The weld prep on site is killing me, too much grinding wasted

I keep seeing guys skip the bevel angle on thick pipe and then spend an hour grinding out slag. Why is everyone afraid to take an extra 5 minutes with the grinder before laying a bead?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia_kelly20d ago

@christopherwilson nailed it, guys act like beveling is wasting time but it saves soo much headache later. What makes you think skipping the prep is actually faster? Even with a decent grinder, you still have to stop and clean up slag every few inches which totally kills any time you saved. I've watched guys do a whole pass without a bevel and the weld looks terrible, then they blame the rod or the machine. Is it just laziness or do people not realize how much heat you lose without a proper edge?

walker.robert6d ago

I read somewhere that skipping the bevel is basically like trying to melt a thick block of ice with a lighter - you're just fighting the metal the whole way instead of letting it flow. It's just ego, dudes want to look fast without thinking about the actual finish.

christopherwilson20d ago

Totally agree, I've watched guys fight cleanup for hours when a quick bevel would've saved it.