Cutting & Gouging

Air carbon-arc gouging equipment - torches and carbon electrodes for removing metal rather than adding it.

What gouging is for

Carbon-arc gouging melts metal with an arc and blows it clear with compressed air. It is the fastest way to remove a bad weld, back-gouge a root before the second side, excavate a crack to sound metal, or cut a casting apart where a torch will not do it.

It is faster than grinding by an order of magnitude and it removes material that grinding cannot reach.

Pointed or flat carbons

• Pointed carbons cut a U-shaped groove. The standard for back-gouging weld roots and chasing cracks.
• Flat carbons remove a wider, shallower area. For surface defect removal and washing off weld build-up.

Copper-coated carbons carry more current and last longer than bare. Diameter follows the groove you need and the amperage your machine can hold.

Air pressure and volume are the whole job

The arc does the melting; the air does the removing. Insufficient air volume leaves molten metal to re-solidify in the groove, and you gouge the same inch three times. Check the compressor's CFM at working pressure, not its tank rating - this is the single most common reason gouging feels like it is not working.

The air jet must sit behind the arc and stay there. Rotate the torch so the air blows along the groove.

This is loud, bright and dirty - plan for it

Carbon-arc gouging throws molten metal a long way, generates more UV than most welding processes, and is genuinely loud. Full leather, a properly rated helmet, hearing protection and a cleared area with screens are not optional. Never gouge near anything combustible, and check what is on the far side of the plate first.

Clean up before you weld

Gouging leaves a carbon-enriched layer on the groove surface. Grind it back to bright metal before welding, or that carbon goes into your weld and embrittles it.

Free shipping over $175 across Canada. Counter pickup in North York.