Welding Slang 101

Every industry has their own shop talk, and welding is no different. There is an entire culture of lingo that to the outside listener might as well be a foreign language. For the die-hard welder, this jargon is part of your everyday vocabulary. Here's a test for you; below is a list of everyday welding slang. How well do you know the language of your trade?

Welding Slang 101:

Stringer bead - A narrow, straight weld bead that is created by moving the SMAW electrode straight along the weld joint.

Wetting-out - The ability of a weld puddle to flow evenly, allowing both sides of the weld to merge smoothly with the base material

Root pass - The first weld bead placed in the weld joint in a multipass weld.

Stiff -   An arc that provides a lot of drive (dig) into the weld joint.

Soft -    An arc that has less drive (dig) and potentially less penetration into the weld joint.

Dig - Also called arc force or arc control. It is the ability to adjust the drive of the SMAW electrode to achieve more or less penetration into the weld joint.

Cold lap - A defect that occurs when there is lack of penetration on one leg of the weld.

Undercut - A weld defect in which the base material overhangs the weld bead

Wagon tracks - Also called worm tracking, this weld defect is caused by hydrogen that has been trapped by the freezing slag.

Tinger - Another name for the SMAW electrode holder

Whip - The cable—typically 10 to 15 ft. long—that is connected to the SMAW electrode holder, or stinger.

Fingernail - The shape of the SMAW electrode as the flux burns off the end.

So how did you do? Are you a welding  expert that blew through those terms with ease? That's just the tip of the world of welding lingo. We know there's plenty of shop-talk out there. What are some of your favorite or most used phrases?