Old timer in Gary showed me a different way to strike a arc...

3 comments

3 Comments

Hang on, is striking an arc really that deep though? I mean you're just scratching a rod across metal, it's not like you're diffusing a bomb or something. People been doing it the same way for a hundred years and their welds hold just fine. What's this old timer's trick supposed to do differently?

the_sean2mo ago

Used to think the same way honestly. I figured scratching the rod on the metal was just the way it was done and it worked fine for me for years. Then an old pipe welder showed me the drag method where you barely tap the rod to the metal instead of scratching it. He explained that scratching can drag slag into the puddle and cause weak spots you can't see. Tried it his way for a week and the welds were cleaner with way less spatter. It's one of those little things that doesn't seem like a big deal until you see the difference yourself.

the_sean1mo ago

Trust me @lilys81, try it once and you'll never scratch again.