Grinding a weld end, tack or crater to a gradual taper with a disc or file so the following bead melts through it instead of piling up against a blunt edge. Feathering root starts and stops and tack edges prevents cold lap, lack of fusion and incomplete penetration at tie-ins, which are some of the most common spots for radiographic rejects.
Feather every tack and both ends of the root before you hot pass it.
Also heard as
- feather out
- feathering
- feather edge
Related terms
Tie-in
How well a weld fuses into the base metal, the bead beside it, or the end of an earlier weld.
Tack weld
A short weld placed during fit-up to hold parts in line until the full-length welds go in.
Root pass
The first weld pass in a joint, laid at the root, which sets the quality of everything above it.
Cold lap
Shop term for weld metal that rolls over onto the base metal or a previous bead without fusing to it.