Got called out on my weld prep for a 6-inch steam line

I was fitting a new section in a plant near Toledo, and a foreman from another crew walked by. He pointed at my bevel and said, 'Your land is too thick, you're asking for lack of fusion.' I'd always left about a 3/32 inch land, thinking it helped. I tried his way, grinding it down to a sharp feather edge, on the next joint. The weld puddle flowed way better and the X-ray passed first try. Do you guys keep a sharp land or a thicker one for your high-pressure pipe?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarh161mo ago

My old foreman in Detroit swore by a 1/16 land for schedule 80.

brookekelly1mo ago

Ever run into issues with a feather edge getting too thin during fit-up? I've had it blow out on the root pass before, so I stick with a small, solid land for control. What wall thickness are you working with on that steam line?

charles_price26d ago

Hold up, a 1/16 land on schedule 80? That's WILD. I saw a guy try a feather edge on some heavy wall once and it was a total disaster, melted right through before he could even get the rod in there. You gotta have something for the arc to bite into, man. That old foreman must have had hands of steel to make that work without burning a hole straight through.