10
Hot take: I used to fight with slag on every weld, now I just adjust my angle a hair
For the first 5 years I was a boilermaker, I would chip and grind for what felt like forever to get rid of slag on every pass. It drove me crazy especially on vertical up stuff. Then at a job in Gary last fall, an old hand named Pete watched me struggle and said 'stop pointing your rod so steep, drop it down 10 degrees.' I laughed it off but tried it anyway. After a few beads, my slag practically fell off on its own. Now I keep my rod angle between 10 and 15 degrees and I save maybe 20 minutes per joint. Has anyone else had a simple tweak like that totally change their welding routine?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
richard_sanchez431mo ago
Bet you wished you'd met Pete 2,000 hours of chipping ago...
2
jamie79424d ago
Your 10 to 15 degree range is right where mine sits too... but I still fight slag if I'm running 7018 on cold steel. Did Pete ever tell you if he changes his angle for different rods or base metal temps, or does he keep it the same no matter what? I've heard some guys say to go even flatter on stainless but I never got a straight answer.
1
robert_hayes1mo ago
Heard the same thing from a buddy who spent years fighting slag on pipe welds before someone told him to just tweak his drag angle.
-1