Welding Tips and Tricks

I read this today from this website and always thought there was a temperature sweetspot

"Steel heat tint will brush off easily and completely. You can tell when the metal is at that “Temperature sweet spot” by running the wire brush over the weld at an angle."

Does anybody kn ow what that temperature is? I did some simple tests with a temperature gun and it seemed like around 130 - 140'F, but I never felt my test was an accurate portrail of the temp. When you brush a weld at this "sweet" temperature, the weld looks so ferfect and professional. I thought I`d get a temp crayon so I know precisally when to brush, but I dont know what temperature crayon to buy. Thanks

This pertains to stainless steel tig welding

Never really thought about it.

I know if you brush too soon, the weld will quickly recolor, and if you quench it before brushing it, you'll "set" some color in it. Otherwise, there seems to be a very broad range where my welds clean quite easy. Anywhere from about 500* (a guess) down to ambient (done it in -15*F), unless I've quenched part of the weld to make it shrink.

Steve S

I tested some more and it seems to be even cooler, maybe around 110 or 100. You can pretty much hold your hand on it, and then brush. When its done right, there is no differance in color with the orig work, the weld (with or without fill), and what was welded to it. No color change from piece to piece. Same color from steel to weld to steel all the way across. For the most part, for welds that dont over heat and get red hot, if you wait 6 mins and then brush, your good. Red hot wait 7 mins, maybe 8.

I agree with that brushing to early it recolors, and if you wait to long it will not come off.

Thanks, Otto Nobedder (Steve S)