Welding Tips and Tricks

What does the Welding community prefer when it comes to landing and gaps?

What are the pros and cons of a bigger landing vs. a smaller landing?

Also, pros and cons with the gap?

What thickness material? Typically I like about a 1/16" land on most things and around a 3/32"-1/8" gap. If you have too large of a land at times it is hard to get full penetration, with no land you tend to blow through it easily which can make for a very ugly backside and will make you run quick.

Also rod selection can change things too....

3/8 " plate

Well I like to use 2,5 mm cap and 0 land. If I have a bigger cap it just means little less amperage and more weaving and if it gets huge I change to electrode negative.
If cap is to small and I am in a hurry (or to lazy to use grinder) I just put more amperage and burn thru it.
But I use 7018 for root also, so I dont know if you are even interested in my caps and lands.

I'm using a 6010 root and 7018 fill and cap.

R u using a backing plate?

nope.

It really depends on what your comfertable with, because your land and gap determine your amperage and travel speed.
The thicker your land, the more heat you need. Remember you can control the heat input to the joint by things like arc length and rod angle. Most of the older guys will like to run a little hotter so they can go faster. Guys like me that havn't been welding half our lives want it a little colder cause we're not used to going as fast and it gives us a little more control over the puddle. Important thing to remember is getting proper penetration and wall tie in. THEN you increase your production. Doesn't matter if you turn out twice as many welds as the other guy if they all fail whatever testing you use on em.

Experiment within the specs of the procedure. For instance, if the spec calls for 1/8" land and 1/8" gap plus or minus 1/32, try setting up with a 3/32 land and 3/32 gap, or a 1/8" land and 3/32" gap, and burn a bead. Then set up on the higher end of the spectrum, with maybe a 5/32" land and 1/8"gap, or a 1/8" land and a 5/32" gap. Find what your most comfortable with that still gives you the proper bead size and shape and reinforcement.

This is going to happen to you in the field. The more you practice these conditions in the shop/school the better you'll be in the field. Remember in the field nothing is perfect. Thats why welding specs have tolerances for everything from gap size to land size to pipe out-of-roundness to hi-low fitup.