Slag inclusion is trapped nonmetallic material inside a stick-welded joint. It usually comes from incomplete cleaning between passes, an incorrect travel angle, poor arc control, or a weld profile that…
Interpass temperature is the temperature of the weld and nearby base metal immediately before you deposit the next pass. Controlling it keeps the weld within the procedure’s qualified limits. Too…
A stick welding rod rarely restarts cleanly by accident. When the arc breaks, the electrode tip is covered with slag and the crater in the weld is usually cold, dirty,…
Thick steel removes heat from a weld faster than thin plate. That rapid cooling can produce lack of fusion, porosity, hydrogen cracking, and a hard, brittle heat-affected zone. Preheating slows…
A lap joint joins two pieces of metal by overlapping one edge over the other, then welding along the edge of the top piece. It is one of the easier…
Undercut is a groove melted into the base metal beside the weld toe but not filled with weld metal. It leaves a sharp, reduced section along one or both edges…
Moisture is one of the easiest ways to ruin a stick weld. A damp electrode can make the arc unstable, increase spatter, cause excessive sticking, and introduce hydrogen into the…
Arc blow is the sideways deflection of the welding arc during stick welding. Instead of traveling straight from the electrode to the workpiece, the arc bends, wanders, or pushes molten…
Overhead stick welding is one of the least forgiving welding positions. Molten metal wants to fall, slag can break loose without warning, and a small mistake in arc length can…
A stainless steel weld is not finished when the bead looks smooth. Welding heats the surrounding metal, damages the chromium-oxide film that protects stainless steel, and leaves behind heat tint,…