Welding guides
Parts, troubleshooting, equipment, and life in the trade. Browse by topic or search below.
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Auto-Darkening Helmet Not Switching
If a welding helmet is not switching to dark state, start with the simple checks first. Most failures are caused by blocked sensors, low batteries, incorrect shade settings, dirty cover lenses, or…
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Helmet Lens Keeps Fogging
If your welding helmet lens keeps fogging, the cause is usually one or more of these: warm moist breath getting trapped, poor helmet seal, low airflow, sudden temperature change, or a dirty/damaged…
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Troubleshooting Weld Quality Before Replacing Parts
If weld quality drops, do not start by replacing parts. Most issues come from process settings, consumables, shielding gas, ground connection, wire feed, or operator technique. Use this weld quality troubleshooting guide…
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Stick Welding Porosity Checklist
Porosity in stick welding shows up as gas pockets in the weld metal. The usual causes are moisture, contamination, poor technique, or unstable shielding from the electrode. Use this checklist to isolate…
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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.…
