An improvement in an electrical resistance welding apparatus that includes a welder having a frame and a hand for moving electrodes into and out of clamping engagement with a workpiece is disclosed. The improvement includes an electrode positioning actuator (42) for moving the welder hand in order to move the electrodes in and out of engagement with the workpiece and an electromagnetic clamping device (44) for clamping the electrodes onto the workpiece during the formation of the weld. The electromagnetic clamping device (44) includes an electromagnet (50) mounted to the positioning actuator (42) and a ring (52) of magnetic material mounted to the welder frame (56) wherein the electromagnet (50) and the ring (52) are in a normally spaced relationship when the electromagnet (50) is deenergized and such that the ring (52) is adjacent the electromagnet (50) when the electrodes are in clamping engagement with the workpiece.