Identifying common welding defects Preventing and fixing problems with your welds If I could wave my magic filler rod and make it so that all your welds would be strong, clean, and sharp-looking, I’d certainly do it. But the last time I went to the welding supply shop and asked to buy a magic filler rod, they looked at me like I was nuts, so for now you just have to live with the fact that some of your welds will be imperfect. Don’t worry about it too much; after all, no welder is perfect, and welding can be a tricky endeavor. What I can do is fill you in on some of the most common weld flaws so that when they show up, you realize that you’re dealing with the same kinds of challenges that hundreds of thousands of welders have cursed and spat about since the first guy figured out how to strike an arc. These are the kinds of defects that you’re likely to notice only after you’ve finished a weld (either a single pass...