20 Top Rated Welding Books For all Welding Levels in 2022

The Welding Fundamentals is a top quality book written by William Bowditch that is designed to help students to understand key terms in welding theory. The book also assists students to develop welding skills with a great emphasis on safe welding.  Reading the book ensures that you understand the basic welding processes like oxyfuel welding, gas tungsten arc welding, gas metal arc welding, flux-cored arc welding and resistance welding.

Another great feature is the book`s neatly arranged structure that comes with easy to understand illustrations. You can expect to learn all-things welding from the comprehensive tables and charts. Welding Fundamentals also contains important technical information for weld inspection and testing, welding symbols and welder qualifications. The book also contains a wealth of information regarding chemical and electrical hazards, allowing you to understanding crucial safety details from the onset.

You don’t have to read the book from start to finish as you can skip between the eight chapters. The book is ideal for students looking to tackle the AWS SENSE Level 1-Entry Welder test.  But even if you read the book as a DIY welder, you are guaranteed to learn a lot and develop your welding skills.

If you want a comprehensive book that will teach you everything from tools to safety processes and even welding techniques, then ‘How to Weld’ by Todd Bridigum is your right pick. This book leaves nothing to chance and explains about metals and their properties as well as the different tools used in the fabrication process.

The book is rich on information regarding braze welding, gas welding, shielded metal arc welding, arc welding and tungsten arc welding.  Another great feature is the presence of exercises towards the end of each chapter to help you keep the concepts in mind. The colored photos ensure that you understand the welding techniques by looking at realistic illustrations.

The brief introduction on the history of welding as well as the focus on welding safety makes the book ideal for beginners. ‘How to Weld’ is different to other books in that it provides several examples of welding projects gone wrong, thus giving you a practical understanding on how to weld.

This welding book by Matin Kimberli is ideal for beginners looking to venture into the DIY welding niche. It teaches everything related to garden and home projects, and the colorful photos make the learning easier. While this book is not as intense as those meant for welding classes, it is a gold mine for the welding enthusiast looking to develop base knowledge on welding.

‘Ready, Set, Weld!: Beginner-Friendly Projects for the Home & Garden’ is unique, in that it teaches you how to start your welding journey with simple projects. It is rich in step-by-step instructions and helps you to develop confidence as you start your welding journey.

Another amazing feature that comes with this book is its improvisation welding guidelines. It teaches you how to weld various items using simple parts like bars and rods that are normally found in salvage yards.  You will also learn how to create lasting garden chairs, tri-fold screens, plant stands among a host of other garden items.

Written and published by Hobart Institute of Welding Technology, the ‘Hobard Pocket Welding Guide’ is one of the most popular welding books for students. Its portability allows you to carry it to your various locations. All pages are colored to improve your understanding of handling real-life welding situations. ‘Hobard Pocket Welding Guide’ teaches you everything about welding symbols, metal identification, welding and joint position and filler metal selection.

You also get to learn about the preheat temperature for several metals and is always updated such that it contains relevant information on carbons and alloy steels AISI designation.  You can never get stuck with this book as it discusses different welding terms, conversion tables and common welding mistakes.

The book is a guide that you should always walk with as a welding student or a welding enthusiast. It fits perfectly on your workshop clothes, thus allowing you to use it without having to go to the book shelve.

‘Welding: Principles and Applications’, authored by Jeffus Larry is a serious book that focuses on everything related to welding. It is a welding encyclopedia to say the least. With 1000 pages of welding content, you can`t possibly miss a thing when using this book as your guide.

‘Welding: Principles and Applications’ is a great addition for students looking to prepare for AWS level I and II certification. It covers the cutting and welding process as well as cost calculations and welding inspection. Another great feature that comes with the book is its intense practice lessons that help you prepare for certification.  You can also learn about advanced welding techniques like magnetic pulse welding and laser beam heat treating.

The photo illustrations are colored and large enough to help you understand the handling of various machines and welding situations.

Welding for Dummies is one of the easiest to understand welding books that you will find in the market. Written by Steven Robert Farnsworth, the book contains easily graspable illustrations and concepts that will help even the greenest of welders to understand a thing or two. Some of the basic welding processes covered in the book include MIG, TIG, Flux-core, oxy fuel cutting and stick welding. ‘Welding for Dummies’ also covers areas on safe welding and proper finishes, to help you learn how to do a safe and equally satisfactory job when welding.

Impressively, the book also sheds light on acetylene cutting and welding in an easy to understand way that won`t overburden a fresh beginner with little to no welding experience. You will also get to learn a lot about plasma welding, which is hard to find on other welding books.

The greatest feature of the book is how easy it is to understand. It is written in a simplistic manner that is both encouraging and ideal for beginners with no knowledge on welding.

Want to learn more about MIG welding and the various processes involved in metal fabrication? If so then you should try this highly detailed and illustrative welding book by Stephen Christena. ‘Learning to Weld: Beginning MIG Welding and Metal Fabrication Basics’ is ideal for both students and welding enthusiasts looking to know a thing or two about DIY welding.

The book is rich in illustrative tutorials, which is crucial since welding is more practical than theoretical. ‘Learning to Weld: Beginning MIG Welding and Metal Fabrication Basics’ boasts of a hugely detailed index that will serve as a quick access reference, allowing you to get to the relevant chapter depending on your project.

The exercises also make it possible to learn about welding and develop solid skills right from the beginner level. With this book by your side, you won`t have to worry about purchasing other books as you learn about welding.

Written by Pearce Andrew, the book seeks to educate welding beginners on the do`s and don’ts of DIY welding.  The book provides detailed information on car, farm equipment and motorcycle welding to help you make light repairs at the farm. It is a book that is rich in suggestion and tips for strategic welding.

‘Farm and Workshop Welding: Everything you Need to Know to Weld, Cut, and Shape Metal’ has great illustrations that make it easier to understand the concepts being explained. It sheds light on various welding techniques from stick to TIG and MIG welding.  The sections on metal identification, welding safety, cast iron welding, pipe welding, hard facing, workshop techniques, and drill sharpening make this book one of the most convenient assets a beginner welder can possess. It also has a ‘common mistakes to avoid’ section that teaches you how to weld appropriately to avoid injury or losses. The illustrations are top-notch as the book relies heavily on high-resolution images to pass communications across.

Written by Michael Reeser, Welding Complete is one of those must-have books for beginners looking to make a career in welding. The book explains different welding techniques from a theoretical and practical perspective.

Boasting of over 30 metal fabrication and welding projects, you are guaranteed to learn about all welding techniques by the time you complete this read. The inclusion of colored illustrations and blueprints also make it easier for readers to understand the various welding basics.

In terms of orderliness, not many welding books compare to ‘Welding Complete: Techniques, Project Plans and Instructions’. Just as the title suggests, the book provides great details on how to weld, and plan for your welding projects. It is divided in three main sections. The first focuses on shop welding where details are provided about grinders, cylinder rack, welding tables etc.

The second category is the home section where it discusses everything from building coffee table bases to room dividers, nightstands and many other projects. The final section is the garage and yard category where you learn about creating trellis, trailer frame and patio bench.

Spencer Gould wrote this book with great focus on TIG welding. It is ideal for beginners looking to learn more about TIG welding and the basics of welding including safety techniques and material selection.

The book places a great amount of focus on safety through the use of protective equipment when working on welding projects. You will learn everything about the different types of TIG welding. However, the book is ideal for beginners and not experts looking to learn additional information on TIG welding since it is too basic.

The book works best if you have a home TIG machine that you can use to implement the lessons and tips. Having this book will give you an edge over other students as you look to kick start your welding career.

Written by Barbie the Welder, you can expect to learn a lot about DIY welding projects from this book. The book contains well over 30 DIY welding projects that you can try at home or at the workshop. The book has an edge over others since it gives you a practical approach to undertaking your welding projects.

Aside from providing details on undertaking projects, the book is hands on and contains several instructions on how to set up and operate machines. This ensures that you don’t ruin your welding machines or sustain injury during operations.

The book also teaches readers on how to weld different items from holders to picture frames, drink racks and even paper towels. It is genuinely a great book aimed towards improving your welding skills. You must however, be willing to read and follow through the various instructions to ensure that you develop your welding skills and become a pro.

This book by renowned manufacturers Miller Electric is ideal for welders looking to learn more about arc welding, material joining and welding various joint types. This book was intended to equip Miller Electric`s employees on proper welding techniques. As a result, you can expect to find useful information on gas tungsten arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, submerged arc welding, gas metal arc welding, hard facing and aluminum welding.

The book is also rich in information on the different types of metals used in welding as well as the safety measures to keep in mind when working on welds. If you own a workshop and want to train your employees, then ‘Introduction to Welding: Welding Process Training Series’ is your best pick.

`Metals and How to Weld Them`, written by Jefferson Theodore is one of the most detailed welding books intermediate welders can come across. The book discusses metals and their internal structure in depth, thus increasing your understanding on weld-ability and properties of different metals.  It also sheds light on the various welding methods used in different industries.

Some of the key areas discussed in the book include crystallography, preheating metals, and heat treating. ‘Metals and How to Weld Them’ is easy to read since it boasts of colorful illustrations in the form of photos, charts and diagrams. The book shed light on the best metals to use for your welding projects, which is ideal for people looking to take up DIY welding projects.

Written by Richard Finch, the book contains 160 pages of intense welding and metal cutting information. It is hard to find a more detailed book on plasma cutting, oxyacetylene, ARC, MIG and TIG welding. The book contains a well-detailed manual on the most popular welding techniques as well as safety precautions when welding.

You can expect to learn a lot about metal cleaning and fitting when undertaking different projects. The later chapters discuss plasma cutting and other advanced welding techniques to help you learn how to tackle future projects.  The book is ideal for teaching welders proper and safe welding techniques.

`The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding’ is among the best books for people looking to take their welding skills to the next level. The book is largely dedicated to arc-welding and focuses on applications and best practices for the welding technique.  You can expect to learn more about submerged arc, SMAW, GMAW, GTAW and dual-shield.

The book is rich in information on geometry, weld design, shielding-gas data and troubleshooting; thus leaving you well-equipped to handle your welding projects. ‘The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding’ comes packed with two welding DVDs and a welding booklet to keep you well equipped at all times.

‘Welding Skills’ is a hard cover book written by B.J. Moniz for the average skilled welder looking to take his welding to the next level. The book focuses primarily on welding processes and metal identification, which is ideal for intermediate welders.

The presence of several illustrations makes the book easy to read and understand. You can also learn a lot about welding processes and technical terminologies related to welding. Another impressive feature of the book is its focus on welding safety, especially for complex welding techniques.  You get to learn about arc welding, flux cored arc welding, gas metal arc welding and gas tungsten arc welding.

‘Welding Skills’ comes with a section discussing dissimilar metal welding as well as AWS SENSE preferred content. This book will serve you for years and help you transition into a fine expert welder.

The Audel Welding Pocket Reference is a 448 page book authored by James Brumbaugh. The book contains several welding definitions and symbols and is a great addition to have as you learn more about welding. The ‘Audel Welding Pocket Reference’ provides detailed information on arc-welding charts, type of joints and welds, oxygen cylinders and the ideal configurations for a welding station.

You get to learn all about the right tools for various metals with this handbook by your side. ‘Audel Welding Pocket Reference’ also discusses brazing, TIG and sticks in depth; thus leaving you well informed on handling your projects successfully.

The book teaches you everything about calculating and taking measurements for welding projects. This book can’t do much for beginners but is ideal if you have relevant experience and proper welding skills. ‘Math for Welders’ has several complicated formulas for a variety of welding techniques including flux calculation, wire speed selection and amp setting.

The book will equip you with the necessary skills on weld penetration as it explains all mathematical operations.

Written by Rex Miller, the book is a great companion for expert welders preparing for welding exams. It is well detailed and contains all the welding information required for successful completion of your exams.

It contains tips for welding calculations as well as advanced safety measures for complex projects. It is also rich in illustrations, containing over 200 colored images and guides. If you want to get certified, then you should not look past this highly-educative book.

The book discusses several concepts in depth including, tools, metal alloys, braze welding, shielded metal arc, oxyacetylene and other weld terminologies.

This hard cover welding book written by Andrew Althouse is among the best in the market. It contains all information about advanced welding methods and cutting techniques. ‘Modern Welding’ stands out due to its rich theoretical and practical content that allows you to learn new concepts with relative ease.  The illustrative photos help you learn much faster since they are clear and easily relatable.

The book contains impressively detailed sections on welding symbol interpretation, symbol testing and interpretation. It also provides several tips for effective and safe welding, thus keeping you well-placed to pass your welding exams. It is also ideal for hobbyists looking to engage in DIY welding projects.