Welding Tips and Tricks

I have noticed using one of those triangle shaped magnets, it completely changes how the welder sounds and the weld looks. Say if I am welding square tubing to a plate, everytime the first side using the magnet the welder sounds different and the weld is not as good. As soon as I remove the magnet, the welder sounds much better and the weld looks much better. IF I use a clamp to hold the tubing the first pass is normal. Anyone else noticed this? I assume they must work since every weld shop I have been to has them.

Thanks

SM

Magnets will definitely screw with your arc. It's even worse on Tig. You need to avoid having a magnet in your immediate weld area. Also if you heat up a magnet, it will ruin it.

exnailpounder wrote:Magnets will definitely screw with your arc. It's even worse on Tig. You need to avoid having a magnet in your immediate weld area. Also if you heat up a magnet, it will ruin it.

Thanks, glad to know it is not just me......


SM

The idea is to tack while the magnet holds the pieces in place and remove the magnet to weld out.


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I can tack with one close but that is it, in TIG you will notice arc rolls around and around and acts like wind is blowing across it.

Its called arc blow.

weldin mike 27 wrote:Its called arc blow.

Thanks....... learning something new everyday.



SM

Arc blow can also happen in the absence of magnets, if something has magnetized the metal such as cold-working, or previous welds in the presence of a magnetic field. It's more obvious when stick welding.

Steve S

Quite true Steve. It happens regularly while stick welding on dc. I've had a few issues with it, (If you call wanting to throw your project through a wall an issue) and this was simply the natural magnetic field. Moving the earth clamp around can help.