A Case of "The Greywelds"

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Been blowing steady around 20mph, gusts to 35+mph here.A no weld day for me.  Could wind up with a case of the "greywelds".  Weld turns grey and dull immediately, not shiny when you knock off the slag.  Experience has taught me not to trust the weld, they do break.  So either pack it in for the day, find a place with some protection from the wind, or if possible put up something for a shield.Stick is great for pretty breezy days, but it does have its limits.Not quite sure whether it's a shielding problem(most likely), or a rapid cooling problem(maybe, but not high on my list of suspects).  In a pinch, I'll run the weld while facing into the wind if possible.... seems to help."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Try it when it is blowing 60 mph.  Not a lot of fun but some times the oilfield has to go on. I've built windbreaks out of a lot things, hid down behind a truck wheel, behind stackpacks, parked another truck up against what I was working on. Cussing  doesn't seem to help much but makes you feel a little better.  Code work gets put off when it gets around 35 mph until the wind drops. 20-25 mph winds are pretty common here except in August when the humidity gets up to 40-50 percent and then you wish the wind would go back to blowing a little.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammBeen blowing steady around 20mph, gusts to 35+mph here.A no weld day for me.  Could wind up with a case of the "greywelds".  Weld turns grey and dull immediately, not shiny when you knock off the slag.  Experience has taught me not to trust the weld, they do break.  So either pack it in for the day, find a place with some protection from the wind, or if possible put up something for a shield.Stick is great for pretty breezy days, but it does have its limits.Not quite sure whether it's a shielding problem(most likely), or a rapid cooling problem(maybe, but not high on my list of suspects).  In a pinch, I'll run the weld while facing into the wind if possible.... seems to help.
Reply:Farmersamm you need to build a "Hooverville."Some steel plate on the ground. Even thin oil tank or silo scrap will do.Then some walls of whatever is available, and a tarp roof.
Reply:Electrical conduit, some old sheets or plastic tarps, and something to weigh it down, and voila!  Instant shielding tent.
Reply:weld it with OA.Tim Beeker.
Reply:Hello Farmersamm,With all the Hi-Tech stuff out their these days it seems someone would come up with a system to get you welding in the field no matter what the conditions. Design something to make that happen and maybe you will be able to roll your leads up for the last time and say hello retirement! Just a thought.Good luck.