An old welder in Spokane told me to always preheat my 2-inch thick plate before welding, even on a warm day.

I was working on a pressure vessel repair last spring and figured the ambient 70-degree weather was enough. He insisted, so I fired up the rosebud torch for about 15 minutes. The weld went in smooth as butter with zero cracking, which was a huge win. I would've had a real problem on my hands if I'd skipped it. Anyone else have a preheat rule they stick to no matter what?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_knight721mo ago

Preheating thick stock is a non-negotiable step for me.

parkerk561mo agoTop Commenter

Totally, it makes a huge difference. I skipped it once and the weld looked like a sad mess. Never making that mistake again.

kelly.parker1d ago

Depends on what you're welding though...