Old welder at the union hall set me straight on preheat temps

Was talking to this guy Jerry, been a boilermaker since the 70s. He said I was burning through too much gas on preheat. Told me to check the plate temp with a temp stick at 6 inches from the weld zone, not right next to it. Been saving about 20 bucks a day on acetylene since last Tuesday. Any of you guys use temp sticks over digital gauges?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy_ross12d ago

Tried temp sticks once but they're a joke in cold weather, Jerry's method works fine for him but I've had better luck with a cheap IR gun checking the whole weld zone.

ray36312d ago

Get where you're coming from completely... temp sticks are finicky in the cold for sure. I've had them freeze up and give me readings way off what they actually are. The IR gun sounds like a solid move for covering the whole weld area without guessing. Always nice to hear what other people find works for them, makes me want to try your method next time I'm out there.