Which of the following is another likely cause of whiskers?

• A. Excessive Wire Speeds
• B. High Quality Surface Prep
• C. Proper Shielding Gas Flow
• D. Slow Travel Speed

Answer: (A)

Whiskers form when too much filler metal is added too quickly for the weld pool to wet and level properly. If the wire feed is excessive, more metal is deposited than the molten pool can fuse and spread, so tiny strands or protrusions stay attached as the bead cools. Reducing the wire feed (and dialing in travel speed and other settings) allows the pool to wet out smoothly and keeps the bead uniform, preventing those hair-like whiskers. Surface prep and shielding gas quality matter for overall weld quality, but they don’t directly prevent whiskers caused by excessive wire speed. Slower travel speed changes bead shape and heat input, but the main fix for whiskers is matching the wire feed to the travel and pool behavior.