HE ORIGINS of welding are buried in the depths of antiquity, T commencing with the forging of native gold and copper, progressing in the bronze age with the braze welding of castings, but not developing greatly until relatively recently. It has been this century, and the latter half in particular, that welding has developed to the stage where there are more than 100 variants. Furthermore, joining by welding has become such an efficient technique that much of our modem way oflife would not be possible without it. The giant oil rigs, built to withstand the rigours of the North Sea, the minute...