Welding Tips and Tricks

I am new to welding. I have welded together some 1/4" x 6" bar stock for a winch mounting plate. I put multiple passes on some of the joints which seems to have caused the plate to warp.

What can I do to avoid this in the future? If add multiple passes on the back side of the joint could it straighten the metal?

2 words.

Heat Warps.

Spread the heat around and limit how much you apply to one area. You can also use chill blocks on it also, to pull some of that heat out while you're welding.

One thing on thick material is use adequate amps, if you have the amps low it will take a long time to heat the material up and accentuate the problem, making the material heat up even more and in turn warp more.

Tack some “strong backs” on the opposite side. This applies reversed force against the side you weld on. Critical when welding flat plates.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:2 words.

Heat Warps.

Spread the heat around and limit how much you apply to one area. You can also use chill blocks on it also, to pull some of that heat out while you're welding.

One thing on thick material is use adequate amps, if you have the amps low it will take a long time to heat the material up and accentuate the problem, making the material heat up even more and in turn warp more.

A single pass with a larger rod will be less likely to cause this than multiple passes with a smaller rod?


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cj737 wrote:Tack some “strong backs” on the opposite side. This applies reversed force against the side you weld on. Critical when welding flat plates.

Could I make those out 1/4” peace tackle perpendicular to the back surface?


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jtornabene wrote:

cj737 wrote:Tack some “strong backs” on the opposite side. This applies reversed force against the side you weld on. Critical when welding flat plates.

Could I make those out 1/4” peace tackle perpendicular to the back surface?


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That will do fine

cj737 wrote:

jtornabene wrote:

cj737 wrote:Tack some “strong backs” on the opposite side. This applies reversed force against the side you weld on. Critical when welding flat plates.

Could I make those out 1/4” peace tackle perpendicular to the back surface?


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That will do fine

Thank you.


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I hate welding on larger, un-constrained flat pate for this very reason. Multiple passes sure didn't help, but also the lack of constraining contributed.