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Talking to a 20-year veteran welder at lunch changed how I prep tube sheets
He told me he spends 45 minutes just wire wheeling and checking fitup before laying a single bead, and I realized I've been rushing that part for years. Anyone else find out they've been skipping a step that makes everything easier?
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ryan9521d ago
That bit about spending 45 minutes on prep really hits home. I heard a guy say once that welding is 90 percent cleaning and 10 percent actually welding, which sounded crazy until I tried doing it right. Now I spend way more time with the wire wheel and it makes the rest go so much smoother.
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faithf7713h ago
Does it ever feel like we're just professional cleaners who happen to weld a little on the side? I mean, I've definitely spent way more time scrubbing and grinding than I have actually running a bead. The funny thing is, I used to skip prep because I thought I was saving time, but then I'd spend twice as long fixing blowholes and spatter. Now I joke that my welding cart should have a wire wheel on one side and a grinder on the other, because that's basically all I do before I even strike an arc. It's kind of embarrassing how many times I've prepped for 45 minutes, welded for 5, and then spent another 30 minutes cleaning the weld. So yeah, I feel your pain, but at least the results make it worth it, right?
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