is it better to have your bead bow in( or bow out)or does it not effect the strength of the weld either way..
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surface appearance of a bead is an indicator but not always a good way to judge a weld.
as long as the weld is penetrated and the throat of the weld is adequate, a concave weld can be ok.
generally speaking, its better for a weld to be slightly convex (bowed out)