Welding Tips and Tricks

For welding class we are doing a 6010 root,fill, and cover on 6" Schedule 40 pipe welding downhill. My biggest issue is that I keep getting bad slag inclusion in my welds. I suspect that my rod angle may be off and that I need to have my elctrode angled more upwards to push the puddle up while traveling downhill. My root is fine, it is mostly the fill pass that I am having issues with. If anyone has insight on this it would be appreciated. Thanks.

-Arthur
Student at Aims CC in Colorado

Hi, Welcome to the forum.

I have NO experience on what you are talking about, however here is a link to some you tube vids that may help with electrode angle. Rods are of the Exx10 designation.

The dude that makes these videos is a pretty good guy and MAY be able to answer some questions via youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0jk6Fl-Xvk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXbAw3zTklU

These are bigger pipe than yours but i think the techniques are similar.

Mick

Arthur.

You wrote that you have slag inclusions in your welds.
At what depth are the slag inclusions to understand from which pass (or passes) you are leaving slag?

Congratulations for the successful root pass.

A quick hit of the root pass with the thin disk (1/8") angle grinder to both sides (left and right) of the root pass, is important to get the difficult slag out. The remaining slag will get remelted with the next pass (the hot pass). The hot pass is higher in amperage. The hot pass needs a strong digging technique in order to get the remaining slag.

Hit the hot passes with the grinder too before proceeding with the fill and cap passes.

Try to understand if the slag inclusions are in the hot pass or the fill passes.

Alexa

The slag inclusion is in the fill pass area. I think my issue maybe that I am not moving quick enough and the slag is wetting into my puddle... I don't know if maybe keeping a slight upward angle would help me or what...

If the inclusions appear in the fill pass, take a closer look at your root. Clean it as you normally do, and look with a magnifiying glass and flashlight, to make sure you aren't leaving undercut with slag trapped in it somewhere.

This causes a lot of "hot-pass" inclusions.

Steve S

Authur.

I understand that your root and hot passes are acceptable, but the filler passes have slag inclusions.

A quick hit by the grinder on both sides of the previous pass to help remove most of the slag lines, is important.
Keep your amps high in order to remelt those remaining slag lines.

Alexa