Watched a senior guy set up his torch today and it changed how I do preheat

I always went hot and fast on thick plate but this old timer in Cleveland took it slow with a rosebud tip about 6 inches away. Heat soaked right through instead of just the surface. Tried it on a 2 inch flange repair and the weld puddled way more even. Anybody else switch up their preheat routine late?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin4891mo ago

That line about "heat soaked right through instead of just the surface" really stuck with me. I read somewhere that a lot of guys skip the slow preheat because they're in a hurry, but that old timer in Cleveland proves it's worth the extra time. On thick stuff like your 2 inch flange, the heat has to get deep or you're just fighting the cold core the whole time. Once I started taking my time with a rosebud, I noticed I could run a smoother bead and weld looked better before I even ground it. It's one of those tricks that sounds simple but most of us have to see it ourselves to believe it.

tara7001mo ago

Didn't a rosebud spread heat too wide for controlled preheat on a flange like that?