An old timer in a Kansas City yard told me 'the weld is only as good as the fit-up' after watching me struggle for an hour.

3 comments

3 Comments

That old timer gave you a classic line, but I have to disagree. A perfect fit-up won't save a bad weld done with the wrong heat or technique. I've seen beautiful joints crack because the weld itself was weak. The skill is in making a strong bond even when the pieces aren't lined up perfectly. Sometimes the fit-up is awful and you just have to make it work.

stella_ross1414d ago

My buddy learned that the hard way last month.

wrenh793d ago

How did you feel hearing that advice? I used to think the weld itself was the only thing that mattered, but a bad fit-up makes everything so much harder. It's like @stella_ross14's buddy found out, you fight the gap the whole time and the weld can end up weak. Now I spend way more time getting things lined up right before I even grab the torch.