10
A weld test in Tulsa showed me why my root pass kept failing
I was at a big plant in Tulsa last month, doing a code weld on a 6 inch steam line. My root kept coming out with tiny holes, no matter how clean I got the pipe. An old hand named Ray watched me for a minute and said, 'Kid, your gap is too tight... you're starving the arc.' He had me open it up to a solid 3/32 inch and slow my travel speed by half. The next pass was perfect, no porosity at all. I'd been taught one way for years, but that small change made all the difference. Anyone else run into a simple fix that went against what you were first taught?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
dixon.felix3d ago
That "right way" thing @lee.casey mentioned is spot on. Read an article once calling it "tribal knowledge." You learn one method from your first crew and just stick with it. Makes you scared to change even when something isn't working. Like your root pass story. Sometimes the fix is stupid simple but goes against everything in your head. You gotta be willing to listen to an old timer like Ray.
5