Overheard a foreman talking about pre-heat on a 2-inch thick plate job

He was telling a new guy that skipping the pre-heat on a cold morning in Duluth would just cause more work later, and he was right. We ended up having to grind out and re-weld a six-foot seam after it cracked overnight. How do you guys decide when pre-heat is absolutely necessary versus just a good idea?

2 comments

2 Comments

davidmurphy14d ago

My buddy welded a trailer hitch in his garage last winter... didn't pre-heat the thick steel. It looked perfect until he put weight on it and the whole thing cracked right along the weld. He spent more time cutting it apart than he saved by skipping the step.

zara_patel5714d ago

Always thought that step was overkill until I saw something similar happen.