How to Wash a Weld
Washing your weld is a key finishing touch to the welding process. You may be an expert at creating good, solid welds but there is a degree of untidiness with the final look. This is simply the nature of working with a material as transient as liquidizing metal. Once the welding process is finished, you can do a number of things to improve the look of your weld and wash away many of those imperfections.
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Chip away slag from the surface of the weld by chipping the area with a chipping hammer. This will effectively remove the most noticeable imperfections on the weld and provide a much smoother surface. Flick away dust from the area using a cloth.
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Use a grinder and attach a wire-wheel attachment to it; a 4-inch wire wheel should be sufficient for a small area such as a weld. Tilt the spinning wire wheel at an angle to the weld bead and drag the wire wheel along the weld bead; remove all signs of imperfections or discoloration.
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Use an abrasive scouring pad to remove scuffs that may have been caused during the weld or by previous steps in this article. Be sure to scour while following the grain of how the metal meets the weld bead.
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Use a damp, clean cloth to wipe away dust and dirt to ensure your weld is clean.
References
Tips
- Wear leather gloves and safety goggles throughout this process. Flying debris and sharp surfaces are a constant threat when washing a weld.
Writer Bio
Alan Temple has been writing since 2007 and has published articles for "The Scotsman" and "The List." He now works in the media department of Motherwell Football Club. Temple graduated with honors with a journalism degree at Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Photo Credits
- Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
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