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Overheard a foreman say something about rod angles on a 6-inch header
I was on a job in Gary last week. This old foreman goes "you're fighting the weld if your rod angle is off by 5 degrees." I always just eyeballed it. So I paid close attention on the next pass. Sure enough, I was leaning too far forward. Adjusted it by just a few degrees and the puddle flattened right out. Less spatter too. Anyone else had a random comment from a veteran totally change how you run a bead?
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wood.eric1mo ago
Rod angle is everything on heavy wall. Had a CWI yell at me for getting 2 degrees off on a 6G test once. Made me run the whole coupon over. He was right though. Ever since I keep a speed square handy to check my angle before every pass on thick stuff.
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stone.lisa1mo ago
Yeah man, an old pipe fitter told me to keep the rod tight to the joint and it saved my ass on the next flange weld.
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hill.margaret1mo ago
Oh man, I love this. There's something about those little tips from old timers that just sticks with you. I had a guy tell me once to "listen to the arc" and it honestly changed the way I check my settings before striking up. It's wild how a tiny adjustment can make such a huge difference in the puddle.
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