help with end of welds

admin

Hi newbie here. Anyway I use a hobart stikmate 235 usually set at 120@ with 7014 3/32 rods(thats what the boss buys for rods )  the usual length of the welds are 1/2" to 1 1/2".  the over all welds usually look good cept at the ends on the 1" or longer ones on the end the heighth of the bead is lower so i usually have to redo the end... is that becuz i'm lifting to soon? and on the 1/2" ones i usually burn a halfmoon or cresent hole at the end of the weld any advice on how to stop doing this? thanks. oh the metal im welding is 1/8" mild steel.
Reply:The longer the bead the hotter the base metal gets and the more the bead wets out and usually the more defined the crater will be at the end. Try straightening the rod angle a tiny amount, lift just a little and pause at the end. Or an actual roll of the wrist and rod and run back into the bead about a qrtr inch.