Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding is a welding process in which an electric arc is created between the workpiece and a solid wire. The wire (filler metal) is continuously fed through the welding machine and into the weld pool to form the weld.

The process of MIG welding is semi-automatic, as the machine does all the wire feeding for you, which is why MIG welding is considered one of the easiest types of welding to learn.

MIG welding is done with a MIG torch for mild and stainless steel and a spool gun for aluminium. A wire spool is attached inside the machine and fed through rollers into the torch liner and then out of the torch automatically, so once it's set up, all you need to worry about is the settings.

There are only two settings on a MIG machine: voltage and wire feed speed. It's relatively straightforward to set up, and because it's as easy as aiming the gun in the weld joint and pulling the trigger, it's the fastest way to weld.

The main downside to MIG welding is that it's not very good in outside or windy conditions, as it's a gas-shielded method. However, there's good news. You can MIG weld with gasless wire as well.

MIG welding is used for a lot of fabrication work as it works on thin and thick materials, so it's very versatile. Some common applications are things like frames, trailers, car panels and general fabrication. It is also commonly used for DIY and hobby projects because it is so easy to learn.