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Am I the only one who had a torch tip blow out mid-weld last shift?
I was laying a root pass on a 12-inch pipe in Houston Tuesday and my cutting tip just exploded, sending sparks everywhere, anyone else ever had a tip fail on them like that or was mine just a dud?
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lily_torres316d ago
Man, I had a buddy in San Antonio who was running a 6010 root pass and his tip just straight up disintegrated mid-bead, scared the heck out of him. He said it sounded like a firecracker went off inside his stinger and he had to stop and change his pants pretty much. Something about the gas pressure getting blocked or a dirty tip, I don't know, but it definitely happens.
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jamie_adams6d ago
Bet it was more about moisture than just a dirty tip though. People don't think about how humidity in Texas can get into your lines and cause that gas pocket to pop. I've seen it happen when guys leave their rigs running in the shop with damp ground cloths that soak up condensation. The water vapor turns to steam fast in that 6010 arc and finds the path of least resistance. Your buddy got lucky it only blew the tip and not the whole liner. Check your dryer filters if you're anywhere coastal too.
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val_bailey663d ago
Oh I hear you on the moisture thing, @lily_torres31. That firecracker sound is EXACTLY what happens when water hits that 6010 arc. It's like steam finding a crack in concrete. Your buddy's tip disintegrated because that trapped moisture turned to superheated vapor faster than the metal could handle. I've swapped out liners on rigs where the inside looked like someone sprayed it with a garden hose from all the coastal humidity. It's not just dirty tips, it's that invisible water vapor that sneaks in through the ground cloth or the air compressor. That's why I always tell guys to run a dry purge before striking an arc if they been welding in damp conditions.
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