Determining penetration??

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Friend loaned me his OA rig so I could lean the basics. Books out of the library as a guide.Spent much of today making puddles and moving them across 1/8" steel plate.What should I see on the back side to tell me the penetration is good?= Mike
Reply:Mike, you basically should not be able to see the seam.  Not sure how to describe it, but as long as you can't make out the edges of the underside of the seam you are burning thru ok.   I usually leave about 3/32 gap between the 1/8 then when you are working down the length you want a "keyhole"  that will almost assure that you are getting adequate penetration.  Good luck ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by Hammack_WeldingMike, you basically should not be able to see the seam.  Not sure how to describe it, but as long as you can't make out the edges of the underside of the seam you are burning thru ok.   I usually leave about 3/32 gap between the 1/8 then when you are working down the length you want a "keyhole"  that will almost assure that you are getting adequate penetration.  Good luck ~Jackson
Reply:nope, not really, what I mean by "keyhole"  is when you are welding down the butt joint the weld puddle with look like an old skeleton key hole.  a small hole will form at the puddle where you will dip your filler rod into as you progress down the piece.   Maybe that makes sense.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Well, perhaps I haven't noticed the shape yet; I've been concentrating on making puddles/circular motion and moving across a piece of sheetmetal. - Mike