A retired welder in Tacoma told me he always used a 3/8 inch gap for his first root pass.

I was helping him clean out his shop and he pointed to an old boiler he built in 1982, saying 'that gap never failed me, even on cold steel.' I've been using a tighter fit for years, but his record made me question my setup. What's your go-to root gap for standard carbon steel plate?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant_ross2715d ago

Honestly? I match the rod size, so 3/32 gap.

samf9515d ago

Wow, that's a bold move. I'd be too scared of blowing a hole straight through the metal. Guess you like to live dangerously.