Rant: I was fighting a stubborn flange weld on a Pittsburgh boiler for a whole shift

The root pass kept getting pinholed, and I was about to grind it all out. My foreman, Mike, told me to just hit it with a quick MIG tack on the backside before my final cap. It felt like cheating, but it sealed it up perfectly in about 10 minutes. Anyone have a different fix for sealing up those impossible backside leaks on old pipe?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyperry1mo ago

I’ve used a little tig dab on the back to seal those up fast.

-1

taylor9291mo ago

Honestly @kellyperry that trick is a total game changer. I used to spend so much time trying to get a perfect bead from the front. Tried the dab on the back once and it was just so much cleaner for closing gaps. Ngl it felt like cheating because it works so fast. I keep a little filler rod just for that now. Saves me a ton of time on the simple stuff.

mila_mitchell1mo ago

Tig dab on the back" is a new one for me, @kellyperry, I always went the long way before but that sounds way faster.