Old timer at the union hall told me to always grind a 45 on my bevel plate edges before welding a tube sheet

I brushed it off for three years until I had a tube sheet crack on a job in Baton Rouge and a journeyman walked over and showed me how the grind keeps the root from pulling, has anyone else found that little prep step saves you from rework?

4 comments

4 Comments

brian32826d ago

Nah man, I’d say that old timer was just being extra. Half the guys I know never bother with that 45 grind and their stuff holds up just fine. If your root is pulling, it’s probably more about your heat control or fit up than a chamfer on the bevel plate. Three years of brushing it off without problems kind of proves the point, one crack doesn’t mean the whole trick is gospel.

vera_palmer23d ago

You and @the_alice might be onto something here. I used to skip the 45 grind myself and never had issues for years, but after reading this I realize that one crack could be a sign of something else going on. Heat control is probably the bigger factor like you said, but that chamfer might just be a small safety net for when everything else isn't perfect.

the_alice26d ago

Honestly, even my burnt toast holds up better than my welds most days.

joelt7023d agoMost Upvoted

My buddy Mike spent two hours grinding the perfect 45 on a 6 inch pipe once. Cleanest chamfer you ever saw. Then he realized he grabbed the wrong fitting. Had to cut the whole thing out and start over. That was three years ago and he still brings it up every time someone mentions prep work. Makes me think sometimes you can overthink the little things. But then again, his welds never crack.