Can we talk about the debate on using a cutting torch vs a grinder for rusted bolts?

Last Tuesday I was tryin to free up some seized bolts on a tank job outside Chicago. Used a torch like usual but the thing warped a nearby bracket and made the fit-up a nightmare. Buddy of mine swears by just grinding the head off every time. I get that you avoid heat damage but a grinder takes forever on a row of 20 bolts. Yeah maybe I should have prepped better or used a different tip size. But I wonder which one actually costs less time in the long run on site. Anyone here have a preference or a story about one messing up way worse than the other?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_brooke7d ago

Had a guy on my crew once try both and ended up melting his gloves off.

ray6487d ago

What kind of gloves was he wearing though? I've seen guys run both lines off the same machine without any issues if they set it up right. If he melted his gloves off, he was either using the wrong settings or cheap gloves. I've been welding for 15 years and I swap between stick and MIG all the time with the same setup. You just gotta know what you're doing with the voltage and wire speed. Honestly sounds more like a user error than a problem with the technique.