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Puddles 03-06-2013 02:47:19 24.113.77.208 Report to Moderator

Pipe welding is the fastest way I know of to learn how to read the puddle. You'll never make it as a pipe weldor if you can't read the puddle, and know what to do a few seconds a head of time. 2-G is not very difficult, going around a 2-G pipe seems to be more of a natural motion for us. 5-G and 6-G is where you'll learn all about rod angle, and puddle control. Open root pipe is a whole new can of worms. You'll have to figure out what size root opening and root face, (land) works best for you. Here again you'll have to know how to read the puddle and gap. When the gap starts closing on you, you have to make the decision to either stop, and grind the gap back open, or change the rod angle, and arc length to be able to cut the root gap back open so you can get enough penetration. Don't know how it is in the Mid West, but here on the west coast you touch a piece of pipe, and you'll have a UA member standing there wanting to know what you are doing with their pipe. This makes it really difficult for none pipe fitters and boiler makers weldors who don't weld enough pipe to get really good at it! The problem is, for the last 25-years or so most companies test every weldor with a 6-G open root pipe tests. Their reasoning is, first thing it separates men from the boys in just a few minutes. Second reason is, it qualifies the weldor for several tests at once. For dirt moving equipment, in my opinion the hardest part about hard facing, is judging the spacing on the hard facing pattern. And knowing the different soils. The theory is to have the hard facing pattern hold a layer dirt so the wear is on the dirt, not the equipment. There are areas of the San Francisco Bay Area that has this blue clay. You start walking across an area that has this blue clay, when you stop you'll be 6-inches taller than when you started! :lol: [Reply]   [No Email]