Author: Forge
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Stick Weld Undercut Causes
Stick weld undercut is a groove melted into the base metal along the weld toe that is not filled back in with weld metal. It usually points to heat control, travel technique,…
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Plasma Cut Has Beveled Edge
A beveled edge on a plasma cut usually means the arc is not centered through the kerf. The most common causes are torch angle, travel speed, worn consumables, incorrect standoff, and poor…
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Plasma Consumables Wearing Out Too Fast
If plasma consumables are wearing out too fast, the cause is usually not one part alone. Short life often comes from air quality, incorrect cut settings, poor torch handling, or a worn…
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Plasma Cutter Not Piercing Cleanly
If a plasma cutter is not piercing cleanly, the usual cause is a setup problem rather than a major machine fault. Start with air quality, consumable condition, ground connection, torch angle, and…
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Oxy-Fuel Flame Pops or Backfires
Oxy-fuel torch popping usually points to a setup, cleaning, or gas-flow problem. In some cases the issue is a backfire at the tip. In worse cases it can move into a flashback…
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MIG Weld Spatter Too High
If MIG weld spatter is running high, start with the basics: voltage, wire feed speed, shielding gas, stickout, and gun angle. Spatter is usually a setup issue, a consumable issue, or both.…
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MIG Porosity Causes and Fixes
MIG porosity is gas trapped in the weld metal as it solidifies. It usually shows up as pinholes, worm tracks, or a rough weld surface. The main causes are shielding gas problems,…
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Spool Gun Wire Feed Problems
Spool gun wire feed problems usually come from drag, tension, poor setup, or damaged consumables. Aluminum wire is soft, so small resistance changes can stop feed, cause birdnesting, or make the arc…
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Push Pull Gun Birdnesting at the Drive Rolls
Birdnesting at the drive rolls in a push-pull aluminum setup means the wire is buckling before it enters the drive system or liner correctly. The cause is usually excess resistance, poor drive…
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MIG Contact Tip Keeps Burning Back
If a MIG contact tip keeps burning back, the problem is usually not the tip alone. Burnback happens when the wire melts back into the contact tip instead of feeding cleanly into…
