In addition, you can pause on each side of the weld to achieve a good tie-in to the metal pieces and prevent undercutting of the edges. The dots indicate pause points that apply additional heat and metal at the edge of the bead where it is most needed.īesides filling a wider bead, weaving is used to control the heat in your weld puddle. For example, your hand can perform a zig-zag, crescent, or curlycue motion. Of course, there are different types of weaves, and every welder has his or her favorite. This is especially true in the case of groove welds on thick stock. For a fat joint, weaving is the fastest way to knock off a welding assignment. Weave Beads Weave bead motion: Move across the middle & hold on the sidesįor wide welds, you can weave from side to side along the joint. In this instance, the beads are not meant to fuse with the base metal but to create a protective layer. This is a surfacing operation that helps extend the life of scoops, fenders, plows, and other exterior metal parts on industrial equipment. Stringer beads are also used in hardfacing. If you move too far from side to side, you will create a weave bead. Other times a slight side-to-side manipulation is necessary, as illustrated below.Īgain, keep the side-to-side manipulation slight. This may be all it takes to achieve good fusion. Sometimes, moving the torch slow enough allows the weld puddle to flow over both sides of the joint.

It’s critical to get fusion between the weld and the base metal. Remember, the object of welding is not just to fill a joint with new metal.

Related read: What are the main welding positions?Įven though you’re moving in a straight line, it’s still important to make sure you get “tie in” with the toe of the weld on either side of the joint. Stringer beads are generally not very wide and can be used in any welding position. One of the major drawbacks to pushing is that you get less penetration into the base metal than pulling (“dragging”) the molten puddle. But pushing the weld keeps the heat away from the puddle and allows the weld to solidify quickly. When welding up on a vertical joint, the molten metal wants to fall downward. This requires leaning your torch away from the puddle, and you follow it as you weld. This enables maximum penetration and a robust-looking weld.įor heat-sensitive or thin metals, or when welding vertically, welders “push” the tip of the torch. The example above is for multipass.Ī stringer bead is a straightforward procedure in which you either pull (i.e., “drag”) or push the torch across the joint in a straight line with no or minimal side-to-side movement.ĭragging means the electrode is angled in the “forward” welding direction, leading the puddle. The four most common torch manipulation techniques used to create weld beads are: But there are some techniques used mostly with one process. Generally speaking, torch manipulation is much the same whether you’re feeding the weld pool with a separate filler rod, a mechanically fed wire, or a stick electrode.

So, after preparing a joint for welding, selecting the appropriate filler material (e.g., stick, rod, wire, etc.), and choosing the right machine settings, a welder must also use a specific hand stroke and move the puddle at the right speed to get the bead down properly. If you don’t, the molten metal will end up dripping on your face shield instead of filling the joint. For instance, if you’re welding overhead, you need to move fast. Gravity also plays a role in how molten metal gets deposited between metal plates or pipe sections. Yet unlike tailors, welders frequently need to perform their work in an awkward position while wearing a face shield and gloves. Like sewing a seam in cloth, there are several ways to run a weld bead along a metal joint. Groove weld welding bead Why Use Different Torch Movements? A weld bead is created by depositing a filler material into a joint between two pieces of metal.Īs you melt a filler material into the workpiece, how you move the torch will impact how you advance the puddle and the type of bead you leave in the joint.

Bead shapes and names