Rant: when my welding rod got stuck in a crack on a job in Gary

I was up on a water tower outside Gary last summer, trying to patch a crack that kept showing up during inspection. About 20 minutes in, my welding rod jammed right into a tight spot and I couldn't pull it free. I tried tapping it loose with my hammer, no luck. Then I grabbed my chisel and chipped around it, but that just made the crack bigger. My foreman yelled up asking what the hold up was, and I had to admit I messed up. I ended up grinding the whole thing down and starting over with a fresh rod, which cost me an extra hour. That crack was a pain, but I learned to always check the gap before I start feeding rod. Has anyone else had a rod get stuck in a weird spot like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

torres.sage1mo ago

That "tapping it loose" trick barely ever works.

julia_patel1mo ago

Yeah, that gap check is crucial. I learned that the hard way on a bridge job too.

daniel8571mo ago

@julia_patel absolutely right, one missed measurement and you get cracks showing later.