Airfoil joining apparatus and methods

A method of airfoil repair comprising:

• removing a damaged portion of an original airfoil to form a cropped airfoil, wherein the cropped airfoil comprises a cropped airfoil attachment section and a cropped first side opposite a cropped second side, the cropped first side and the cropped second side each extending axially between a cropped first edge and a cropped second edge to define a cropped chord length;
• disposing the cropped airfoil in a cropped airfoil electrode;
• disposing an airfoil repair component within a repair component electrode, the repair component electrode comprising a repair component electrode insert removably received within a repair component electrode body, wherein the airfoil repair component comprises a body having a repair first side opposite a repair second side, the body defining a repair attachment section for attaching the airfoil repair component to the cropped airfoil at the cropped airfoil attachment section, the repair attachment section extending axially between a repair first edge and a repair second edge to define a repair chord length, the repair attachment section being oversized with respect to the cropped airfoil attachment section such that the repair chord length is longer than the cropped chord length;
• positioning the airfoil repair component with respect to the cropped airfoil;
• passing an inert gas to the repair component electrode via an inert gas manifold defined in the repair component electrode;
• and
• passing current through the cropped airfoil electrode and the repair component electrode to attach the airfoil repair component to the cropped airfoil and form a repaired airfoil.