Hot take: I used to run all root passes hot and fast like everyone else

A old hand at Local 107 told me to dial back the heat and take my time on a 2-inch thick plate repair last year. He said 'slow and steady keeps the cracks out' and I've been doing it that way since, has anyone else had a senior guy change their whole approach?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elizabeth4d ago

Hold up, are we really acting like a crack in a week-old weld is the same as burning a steak? I've rushed plenty of welds and never had one fall apart on me like that. Feels a little dramatic to turn it into some life rule.

patriciacarr4d ago

Slow and steady keeps the cracks out" is real gospel for thick plate work.

the_blair4d ago

That "slow and steady keeps the cracks out" line is something I learned the hard way after rushing a weld on a big piece of steel, and it cracked right down the middle a week later. My buddy @patriciacarr has this old saying about how cooking a steak low and slow works the same way - you can't rush good heat or good steel. I just nod every time I see her mention it, because she's been proven right more times than I can count.