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My neighbor told me my forge welds looked like 'cold oatmeal'

He's a retired guy from the old steel mill in Gary, and he stopped by my garage shop last month. He pointed at a weld I was proud of and said it looked grainy and weak, like cold oatmeal... that the steel wasn't hot enough or clean enough. I was just rushing to get it done. So now I take an extra five minutes to really get a bright yellow heat and wire brush the pieces twice before I even try to join them. The difference in the grain is night and day. Anyone else have a simple tip that fixed a sloppy weld?
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2 Comments
the_blake
the_blake6d ago
That extra prep time is key, as @the_diana knows, and it's amazing how much stronger a clean, hot weld feels.
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the_diana
the_diana6d ago
Cold oatmeal is a brutal but fair review!
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