About bead bubbles.

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Hey, just a quick question, should be a real easy one for anyone welding more than a week, but when welding a bead, I sometimes notice that there are small pockets in a pass after done. Its like a hole in the bead, and I am wanting to know what it is. Its not a bad bead by any means half the time, speed, amp, and control are always usually atleast at par, but every once in a while it happens. I am thinking is may be a piece of leftover slag just rising to the top from a pass before, or a hole in the flux barrier (stick welding). Sorry, like I said it may be easy for anybody above par at this, but Ive been welding for a few months now and am getting stuck with this.
Reply:Hi Joseph!  Those are inclusions. They happen when you have a condition that is not clean enough, or you have allowed slag to roll under the leading edge of the puddle, or perhaps you are travelling too fast to allow the puddle to fuse properly at the point of the inclusion. You must have good prepwork and good technique, then those inclusions will diminish.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Can you be more specific about what you're welding, what position,and what filler you're using?7018 will show porosity if you hold too long an arc length.  If this is the rod you're using, it could be a sign that you momentarily pulled a longer arc.  A small region of porosity is the result.This is just one example that  might explain what you're seeing.  you need to give more info for the folks here to help answer your question.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Ok, well Im using 6013 on 1/4" medium steel (not my choice of a filler rod, but its what I have to use). Im trying to get a good puddle and it usually leads me running hot around 150, but it may be the inverter on the AC machine Im using is going bad, because about all the machines in the shop act different. I usually run an arch about 1/8" on a 1/8" rod, its what we use for basic practice. Like I said, it looks like a burnt pocket in the weld, that the weld forms around, so it may just be slag rising to the top, or it may be something else.
Reply:Just a guessSometimes the slag in 6013 won't "cook" out if you run too fast.  If the "bubble" you're seeing is black and solid, it's a slag inclusion.As you're running it, look back along the bead in the still glowing metal/slag.  If you see a dark spot against the orange, it's slag.  If it's close enough to the puddle, sometimes you can put some more heat in the area to fix it.  It sometimes works, and sometimes it makes for a real mess.  More damn slag in the weld.My main advise is to slow down, and keep the heat in.  You won't burn through"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:OK, ill try that. Ill just slow it down, Im working on making tighter circles when making a bead, so it is just taking time to refine it down to something I can repeat in various circumstances. Ill have to remember to keep the heat and just slow down and maybe think a 123 pattern in my head. Thanks again.
Reply:I hope it's good advice.  It's just based on what I've seen in my own stuff.It seems that at the beginning you're trying to learn so many things at once that it's hard to really watch the whole picture.Once you come up with a hand motion that's comfortable for you, and one that makes acceptable welds, you'll start to be able to look further around the weld area to see what's actually going on.  You'll be able to concentrate on the puddle, and other things in that area.  You'll just move the puddle with your hands and not even think about it.  I can't really explain it.Ramble ramble ramble"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/