How to Weld Stainless Steel to Mild Steel: Filler, Settings and Tips
How to weld stainless steel to mild (carbon) steel with TIG, MIG or stick: why 309L filler is the standard choice, dilution, settings, preparation, gas, and how to avoid cracking and rust at the joint.
Best Stick Welders for Beginners (2026): 4 Picks for Every Budget
The best stick welders for beginners in 2026, from a budget ARCCAPTAIN ARC200 to the Hobart Stickmate 160, ESAB Rogue ES 201iP PRO and Lincoln AC/DC 225/125, plus how to choose amps, voltage, rods and features.
Gear and buying advice
Types of Welding Processes: MIG, TIG, Stick and Flux-Core Explained
The main types of welding explained: MIG (GMAW), TIG (GTAW), stick (SMAW) and flux-core (FCAW), plus oxy-fuel, submerged arc, and laser welding, with a comparison table and which process to learn first.
Best Welding Machine Brands (2026): Who Makes the Best Welders?
The top welding machine brands and manufacturers in 2026: Lincoln Electric, Miller, Hobart, ESAB, Fronius, Kemppi and more, plus value brands like YesWelder, ARCCAPTAIN and Primeweld, and how to choose.
Best Welder Generator Combos for 2026: 4 Honest Picks
The best welder generators for home, farm and pro use in 2026: Hobart Champion 145, Champion Elite 225, Miller Bobcat 265 and Lincoln Ranger 230MP compared on amps, generator power, weight and fuel.
Best Clothes for Welders (2026): Jackets, Shirts, Gloves and What Not to Wear
What to wear for welding in 2026: the best flame-resistant welding jackets, hybrid and leather jackets, FR shirts, gloves and sleeves, plus pants, boots and caps, and the materials you should never weld in.