Dragging versus weaving

If you are learning to weld, chances are you have been studying technique and are familiar with the terms "stringer bead" and "weaving". And chances also are that you have seen those beautiful stack of dimes made by seasoned veterans that have made weaving a weld look like a work of art.

Trying to make your welds look like one of theirs? Don't. Weaving is a skill that is to be added after the basics are gained. Weaves do not impress inspectors, but ultrasound and Xray tests do. Stringer beands may seem simplistic and a little boring, but plenty of welders use them every day. Dragging the rod along on the metal with little or no side to side motion, may seem like a chore that a monkey can do in his sleep, but running stringers correctly WILL pass almost any weld test. To run a stringer correctly, make sure your rod angle stays consistent and your forward travel is steady. Watch the puddle so that you are not building up too much weld, or skating along the service making a blob here or there. Most 7018 welds lend themselves well to stringer beads. But if poorly done, a stringer will roll slag in the edge of the weld. The most important part of running a stringer bead is watching the puddle. Moving along, the tendency is to put yourself on auto pilot. However, this can result is spotty welds if close attention is not paid to the weld puddle while running a stringer bead.

Weaving has fallen out of favor in many welding sectors because of so many peoples lack of ability to perfect it. True in some positions, like 3G (vertical) weaving yields better overall results. But on average, most people welding down hand must practice to achieve the best looking and strongest bead if they want to weave the welds. Sure there are all types of patterns to play with, however, weaving can cause more problems than it solves. Porosity, and slag entrapment along the toes of the weld can be an issue, as well as cold lapped joints. Adding a weave to your repertoire can definitely help self-image as a welder. But it is not necessary to weave every bead you come across. A simple drag will suffice for most welds. Once experience is gained with weaving, it still may not be allowed in certain situations, depending upon what the code specifies. A Stringer bead is almost always preferred these days. If you take a look back 50 years or so, you'll almost always find a nice weave on a bead, even on pipe, with a top pass nice and wide. Notions and opinions have changed over the years and today's market favors reliability over appearance. It's better to comply with and practice worksite standards that keep you in the money rather than risk failing a weld with a nice looking bead.