Welding Tips and Tricks

My weld beads were grey, so I tried to figure out what was wrong. I noticed other welders weren't dipping the filler as often as I did. They appeared to be dipping maybe once per quarter inch, whereas I was probably dipping at least twice that often. When I tried to space it out, the welds got shinier.

Question: is this actually how it works? And does it vary with different thicknesses and metals?

It seems like placing my dips so close together made the torch move slowly and overheat the metal.

Chips O'Toole wrote:My weld beads were grey, so I tried to figure out what was wrong. I noticed other welders weren't dipping the filler as often as I did. They appeared to be dipping maybe once per quarter inch, whereas I was probably dipping at least twice that often. When I tried to space it out, the welds got shinier.

Question: is this actually how it works? And does it vary with different thicknesses and metals?

It seems like placing my dips so close together made the torch move slowly and overheat the metal.

How often the filler is feed into the puddle varies with material (ferrous or non ferrous) material thickness, joint design and probably a few other variables I'm not remembering. This is no "one way" Adapt and overcome Watching and learning is a good thing, but practice and find what works for you.

About every 1/8" for me, or sometimes keep the tip in the puddle, or sometimes dip more often.

MinnesotaDave wrote:About every 1/8" for me, or sometimes keep the tip in the puddle, or sometimes dip more often.

I don't do any specialty stuff just some basic stainless, carbon steel, and 6061 aluminum and I do it about every 1/8".

Farmwelding wrote:

MinnesotaDave wrote:About every 1/8" for me, or sometimes keep the tip in the puddle, or sometimes dip more often.

I don't do any specialty stuff just some basic stainless, carbon steel, and 6061 aluminum and I do it about every 1/8".

As you build more stuff I think you'll find you use the same dip spacing often because it becomes comfortable and automatic.

Sometimes you need to do it different and that will become comfortable too.

Yeah I suppose you get a rythm and pattern and stick with it. I just didn't want to claim everything is the same seeing I haven't done other grades of aluminum or titanium and other specialty metals.

I tend to use the rod diameter as the guide: 1/16" rod gets a 1/16" travel, 1/8" rod gets a 1/8" travel and so on. But mostly it's regulated by what I "see" happening and not so much about the spacing. The faster you travel you faster you dip tends to be my guidance.