Watched a new guy torch a 6-inch tube flange the other day

He spent 20 minutes trying to get it cherry red with a rosebud instead of using a smaller tip. I showed him how to do it in two passes and the weld looked way cleaner after. He said he never knew the difference mattered that much. Anyone else see rookies mess up simple stuff like that on site?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese_bell26d ago

Rosebud on a six incher is pure overkill, just heat the joint with a smaller tip and move fast.

brookepark26d ago

Hold up, six inches? That seems like overkill for pretty much anything, not just the tip. I can't imagine trying to maneuver something that long without it getting in the way or heating up stuff you don't want heated. You'd be creating a tiny heat zone that's impossible to control.

kelly_coleman6126d ago

I read somewhere that the whole "bigger isn't always better" thing with torches really comes down to how the gas flows through those smaller tips. It creates a more concentrated heat zone that actually lets the metal soak the heat better without spreading out and messing up the surrounding area. That rosebud on a six inch flange is just dumping heat everywhere and making it harder to control the puddle. He probably would've had better luck with a #2 or #3 tip and just moving a little faster.