Gas pockets in my welds on tests !!!!!!

Date 07-02-2012 00:39

Well, bought a new sa200d replacing my ol' 82" sa250 diesel . :smile:

Go to take national fuel test for next job and BAM !!!!!!!! Pass visuals but fail bends that were sent out !!!!!! :yell:

My employer says no problem got another job to send you on in about a week go up to yard do odd welds for mechanics and practice when not busy !!!!! OK :cool:

Next week go take next test and BAM!!!!!! same sh** OK on visual, bust on bends same story gas pockets . standard test 12" 6g butt & 12" branch. 1/8 root, 5's rest of way. I use a whip tech. on my hot thru cap. Can one of the gurus on pipelinin' give me some input. Employer run me off till next job he gets, that I can test for :sad:

I lined up a job rig chasin' till I get my mind right :red:

ANY INPUT from Big K ,Rick ,J.W.,Hillbilly ,etc would be helpfull !!!!!!!!! THANKS

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 07-02-2012 03:43

Did You use the same can of rods to bust both tests?

By Smooth Operator (***)

Date 07-02-2012 04:39

Nope 2 different cans 1st was hyp 2nd was 70+????? 1 oldtimer said" have to run hotter if your gonna use a whip tech."????? Runnin same settings as w/my ol' sa250 ?????? :confused:

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 07-03-2012 02:17

I wish I was smart enough to tell You what to do different, but I would not expect the same settings to give the same results on these different machines.

Perhaps that old timer noticed something that escaped You.

By Tyler1970 (***)

Date 07-02-2012 04:17

You can have a gas pocket on your bead. Even if u can't see it. Had it happen to me. Sucks.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 07-02-2012 05:11

Where are the gas pockets showing up at? Uphill? Downhill? I'm assuming downhill. I know sometimes I'll get them on the cap if I don't stay ahead of the puddle enough, usually catch them as I go, I like to call them fart pockets or we would sing the "hot pockets" commercial from under the hood!

When I went from my, cough, ranger to the SA250 things were different. Used to grind out root with 1/8th rock and then hot pass and so on no problem. With the new machine first test I almost busted because of cold lap. The setting I thought I liked on the 250 just didn't burn in as good as the ranger with the 1/8th rock groove. Went to a 1/4" and worked better. I've seen a few where I have had my rod angle a little downhill and that has caused problems with porosity and the test I almost busted was shortly after several months of 7018 uphill jobs and I believe this is where my rod angle was pointed downward, moving slower and the slag just ran in the groove and I welded nothing. I'm like you, I whip the hot and following fills then do a swirl or something on the cap.

When that happened to me I came home and cut some pipe and welded them out, torched out coupons to nick test and see what the heck I was doing until I figured out what I was doing. For me it was not the machine, just the operator. I'm not a guru, maybe something I've done will rattle you out of where you are. Don't even know why I replied, your a guru in my book!!!

By Stringer (***)

Date 07-03-2012 00:03

I'd sure get it figured out before I slaved over any more branch tests, that's for dang sure.