Lance,
The ripples can also relate to slow travel speed.
Try to increase your amps and go a little faster........without going to fast, and still keeping within the parameters of the WPS.
I dont know how much you weave, but its not needed to place the electrode on the edge of the groove as you weld. Keeping the electrode within the groove will be fine.
Of course it al depends on the joint geomerty, etc....
EDIT: is it FCAW or SMAW?
I automaticly thouhgt it was SMAW, but reading the post below made me think about FCAW.
3.2
What exactly do you mean by played with the heat?? Was it trying with different parameters?? I agree with 3.2.. Maybe you should concentrate on your travel speed, or have a foot control over your current, if you don't have one.
i think he's talking about downhill stick welding <puddle capping> is a pipeline term for carrying a large puddle downhill on the cap pass with a large electrode 5/32-3/16 electrode. if you go to fast on your cap you will have deep ripples with alot of space in between them, try slowing down to tighten your cap up the ripples will be closer,shallower,and uniform, just a suggestion maybe it will help. respectfully
Sorry guys. Had to work on Sunday because of rainouts early in the week. Im capping with a 3/16 running downhill on 24 inch pipe. I will try slowing it down and keping it tighter.
Thanks for the help.
Lance
Parksl, please let us know if the solution helped... or if something else did!
You need a quicker side to side motion as you come from 2 to 3 down to 4-5 then go back to your regular speed. Leave the heat alone. you dont see the big hats doing that up/down 5 bit on caps. Sometimes you do need to turn down on a BIL weld if you are the one coming across the bottom soon after the BIL.
On 24 some start at 12 and 4. When the one starting at 4 goes across the bottom they move to 12 and by then the BIL is at 4. You can put a lot of sparks on the BIL but on thin pipe it keeps the heat down on the bottom.
BABRt's
My capping has came around with the help of bigkahunna. I speed up on the sides and leave my heat alone and slow back down on bottom quarter. Cap is loking slick and it got the inspector off my tail. Thanks big. We havn't worked since monday cause of Gus but are supposed to be at the yard in the morning. I'll try and get some pics of my cap and post them here in the next few days. Thanks
Lance