Started using a new pre-heat method on thick plate welds

We had a 2-inch thick pressure vessel plate that kept showing porosity after the first pass, so I tried heating it to 350 degrees for an hour before welding instead of the usual 250. The next x-ray came back clean, and we saved a full day on rework. What's your go-to pre-heat temp for heavy carbon steel?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_diana1mo ago

Two inches thick is a monster plate.

victor7791mo ago

My grandma had plates like that from the 70s, they were basically ceramic shields. You could drop one and it would just laugh at you while chipping the floor tile. I swear they designed dinnerware back then to survive a minor earthquake. Makes modern plates feel like fancy crackers.

janah831mo agoTop Commenter

Wasn't that stuff basically bulletproof? My mom still has her old set from that time, and I swear you could use a plate as a stepping stool. I tried to break a chipped one once, just to get rid of it, and it took a full swing against the concrete patio edge. The concrete lost. Everything now feels so thin and sad in comparison.