soldering vs. welding

In welding you have the two pieces of metal to be joined, and you have a third material (welding Rod / WIre).

When welding not only are the Rods or Wires melted into the metals forming a bond but the two pieces of metal to be bonded are melted at the point of contact by very high current that create emmence heat and actually Bonds them together also....The Rods or Wire is more or less a filler to take up the space left behind when the two pieces melt together

Soldering is simply you have a piece of metal and you want to attach anothe piece of metal. You use the solder as a bonding agent. it more or less just sticks to the first piece of metal more or less....There is no permanent bond created (This is with conventional soldering of course)

Basically there is a bond but the two materials have not melted into one another as much as with Welding..

This is what I consider to be the difference...

Making the World A Louder Place

Soldering connects two wires together with a third substance... the solder.

Welding joins two metals together by melting them.. sometimes a filler metal is added.

 Jim