PSA: Picked the wrong filler rod on a pressure vessel job and nearly failed the X-ray

Last Thursday I had to choose between ER70S-6 and ER80S-Ni1 for a repair on a 2-inch thick carbon steel drum. The foreman said just grab the 70S off the shelf but I went with the nickel rod because I thought it'd handle the stress better. Turned out the 80S was way too hard and the weld cracked during post-weld heat treat at 1100 degrees. Had to grind it all out and start over with the 70S rod after three hours of fighting it. Anyone else ever pick the wrong filler based on instincts instead of the WPS?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_barnes978d ago

Holy crap, I feel your pain on this one. I had a similar brain fart last year on a water tank repair where I reached for 6010 instead of 7018 because I was in a rush and second-guessed the procedure. The weld looked great until it hit the hydro test and started weeping through a micro-crack I didn't catch. Had to buzz it all out with a grinder and start fresh, three hours down the drain and the customer standing there watching the whole time. Sometimes your gut just messes with you when you're tired or distracted.

rose_murray8d ago

I gotta be honest, I think people get a little too dramatic about mixing up rods sometimes. Yeah it's a hassle grinding it out and redoing it, but three hours isn't the end of the world. It's not like the tank exploded or anything. Welding is full of do-overs and that's just part of the job. I've seen guys act like they're in a crisis over a tiny weld repair when really it's just a minor setback. Maybe I'm just cynical but I feel like some folks enjoy telling these big dramatic stories more than the actual problem was.