How to finish a weld

How do a finish my bead so it doesn’t look like this ?

what I do sv. is step the rod/wire to the edge and then back into the v groove, but to have full penetration and fill you will have a small lump on each side. when the weld cools just give it a quick swipe with a grinder or flapper disc.

what I do sv. is step the rod/wire to the edge and then back into the v groove, but to have full penetration and fill you will have a small lump on each side. when the weld cools just give it a quick swipe with a grinder or flapper disc.

the bead in question damn picture won’t work again

I?ll have to try and perfect my welding technique

Is this the picture, it's from your other post. Lets see if this works.
<img src="https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/mvphoto26095.png" border="0">

Well that didn't work but anyway...

I just reverse when I get to an edge or the end of a weld and go back over the weld 1/4 inch or so. Not sure if that is the way a real welder would do it but it works for me.

It's common to V-groove a joint when it's necessary to grind the weld off flush however in this situation I don't think it will hold. I think it needs a piece of metal welded over the joint on both sides to re-enforce it.

Maybe I can get this picture to work
The weld looks good except for a couple minor things. Its a "hot" weld. There's slight undercut near the middle on the bottom. A little dwell time on the ends help to fill up the end cavity for the start, some people use a little weave to begin.

On a flat plate weld like that after my root pass and clean out, I set the welder to somewhere around 95 amps on the DC setting, using a 1/8 7018 and hold it at a 45 angle, just lay it down and let it burn. It's different for each welder, but usually somewhere around that.
You'll know it's right when the flux just peels away and stands up on its own; it will be a brown color. Repeat passes as necessary and cap with a little weave so you get a slightly proud bead. Sometimes you can just feed in rod and let it build up a little for the ends. This is harder as it tends to stick the rod, but it works. It depends on what works for you.

It looks good with plenty of penetration just a little hot with some spatter. The under cut is minor. Nothing wrong with it.

Caveat: I'm not a welder though I did play one in a previous life as a millwright for a sawmill company. It's a perishable skill and there ain't nothing wrong with running test beads to insure settings to suit you.

A grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't.

As you near the end of your pass you have more heat in the metal that you are welding compared to the start. So at the end of the weld to properly fill the crater we need to reduce heat. That is most easily accomplished by increasing the arc length. So what I usually do is: Longer arc, small circle or weave at the end of the bead to fill the crater and then rapid break.

I second running a trial bead first to set the amperage correctly, remember trying to do too much per pass often leads to a poor weld. It appears that you are running about 20 amps too high and/or speed slightly slow.

Most of do not weld every day, so there is nothing wrong with some warm-up practice on scrap metal.

If you want to cheat just clamp a copper
bar to the outside and weld right up to it.

I like that idea

Thanks for the info . I?ll have try your suggestions next time something breaks and needs welded

Can?t have a piece of extra metal becuse right where it?s broke Is where it goes into the bracket on the plow . Update plowed all day with it and it?s still holding

Thanks for all the info you definitely know a lot more
about welding than I do