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Heads up on using plasma gouging to save time on weld removal
I was stuck grinding out a bad root pass on a 2 inch thick plate for like 45 minutes last week in Houston. A older guy walked over and showed me how to use the plasma cutter on gouge mode to blow out the weld quick. It took maybe 5 minutes total and left a clean groove ready for the new bead. Has anyone else tried this instead of burying yourself with a grinder?
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mary6144mo ago
Oh man, that's one of those tricks that makes you wonder why nobody tells you sooner! I mean, it's like finding out there's a better way to do something you've been suffering through for years. It kind of reminds me how in a lot of things, we get stuck doing it the hard way just because that's how we learned first, not because it's actually the best way. Once you see a smarter shortcut, it changes your whole approach to the job.
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betty1444mo ago
Whoa hold on there @mary614, I gotta push back a little on this one. I get the appeal of plasma gouging, but I've seen too many guys blow right through the base metal because they got too aggressive with the settings. That 2 inch thick plate might be forgiving, but on thinner stuff or tricky joints, you're gambling with a do-over that takes way longer than just grinding it out. Plus the gouging arc leaves a real hard heat affected zone that can make your new weld crack if you don't prep it right. I'll take the grinder any day for root passes, keeps the metal honest and my rework count low.
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