Old timer on a job in Tulsa told me my bevel angle was off

I've been doing this for about 5 years now and always ran a 30 degree bevel on my butt welds. Then this guy in his 60s walks over on a job down in Tulsa last month and says my gaps were too big for the root pass. He showed me his setup with a 22.5 degree bevel and a tighter root opening. I thought he was just old school and stubborn but I tried it on the next joint. My penetration was way better and I didn't have to grind down as much filler afterward. Feels like I wasted a lot of time fighting with too wide a gap. Anyone else get feedback from an older hand that actually saved them hassle down the line?

2 comments

2 Comments

terrymitchell13d ago

Read a metallurgy blog that backed up that 22.5 degree bevel thing. Apparently it puts more heat right into the root face. Makes sense with your Tulsa guy's advice. Less filler metal needed too. That's less shrinkage stress on the joint. Smart old dogs.

terrymitchell12d ago

Funny you mention that, because it got me thinking about how the root pass itself behaves with that angle. With a steeper bevel, you're almost forcing the filler to wet out more sideways into the sidewalls instead of just piling up in the middle. That could mean less chance of a cold lap at the root, which is something I've seen plenty of times with a standard 30 or 45 degree bevel on thick stuff. Not saying it fixes everything, but it's another reason to give it a try on some test pieces before you commit to a big job.