Wash On TIG Weld???

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How often do you wash over a tig weld for appearance sake?
Reply:Do it right the 1st time and you won't need to worry about that. Honestly if a bead has issues, simply going over it to make it "pretty" doesn't do anything. You need to deal with the original issue that cause it to be "ugly". If your problem was poor fusion, chances are the weld bead itself will hinder you from getting enough penetration down into the base material to solve the issue. The bad well will have to go 1st. If the issue is porosity, unless you remove it 1st, it will just keep coming back. The only time I could really see doing this would be for "art" projects, where all you care about is looks and nothing else..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:What DSW said. I've never washed over a weld to make it look better and don't plan to ever try it.Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:Then you have never been in a suck azz position fixing welds some one shouldn't have done in the first place. I'm not to proud to admit to washing over a tig weld after a long night out or getting the red azz then rethinking what I was doing. Inspectors highly frown on it, other welders will give you crap about it but won't admit to doing it. There is a learning curve to welding and making a mistake happens. How you fix it is up to you. I say wash away. Do it tight the first time? Great, if you can. You still need to know how fix it if you can't.  There is a time and place for every thing.Sent from my DROID RAZR using TapatalkLong after the price is forgotten, the quality will remain.Both of my Poppy's 1954 Short Hoods -Third generation to weld with it and teaching a fourthSA 2## - Bought and sold more than I can remember or care to list, 8 in the shop right now
Reply:Yes, I've washed many tig welds with no filler, especially lap joints with 1/4 in steel, makes them look awesome ps. I turn it up 10-15 amps.John~
Reply:Originally Posted by Adam ArcThen you have never been in a suck azz position fixing welds some one shouldn't have done in the first place. I'm not to proud to admit to washing over a tig weld after a long night out or getting the red azz then rethinking what I was doing. Inspectors highly frown on it, other welders will give you crap about it but won't admit to doing it. There is a learning curve to welding and making a mistake happens. How you fix it is up to you. I say wash away. Do it tight the first time? Great, if you can. You still need to know how fix it if you can't.  There is a time and place for every thing.Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
Reply:AdamArc, 100% on that
Reply:Originally Posted by rahtreelimbsHow often do you wash over a tig weld for appearance sake?
Reply:Originally Posted by Adam ArcThen you have never been in a suck azz position fixing welds some one shouldn't have done in the first place. I'm not to proud to admit to washing over a tig weld after a long night out or getting the red azz then rethinking what I was doing. Inspectors highly frown on it, other welders will give you crap about it but won't admit to doing it. There is a learning curve to welding and making a mistake happens. How you fix it is up to you. I say wash away. Do it tight the first time? Great, if you can. You still need to know how fix it if you can't.  There is a time and place for every thing.Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeThat's like showing me a picture of somebody else's girlfriend and saying, So what do think!
Reply:Originally Posted by SquirmyPugIf someone told me to make someone else's welds look nice by washing over it I would quit. A weld is like a signature, I'm not going to put mine on top of someones s***.
Reply:Squirmy, Many a time I have been asked to fix something because no one else can. That's my job. Weld what I am told to weld, if it's mine it will pass x-ray the first time. If it's not mine, it will pass x-ray the first time I fix it. I've spent days on a job waiting for a weld because of three day fit ups and no one else was trusted to run root and hot passes. Then the other hands would get the gravy and flush and cap. I would sit a read for days with the occasional repair so I really can't complain. I'm not to proud to fix a bad weld nor am I to proud how I do it. A good welder will weld. A great welder will fix what a good weld can't weld. Sent from my DROID RAZR using TapatalkLong after the price is forgotten, the quality will remain.Both of my Poppy's 1954 Short Hoods -Third generation to weld with it and teaching a fourthSA 2## - Bought and sold more than I can remember or care to list, 8 in the shop right now
Reply:Adam, I don't mind fixing a weld, but I'm not going to just wash over one and hope it fixes it. I don't know what is under the pass I'm fixing. I'm not too proud to fix something, just too proud to put my name on something that isn't right. Same with any kind of work that I do, I'm paid to do it right even if that means I've got to start fresh. You seem to be a talented welder so I'm sure you know what I mean, and I don't have any problem if you are able to pass the welds doing that. Sounds like you can save your employer lots of money fixing welds like that, and they know it.Rah, I wouldn't mess up a cover pass so there's no need to fix it Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:maybe in that one spot, on that one line, that one night, mirror comes out to reveal that humped up, narrow portion of cap i laid . . . .yep, mirror in one hand and torch in the other. guilty. . . .that one time bosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:How do you know a welder is lying?............His fingers are typing. Hehehe(sorry, no emoticons)Sent from my DROID RAZR using TapatalkLong after the price is forgotten, the quality will remain.Both of my Poppy's 1954 Short Hoods -Third generation to weld with it and teaching a fourthSA 2## - Bought and sold more than I can remember or care to list, 8 in the shop right now
Reply:Originally Posted by Adam ArcHow do you know a welder is lying?............His fingers are typing. Hehehe(sorry, no emoticons)Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
Reply:Well, I've never made a bad weld that I've taken a picture of ...grinder jumped into my hand and cut it out before anyone could see it...probably never happened Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Nothing a carbon rod, a few hundred amps and some air wont fix .Miller xmt304,  Miller S22 p12, Miier Maxstar SD, Miller 252 w 30A, Miller super32p12, Lincoln Ranger 9, Thermal Arc 181I with spoolgun, Hypertherm 10000 ,Smith torches. Esab 161lts miniarc.
Reply:first pass rusty millscaled 1/4 inch pre tacked steel about 125 amps 3/32 309 tig rodfirst washsecond washand don't drop a hot chinese cup on the table!!
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopfirst pass rusty millscaled 1/4 inch pre tacked steel about 125 amps 3/32 309 first washsecond washand don't drop a hot chinese cup on the table!!
Reply:Nothing to add to what Dave posted.. but.. sharpen your tungsten Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:I guess never for appearance sake, my stuff goes away... When I'm filling a deep crack repair & I get to all weld metal I'll turn things up and start shoving 1/8" rod in. Since my stuff then gets overlayed & re-machined I'll sometimes wash or use .045 or 1/16" with a wide weave to make sure there will be enough material on the profile.I never would wash the outside toes back down into the parent material though.Inspectors aren't going to like it because reheating many materials is a no-no. If It's steel with some boron or vanadium in it each re-heat makes it more crack sensitive and less ductile. Plus it's just pretty poor practice.Matt
Reply:I did it on non critical welds overlaying with sil bronze for looks.. got the idea from DhemSent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2Backed my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:I was just welding on some nasty rusted steel to see what that 309 rod would tolerate.... this isn't high quality work. just practice.~John
Reply:Originally Posted by rahtreelimbsHow often do you wash over a tig weld for appearance sake?I wash over ALL my welds at least three sometimes four times.......http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bill...l?sort=3&o=654Last edited by B_C; 02-08-2014 at 01:24 PM.  Miller Dynasty 350Twenty Six HammersThree Crow BarsBig Rock
Reply:Originally Posted by B_CI wash over ALL my welds at least three sometimes four times.......http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bill...l?sort=3&o=654
Reply:Only for sculptural reasons, I'd cut that cold, dirty weld out and try again for any application though.SqWave 200Millermatic 190Airco 200 ACHypertherm PM45Boice-Crane Band SawVictor O/A