PSA: Stop running 7018 uphill on thin gauge and calling it a root pass

Saw three apprentices at the shop on Delmar last week try to cap a 3/16 sheet with 7018 vertical up and blow through every time, and the fix was just switching to 6011 at 75 amps. If your root is burning through, your rod and heat are wrong, not your hands, so what rod and amperage are you all running on light plate?

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alice_harris356d ago

Three apprentices blowing through 3/16 sheet with 7018 and nobody stopped them? That is wild. 7018 vertical up on metal that thin is just asking for a hole, the rod is too big and the heat is way too much for the thickness. 6011 at 75 amps makes sense, that is a whole different ball game on light stuff. I have seen guys fight that same battle and blame their hands when the rod was the problem the whole time. Thin plate wants a fast freeze rod and a low setting, simple as that.

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