BASIC WELDING
FABRICATOR 252i
Manual 0-5155
4-15
BASIC WELDING
4.04 STICK (SMAW) Welding Troubleshooting
FAULT
CAUSE
REMEDY
1 Welding current
varying
ARC FORCE is set at a val-
ue that causes the welding
current to vary excessively
with the arc length.
Reduce the ARC FORCE until welding current is
reasonably constant while prohibiting the elec-
trode from sticking to the work piece when you
“dig” the electrode into the workpiece.
2 A gap is left by
failure of the weld
metal to fill the
root of the weld.
A Welding current too low
A Increase welding current.
B Electrode too large for
joint.
B Use smaller diameter electrode.
C Insufficient gap.
C Allow wider gap.
3 Non-metallic par-
ticles are trapped
in the weld metal.
A Non-metallic particles may
be trapped in undercut
from previous run.
A If a bad undercut is present clean slag out and
cover with a run from a smaller gauge electrode.
B Joint preparation too
restricted.
B Allow for adequate penetration and room for
cleaning out the slag.
C Irregular deposits allow
slag to be trapped.
C If very bad, chip or grind out irregularities.
D Lack of penetration with
slag trapped beneath weld
bead.
D Use smaller electrode with sufficient current to
give adequate penetration. Use suitable tools to
remove all slag from comers.
E Rust or mill scale is pre-
venting full fusion.
E Clean joint before welding.
F Wrong electrode for posi-
tion in which welding is
done.
F Use electrodes designed for position in which
welding is done, otherwise proper control of slag
is difficult.
Art # A-04273
Incorrect sequence
Insufficient
gap
Figure 4-39: Example of insufficient gap or incorrect sequence
Table 4-5a:
