Question about how you figured out you were welding wrong

Had a moment last month at my shop where I was welding a quarter panel on a 2010 Civic. Been doing it the same way for like 8 years with MIG, using a forward and back motion. Customer came by to check on things, he's an old school body guy from the 70s. Watched me for a minute and said "you're pushing your puddle too far, just let it sit and drag." I tried it his way on a scrap piece and the penetration was way better. Felt like an idiot. Anyone else get called out and realize you'd been doing something basic wrong for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_lucas1mo ago

Read an article in a car restoration magazine a while back about how a lot of guys learn from YouTube and don't get the basic physics of a puddle. Said most beginners push for speed instead of letting the heat soak in, which is exactly what you were doing. Your old school guy probably learned from a mentor who got it from decades of trial and error. Those little adjustments make a huge difference in the long run.

dylan4131mo ago

Those old school guys notice rod angle way before we do, I had a similar wakeup about torch angle on aluminum and it cut my cleanup time in half.