The weld prep on those new pipe flanges is driving me nuts

Been on this job at the refinery near Baton Rouge for 3 weeks now and every flange I get from the supplier has mill scale still caked on the bevel. I spend an extra 15 minutes per joint grinding it off before I can even strike an arc. Anyone else seeing this with the premium flange suppliers lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahm3918d ago

Man, I hear you on that. I read in a welding forum a while back that some of the bigger flange mills are skipping the final cleaning pass to save money, so the mill scale just stays on. They figure the guys in the field will grind it off anyway. It's ridiculous when you're paying a premium and still getting that extra work. On a job with a hundred flanges, that's like an extra 25 hours of your life just grinding. Makes me wonder if they even check them before they ship out.

gavin69219d ago

Yeah, "driving me nuts" is right. I used to think paying extra for the premium flanges was a waste, but after dealing with this same crap on a job last month, I get it now. It really adds up when you're stuck grinding every single joint.

stellaa6919d ago

You bet there's a trick to it. Sometimes I'll hit those bevels with a wire wheel on a grinder before I even start, saves a bit of wrist pain. Your mileage may vary but it's worth a shot if you're stuck in a rut.