Switched from stick to wire feed for overhead welds and never looked back

For about 8 years I did all my overhead boiler work with 7018 rod. Kept getting slag inclusions that drove me nuts. Last spring after burning through a 3/8 plate on a feedwater heater repair I finally grabbed a Mig setup with flux core. Cleaner passes and a lot less grinding. Anybody else make that swap and regret not doing it sooner?

2 comments

2 Comments

black.margaret14d ago

Geez, I know that pain too well with slag inclusions making me want to toss my hood across the shop. Did you ever have a last straw moment like that?

johnson.lee14d ago

Yeah, the "last straw moment" you mentioned - that hit home. For me it was this one weld on a damn gate that just would not clean out right, no matter how slow I went. I probably spent 45 minutes grinding and chasing slag on a single pass. I finally just yanked my hood off and threw it into the dirt, seriously thought about selling my welder that night. You just reach that point where you are so mad at yourself and the metal that you can't think straight anymore. I had to walk away for the whole day and come back the next morning to finish it.