hot metal + cold water

[Duc Kjosua]

I have a small question. If I am working some metal and heat it up, and then throw it in cold water so that it will cool quicker and I can get done faster, am I hurting the metal in any way? When I am welding, I usually throw the metal into some water to cool it off so that I can check the weld, but I want to be sure I am not weakening the weld or something. Thanks.

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My Homepage

[Guest]

well it really depends on the metal, for this case i will assume steel.


for the most part with what we weld and the quality needed, quenching a weld won't hurt it too much unless it was shitty to begin with.however that being said the quick temperature change does impart stresses which can cause the metal to become brittle and welds to crack, also depending on the filler alloy you may be introduceing too much hydrogen into the weld causeing underbead cracking and porosity. This is the kind of stuff I need to worry about when welding high-pressure pipe or jobs that need to be up to AWS structural code or Milspecs, you probably aren't gonna have to worry about the welds used to slap together a helm-top or deep cop...

but if you want it done right let it cool slowly

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Michael J

TIGger extraordinaire

[Klangiron Skullthumpa]

Quenching it too quick may make it too brittle. It depends on the metal. Letting it cool slowly will anneal it. Or something like that. I shattered a pair of linemans plers after an attempt to temper them so I'm not what anyone would call expert.