Ugh, she should have listened to your professional advice.

That old timer was right about the clean part, but @cole_mitchell57 has a point too. A weld can look perfect and still be cold or have hidden slag. The real trick is knowing your puddle. On stainless, if you see that sugar forming on the back, your gas coverage is off no matter how nice the front looks. Clean is just the first step, not the whole job.

@tessa922, I always skipped the shaking step before but your tip totally fixed my problem!