Am I the only one who finally gave in on using a backing gas for thin tube welds?
I used to think backing gas was just extra hassle for small tube jobs. It felt like slowing down for no real gain, especially on thin stuff where I could just weld fast. But last month, I had a run of tubes that kept burning through, no matter how careful I was. My partner kept pushing me to set up the argon, and I finally caved after ruining another piece. The difference was night and day - clean beads, no holes, and it passed the x-ray first try. It clicked that rushing cost me more time fixing mistakes. Now, I always roll out the gas for thin work, even if it adds a few minutes. It’s a small shift, but my rework rate has dropped, and that’s a win in my book.