How to Prevent Burn Through When Welding
If you intend to prevent it, then just turn down the amperage and create tinier welds to conserve the base metal from getting hotter.
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Sometimes it isn’t easy to learn the method of preventing burn through in welding. It can ruin your project.
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It will damage your metal, weaken your joint, and compel you to begin your project again from the beginning.
There are many procedures. Among them, do you know how to prevent burn through when mig welding? You don’t need to go anywhere in search of the answer because you will get it here. If I tell you in simple words, then the answer is you can use a push strategy of the MIG gun to prevent burn through.
So let’s begin to know more methods and techniques to prevent burn through when welding.
What Burn Through Is and Why Does It Occur?
The first thing you should know is what is burned through in welding? And the next thing is, why does it occur? So here it is –
There is another name of burn through that is known as melt through. It usually occurs when you are welding metal and causes a hole in it.
It generally happens in the first weld bead positioned in the weld joint in a several pass weld. When the weld metal pierces through the root metal, this burn-through welding defect occurs and creates a hole.
Another reason for burn through is to set the machines poorly. You should follow the suggested settings, or else you will burn through the base metal. And yes, one more thing that is a reason for burn through is too much space in the base of your joint.
Skilled welders sometimes burn through their root metal when it is excessively thin. If the metal is thicker and less than ¼ inch, you will often see burn through when you work with the metals.
Even when you use too much heat, it can also cause burn through. And penetration is also a reason for occurring burn through. People are aware of the importance of proper penetration, but excess is not good.
Problems During Welding
Many problems may arise during welding. Every problem has a solution. So if you read through this content, you will get the solution for your problems. Some problems are given below and also the solution as well.
1. High Amperage
High amperage is tremendous for thicker metal but can cause difficulties for thinner metal. If the amperage is too high, the metal will burn through and create a hole. If you want to avoid this, then follow the instructed amperage for your particular process.
Such as an electrode of 3/32″ 7018 stick, it’s generally running at about 90 amps. This amperage is combined with the filling metalwork in unity to fulfill a compatible weld.
If the amperage is 150, then the weld would be very hot for the electrode to hold up.
2. Incorrect Electrode Angle
If you start working at the wrong angle, it may burn through and make holes. A superficial electrode angle doesn’t enter too deep and doesn’t cause a burn-through.
In this electrode, heat is so low that it doesn’t push straight to your material. Using a vertical electrode angle can cause a burn through because of the potential arc and can make holes in the metal.
So try angling the electrode to reduce the heat and avoid burning through. It isn’t easy to find the right angle. So start with a 45-degree electrode angle and continue to work from there.
3. Consecutive Passes
Burn through happens while you start to join two pieces of metal. The steel remains very hot at that time. So you need to let it cool down to avoid creating holes.
But let it cool down naturally, or else it can cause crucial warping in your work. And if you dunk it in water, it can cause weld breaking down and terrible shortcoming.
If you let it cool off, it naturally will avoid burning through. It’s an important part of maintaining the strength of the weld. If the temperature changes suddenly, it can ruin the structural quality of the weld.
4. Too Wide of A Gap
Sometimes you may need to fill up the gaps, especially if the steel isn’t cut appropriately. If you work hurriedly, it might make the gap larger.
So first, let it cool down and then weld a little more at a time. Because when the weld is red hot, it starts to melt the metal rather than adding the metal.
Filling a gap means plugging it. So don’t rush and don’t add so much heat; otherwise, it will get worse.
5. Welding Thin to Thick Steel
While welding, sometimes you may need to weld thin steels to thicker steels. For this, you just need to concentrate more heat on the thicker equipment.
Thicker metal needs more heat than thinner metal needs. If you use a welding arc, it will create a hole in thinner steel, but at the same time, if you use the welding arc on thicker steel, it will absorb more heat.
Because thicker metals are reluctant to weld burns through, to weld the metal thin to thick needs lots of practice, and making solid thick requires thin welding joint.
Method or procedure when welding
Till now, you learned about burn through, problems, and the reasons why it happens. But now you will get to know step-by-step procedures/methods to prevent burn through.
Method-1: Prepare the Metal before Welding
To start your welding project, preparing the metal is the most important part before welding. Cleaning the metal is an essential process to work. Clean metal helps to keep everything balanced properly.
First, check if there is any paint or any coating over the metal. Clean the coating and get rid of the imperfections using a grinder.
Steel wool and grinders are the best tools to dispel the oxidation and rust from the surface. Now you need to clean the whole metal to ensure that there is no dirt, oxidation, impurities, and oil.
And it’s better to start fresh instead of improving the poorly welded metal. Then you can use a grinder to clean the edges too. It will prepare them for the weld.
You can use grinders to clean the edges of your metal and slope to prepare them for the weld. The combined root pass hole may be too large. There is one way to prevent that issue from getting to burning through is to slope your edges for a purifier seam.
Try to avoid using oil on your metal. Or else These will be complicated, particularly for the lubricant ones, because they will cease to function in the welding procedure and permit hydrogen to flow into the seam.
Method-2: Set the Welder to Prevent Burn Through
The improper setting is the major reason for the weld burn through the problem. Higher amperage settings cause this problem. You should use the welding chart for proper setting, which your welding machine manufacturer specifically recommends.
Here is a chart to guide you the proper way.
| Gauge Number | Fraction of an Inch | Amperage |
| 18 | 3/64″ = .047 | 47 |
| 16 | 1/16″ = .062 | 62 |
| 14 | 5/64″ = .078 | 78 |
| 12 | 1/10″ = .100 | 100 |
| 10 | 1/8″ = .125 | 125 |
| 8 | 5/32″ = .156 | 156 |
| 6 | 3/16″ = .187 | 187 |
Amperage per Inch Formula
M X 1000= A | M
= Material A = Amperage
Every manufacturer provides a chart with the machine, but the settings will be published somewhere on the welder’s system panel if they don’t. If you follow these procedures, it will help you work on your welder without burning.
Method-3: Stop Weld from Burn Through
You can stop weld from burning through by following a few different ways. Firstly, you can monitor the base opening.
When you work to join two pieces because of the huge space of the roots joints and cracks often cause burn through.
Be sure that the root does not have too many holes if you want to stop burning through.
Method-4: Welding Patterns To Use
There are some patterns also to use if you want to prevent burn through. You should avoid blowing and weaving your torch around.
This will avoid both warping and burning through. The longer the metal spends in contact with the arc, it gets hotter. So you should avoid resting and work as rapidly as possible without losing your beading to proceed rapidly.
You should be aware that you are compatible because you can burn through your metal if your heat is distributed. At that time, you should skip welding and allow it to stitch from the edges.
Method-5: Fixing Method of Weld Burn Through
If you end up with a burn through you can fix it by using a grinder. Grind off the backside of it.
Then clamp it down and search for something to cover the hole. Then weld it and let the brass cling to the hole. You can do one more thing: let it cool down, weld it, and start working on it again.
You can use copper, aluminum and brass as a backup for welding. When you start repairing the burn through, you may start from the outside edges of the hole and come towards the center.
To close the hole and start repairing it, use circular movements and rub it perfectly. By this, you can fix weld burn through.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I prevent burn through in welding?
You can prevent burn through in welding by following some steps. Wear a helmet to protect your face, neck, and ears. Using gloves, apron, goggles, and earplugs will help you to prevent burning.
And you can use a clay heat sink while welding thin metals. You can apply it to the rear side of the metal and pull the heat from the weld that won’t make a hole in it.
Why do I keep burning through when welding?
If your welder is placed to higher amperage it makes the weld hotter. While welding in a thin metal creates a blowing hole.
So that time to prevent it you need to turn down your amperage and make tinier welds to resist the base metal from getting too heated.
How to stop blowing holes when welding?
Blowing holes usually occurs while welding in thin metals. Try to control the heat while welding and set it in perfect amperage. And then let the metal cool on its own naturally.
Otherwise, higher heat can cause blowing holes during welding in thin metal. But If you maintain the skills, you will stop blowing holes when welding.
Final Notes
Burn through is a very complicated problem. It can affect your welding project, mostly when you use thin metals. But if you maintain the procedures may prevent burn through.
Always remember the safety protocol before starting welding. Prepare the metal by cleaning it properly and setting the amperage correctly. Use the right angles and apply the right techniques.
If you follow all the techniques and procedures correctly, then you can handle any project easily. I hope after reading this content now, you know how to prevent burn through when welding.
Now, you learned the procedure and hope you will be able to apply the techniques to your work properly. So you will surely get a good result after applying the methods to your project.