A welder in Tulsa told me my root pass looked like a cold snake

This was about 8 years ago on a big pressure vessel job for a refinery. He said my heat was way too low and my travel speed was off, making the bead weak and uneven. I started running my root at 105 amps instead of 85 and slowed my hand way down, and the difference was night and day. Anyone have a similar story about a piece of advice that fixed your weld quality?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan29512d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, 85 amps for a root pass? That's crazy low.

uma_baker9911d ago

Depends on the rod and position. For a 3/32 7018 overhead, 85 is right in the sweet spot. Too hot and you'll have a bad time fighting gravity.

taylorhunt11d ago

Cold snake is the perfect way to put it. My old foreman called my vertical up 7018 a caterpillar, all lumpy and cold. He made me run a whole box of rod just on scrap plate, cranking the heat up and really watching my puddle. It was all about that pause on the sides. Went from a mess to a stack of dimes. Sometimes you just need someone to tell you it looks like crap.