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Rant: Skipping pre-heat on a thick pipe weld cost me a full day
I was fixing a high-pressure steam line and thought I could weld without pre-heating the joint. The pipe was thick and cold from sitting overnight. After I finished, the weld cracked right down the middle once it cooled. I had to cut it out and redo everything, losing a whole day of work. Now I never skip heating the metal first, no matter how simple the job seems. A little time with a torch prevents big headaches later.
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harper4086mo ago
Seeing 'the weld cracked right down the middle' doesn't surprise me. Thick pipe needs that heat to weld right, or it just fails. I've made shortcuts before and paid for it with extra work. Now I always do the prep, no matter how long it takes. It's cheaper to do it once the right way.
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grant.margaret6mo ago
Damn, I've tried to weld cold metal in winter before and thought my morning coffee would warm it up lol. I learned that lesson the hard way too!
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paulperry6mo ago
Look, sometimes you can skip the pre-heat on thinner stuff and be just fine. I've done it before with no problems. That thick pipe is a different animal, sure, but acting like you always need a torch for every single job seems over the top. Maybe the real issue was the filler metal or the technique, not just the lack of heat. It's not always so black and white.
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