Is there a Wrong Filler Rod Angle?

How important is filler rod angle?

I am talking about the angle you feed the filler rod into the puddle?

Text books and online resources seem to recommend that a 90 degree angle of filler wire in relation to electrode angle is the proper angle.

Who says so ?

I say that there are so many different scenarios involved with tig welding that there is no single proper filler rod angle.

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The angle that the filler rod is fed into the puddle definitely has an affect but fortunately, almost all angles can work.

We all know there are situations where weird angles must be used because something is in the way.

And there is also build up work on worn parts down inside cylinders, tool and die and injection mold work where welding must be done in tight crevices...and a many more situations where filler rod angle is all over the place.

Just to demonstrate this, I ran a few beads on plate using the so called proper angle and then I added a few 1 inch wide strips of 1/8" steel to demonstrate the difference a small obstacle can make in the way you feed wire into the puddle.

Welding beads on plate is one of the first thing you do when learning to tig weld and maintaining a 90 degree filler rod angle is pretty natural and easy.

But the first time you weld toward an inside corner, proper angle goes right out the window.

Even a one inch wide piece of metal added to plate greatly increases the difficulty.

My point here is that there is no proper angle to feed filler wire.

There are only Results.

And getting results are the thing that really matters.