Mild steel usually gives you a broad welding window, but “high-strength steel” covers several material families with very different welding limits. Before choosing a filler, preheat temperature, or process, identify the exact steel grade and check the drawing, mill test report, manufacturer guidance, welding procedure specification, or vehicle repair manual that controls the job.
Quick Answer
Mild steel is generally easier to weld because it has low hardenability and tolerates a wider range of welding conditions. High-strength steel may need low-hydrogen consumables, controlled preheat, limited interpass temperature, and a qualified heat-input range. Always identify the grade first because one procedure does not fit every high-strength steel.
What’s in This Article
- What Makes Mild and High-Strength Steel Different?
- Identify the Steel Before Welding
- Mild Steel Welding Basics
- Why High-Strength Steel Is Harder to Weld
- Choosing the Right Filler Metal
- Why Preheating Helps High-Strength Steel
- Controlling Heat Input and the Heat-Affected Zone
- Preventing Hydrogen Cracking in Welds
- Best Welding Methods for Mild and High-Strength Steel
- Practical Welding Workflow
- Automotive and Critical-Repair Limits
- How to Inspect Welds for Strength and Safety
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
- Conclusion
Key Takeaways
- High-strength steel is a broad category, not one grade with one welding procedure.
- Identify the base material and governing specification before selecting filler, preheat, or heat input.
- ER70S-6 and E7018 suit many mild-steel applications, but critical joints still require procedure-based selection.
- Preheat, interpass temperature, and heat input must stay within an approved range; more or less heat is not automatically better.
- Low-hydrogen practice includes clean steel, dry consumables, correct storage, suitable preheat, and controlled welding conditions.
- Visual examination finds surface problems, while critical joints may require MT, PT, UT, RT, mechanical testing, or delayed inspection.
What Makes Mild and High-Strength Steel Different?
Mild steel is a low-carbon steel used for brackets, gates, frames, machinery, general fabrication, and many structural parts. Its low hardenability and useful ductility usually make it easier to cut, form, and weld than steels designed for much higher strength or wear resistance.
High-strength steel is not one material. Its strength may come from microalloying, controlled rolling, quenching and tempering, cold working, or a combination of hard and soft microstructures. Some grades have low carbon content and good weldability. Others can form a hard or softened heat-affected zone if the welding cycle is not controlled.
| Steel family | How it gains its properties | Main welding concern |
|---|---|---|
| Mild carbon steel | Low carbon with moderate strength and good formability | Fit-up, fusion, distortion, and ordinary weld defects |
| HSLA structural steel | Low carbon plus small alloy additions and controlled processing | Required toughness, hydrogen level, heat input, and code limits |
| Quenched-and-tempered plate | Heat treatment creates a strong, tough microstructure | HAZ softening, hardening, hydrogen cracking, and maximum temperature |
| Abrasion-resistant steel | Alloying and heat treatment provide hardness and wear resistance | Cracking, hardness loss, filler selection, and controlled cooling |
| Automotive AHSS | Dual-phase, martensitic, press-hardened, or other designed microstructures | OEM repair limits, crash performance, sectioning location, and approved joining method |
Because these families respond differently to welding heat, you cannot choose a procedure from tensile strength alone. Grade, chemistry, thickness, heat treatment, toughness requirements, joint restraint, and service conditions all affect the decision.
Identify the Steel Before Welding
Do not begin a critical weld based only on appearance, hardness, or a claim that the material is “mild steel” or “high-tensile steel.” Start with the documents and markings that identify the part.
- Check the drawing or bill of materials. Look for an ASTM, SAE, EN, API, military, proprietary, or OEM grade.
- Review the mill test report. It can provide chemistry, mechanical properties, heat number, and product condition.
- Read the manufacturer’s welding guide. Proprietary wear plate and performance-steel makers often publish filler, preheat, interpass, and heat-input limits.
- Find the governing WPS. A welding procedure specification should state the permitted process, filler, joint, position, electrical range, preheat, interpass temperature, and other essential controls.
- Use the current OEM repair procedure for vehicle parts. Steel identification, sectioning locations, squeeze-type resistance spot welding, plug welds, MIG brazing, and replacement rules can vary by model and model year.
- Escalate unknown material. Chemical analysis, hardness testing, positive material identification, or engineering evaluation may be needed before welding.
A spark test can help compare known shop samples, but it does not provide a reliable grade, heat-treatment condition, or approved welding procedure. For critical work, use traceable material information.
Warning: Do not weld an unidentified crane boom, lifting device, pressure-retaining part, vehicle crash structure, suspension part, heat-treated shaft, or load-bearing structural member. An incorrect repair can reduce strength, toughness, fatigue life, or crash performance even when the bead looks sound.
Mild Steel Welding Basics
Mild steel has good ductility and generally low hardenability, so many ordinary shop joints can be welded without preheat. Thick sections, cold material, highly restrained joints, unusual chemistry, repair work, and code-governed applications can still require preheat or other controls.
Common mild-steel filler options include ER70S-6 for GMAW and E7018 for many SMAW applications. ER70S-6 contains manganese and silicon deoxidizers that help it tolerate some mill scale and surface oxides, but it does not make oil, paint, rust, moisture, plating, or heavy scale safe to weld through. Lincoln Electric classifies its SuperArc L-56 product as ER70S-6 and describes its deoxidizer system and mild-steel applications in the product data sheet.
E6010 is a cellulosic electrode with a forceful, deep-penetrating arc. It is useful for approved root-pass, pipe, and repair procedures, but it is not a low-hydrogen replacement for E7018. Do not substitute one classification for another when a drawing, code, or WPS names the electrode.
Good mild-steel welding still depends on clean joint faces, correct polarity, suitable shielding gas, proper electrode extension, stable travel speed, and enough heat for fusion. Review common causes of lack of fusion when a bead sits on the surface or fails to tie into both joint faces.
Why High-Strength Steel Is Harder to Weld
Many high-strength steels have a narrower acceptable welding window because the weld thermal cycle can change the base-metal microstructure. Depending on the grade, the HAZ may harden, soften, lose toughness, grow coarse grains, or become more sensitive to hydrogen-assisted cracking.
| Factor | Possible effect | Procedure control |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry and carbon equivalent | Higher hardenability and crack sensitivity | Use verified chemistry and the applicable preheat method |
| Plate thickness and joint restraint | Faster heat removal and higher residual stress | Follow WPS preheat, sequence, fit-up, and joint-design limits |
| Moisture and diffusible hydrogen | Delayed cracking in weld metal or the HAZ | Use dry low-hydrogen consumables and clean, dry steel |
| Excessive heat input | Grain growth, HAZ softening, or reduced toughness | Stay below the approved maximum heat input and interpass temperature |
| Insufficient heat input | Rapid cooling, high hardness, or incomplete fusion | Stay above the procedure minimum and maintain fusion |
| Unapproved heating or PWHT | Loss of original heat-treated properties | Use only when the manufacturer, engineer, code, and WPS permit it |
Carbon equivalent can help an engineer or welding specialist assess hardenability and preheat needs when reliable chemical composition is available. It is a screening tool, not permission to ignore grade-specific limits, toughness requirements, or an approved procedure.
Clean preparation remains essential with every process. These metal preparation principles can help reduce porosity, slag inclusions, and fusion problems, but high-strength work may require tighter cleaning standards than ordinary fabrication.
Choosing the Right Filler Metal
Select filler metal from the qualified procedure, engineering design, applicable code, and filler manufacturer’s data. Do not choose it only because its tensile number is close to the base-metal strength.
The selection may need to satisfy all of the following:
- Required weld-metal yield and tensile strength
- Impact toughness at the service temperature
- Diffusible-hydrogen classification
- Base-metal grade and heat-treatment condition
- Welding process, position, polarity, and shielding gas
- Joint design, thickness, restraint, and dilution
- Fatigue, corrosion, wear, pressure, and cyclic-loading demands
- Post-weld heat-treatment requirements or restrictions
Products Worth Considering
MODEL: E7018 is a low-hydrogen iron powder type electrode that produces high quality x-ray welds. It can be used in all positions on AC or DC reverse polarity welding current.
MODEL: E7018 is a low-hydrogen iron powder type electrode that produces high quality x-ray welds. It can be used in all positions on AC or DC reverse polarity welding current.
PRODUCT: E7018 is a high quality carbon steel electrode with a low hydrogen potassium iron powder type flux. It can be used for AC and DC, and can be used for all-position welding.
Filler Metal Compatibility
ER70S-6 is suitable for many mild-steel GMAW joints. E7018 is a common low-hydrogen SMAW option for carbon steel when its strength, toughness, and procedure classification meet the job.
E9018-M and E11018-M are real low-alloy, low-hydrogen electrode classifications, but they serve different strength levels and applications. Lincoln Electric describes E9018-M as a 90-ksi-class deposit for materials that include certain high-strength steels in its E9018-M data sheet. Its E11018-M data sheet lists quenched-and-tempered steels and high-strength fabrication among typical applications. These examples do not replace a WPS.
| Example filler | Common use | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| ER70S-6 | Many mild-steel GMAW joints | Confirm gas, transfer mode, strength, and toughness requirements |
| E7018 | Many carbon-steel SMAW joints | Follow low-hydrogen storage and exposure limits |
| E9018-M | Selected 90-ksi-class low-alloy applications | Not a universal high-strength-steel electrode |
| E11018-M | Selected quenched-and-tempered and 110-ksi-class applications | Requires procedure, toughness, and hydrogen verification |
| ER100S-G or another “G” classification | Procedure-specific higher-strength GMAW applications | Review the exact manufacturer classification and test data |
Low-Hydrogen Options
Low-hydrogen practice is more than buying an electrode marked “low hydrogen.” Consumables must be stored, issued, exposed, and reconditioned according to the filler manufacturer’s instructions and the governing procedure.
Keep joint faces dry and free of oil, paint, condensation, cutting fluid, rust scale, and other contamination. Protect opened electrodes and flux from moisture. Do not guess at rebaking temperatures or times because excessive reheating can damage a coating.
A product such as E7018 may be suitable for many mild-steel applications, but the package condition, manufacturer requirements, WPS, and exposure time still control whether the electrodes are acceptable for a low-hydrogen job.
Match Strength Requirements
The weld must meet the design requirements, but that does not always mean using the highest-strength filler available. A stronger filler can have lower ductility, create a harder weld, increase residual stress, or raise cracking risk without improving the joint.
Some engineered repairs use an undermatching filler so the weld metal is slightly lower in strength than the base material but has better ductility and crack resistance. That choice must come from an engineer, code provision, manufacturer recommendation, or qualified procedure—not an informal shop rule.
Why Preheating Helps High-Strength Steel
Preheating can slow cooling, reduce HAZ hardness, remove surface condensation, lower the temperature difference across the joint, and give hydrogen more time to diffuse away from crack-sensitive areas. AISC describes minimum preheat and interpass temperature as a major method of reducing hydrogen-induced weld cracking, while also noting that some modern high-performance steels were developed to reduce or eliminate preheat requirements.
There is no safe universal preheat temperature for all high-strength steel. The approved value may depend on:
- Exact steel grade and product condition
- Carbon equivalent or other composition measure
- Combined thickness at the joint
- Joint restraint and weld size
- Filler hydrogen classification
- Welding process and heat input
- Ambient and base-metal temperature
- Manufacturer, code, WPS, or OEM limits
Measure temperature using an approved contact thermometer, temperature-indicating crayon, infrared device used with correct emissivity, or another method accepted by the procedure. Check the specified distance from the joint and maintain the minimum preheat through welding.
Also observe the maximum interpass temperature. Excessive interpass temperature can overheat a quenched-and-tempered or thermo-mechanically processed steel even when the minimum preheat is correct.
Note: Preheating rules are material-specific. Methods used for preheating cast iron do not establish a safe temperature for structural, abrasion-resistant, or automotive high-strength steel.
Warning: Never apply an improvised torch preheat or post-weld heat treatment to an unknown heat-treated steel. Uneven or excessive heating can change hardness, strength, toughness, straightness, and fatigue resistance.
Controlling Heat Input and the Heat-Affected Zone
The heat-affected zone is the base metal beside the weld that became hot enough for its microstructure or properties to change without melting. SSAB notes that HAZ properties may change and that both excessive heat and insufficient heat can cause problems: too much heat can alter a large volume of base material, while too little can contribute to lack of fusion.
Heat Input Control
Control heat input by keeping amperage, voltage, travel speed, electrode extension, bead size, weaving, and pass sequence within the WPS. Do not judge heat input from amperage alone. A slow travel speed or wide weave can add substantial heat even when current looks moderate.
Maintaining a steady arc length supports stable voltage, bead shape, shielding, and fusion. Record actual amperage, voltage, travel speed, preheat, and interpass temperature when the procedure or quality plan requires documentation.
Avoid oversized welds and unnecessary passes. Extra weld metal increases heat, shrinkage, residual stress, time, and distortion without automatically increasing joint capacity. Use the specified weld size and review the design limits behind maximum fillet weld size.
HAZ Property Changes
Different high-strength steels can react in opposite ways. A hardenable grade may form a hard, crack-sensitive HAZ after rapid cooling. A quenched-and-tempered or thermo-mechanically processed grade may soften if the joint receives too much heat. Some grades can show both effects in different HAZ regions.
That is why “use less heat” and “cool it slowly” are incomplete rules. The goal is to remain inside the qualified thermal window for that grade, thickness, joint, and consumable.
Post-weld heat treatment is not a general repair step. It may be required for some pressure or alloy-steel applications, restricted for others, and harmful to certain quenched-and-tempered or thermo-mechanically processed steels. Use PWHT only when the code, engineer, manufacturer, and WPS authorize the exact temperature cycle.
Preventing Hydrogen Cracking in Welds
Hydrogen-assisted cold cracking becomes more likely when three conditions occur together: a crack-sensitive microstructure, diffusible hydrogen, and tensile stress. Thick or restrained joints and higher-hardenability steels can increase the risk.
Hydrogen cracks may form in weld metal or the HAZ after the weld cools. SSAB notes that cracks can begin hours or even days later, so a clean appearance immediately after welding does not always prove that the joint is sound.
Use this control sequence:
- Identify the steel and procedure. Do not choose controls from strength alone.
- Clean and dry the joint. Remove moisture, oil, paint, plating, rust scale, and cutting residue.
- Use the specified low-hydrogen consumable. Check classification, manufacturer, lot controls, storage, exposure, and reconditioning rules.
- Apply the required preheat. Measure it at the location and frequency stated in the WPS.
- Maintain interpass limits. Do not let the joint fall below the minimum or exceed the maximum.
- Control heat input and sequence. Maintain fusion while limiting excessive thermal damage and restraint.
- Inspect at the required time. Some procedures require delayed examination after the joint cools.
Thorough preparation also reduces other defects. Review the causes of porosity in arc welding when moisture, shielding problems, or contamination leave gas pockets in the weld.
Pro Tip: Record the steel grade, heat number, filler classification, batch or lot, preheat readings, interpass readings, amperage, voltage, travel speed, welder ID, and inspection results for critical work. Traceable records make procedure control and future repairs much safer.
Best Welding Methods for Mild and High-Strength Steel
No arc-welding process is automatically best for every steel. Select the process named by the procedure and suited to the joint, position, access, productivity, toughness, hydrogen, and quality requirements.
| Process | Useful strengths | Main controls |
|---|---|---|
| GMAW/MIG | Fast, clean, easy to mechanize, and practical for many mild-steel joints | Filler classification, shielding gas, transfer mode, wind protection, and heat input |
| FCAW | High deposition rate and good positional capability with suitable wires | Wire classification, shielding requirements, slag removal, hydrogen level, and procedure limits |
| SMAW/stick | Portable and useful for field work, repairs, and restricted access | Electrode classification, polarity, storage, exposure, bead size, and slag removal |
| GTAW/TIG | Precise control for thin sections, roots, small components, and high-quality work | Cleanliness, filler selection, shielding, travel speed, and excessive dwell time |
For mild steel, MIG welding with ER70S-6 is often practical, but the machine settings, transfer mode, gas, wire diameter, and joint thickness must agree with the procedure.
For high-strength steel, GMAW, FCAW, SMAW, GTAW, and SAW can all be suitable when qualified. AISC reports that modern consumables and procedures support several welding processes for high-performance structural steels rather than limiting fabrication to one method.
Remove harmful coatings before welding. Galvanized surfaces, paints, primers, and plated parts can affect weld quality and create hazardous fumes. Review proper surface preparation for galvanized steel and use ventilation and respiratory controls appropriate to the exposure.
Products Worth Considering
High-quality: ARCCAPTAIN's ER70S-6 mig welding wire .035" meets industry standards(Net Weight: 10lbs), ensuring consistent performance, superior strength. With its smooth feeding and stable welding parameters, you can achieve optimal penetration, high deposition rates, and exceptional overall welding performance.
High-quality: ARCCAPTAIN's ER70S-6 mig welding wire .030" meets industry standards(Net Weight: 10lbs), ensuring consistent performance, superior strength. With its smooth feeding and stable welding parameters, you can achieve optimal penetration, high deposition rates, and exceptional overall welding performance.
High Quality & Reliable Welds: VEVOR 0.035" 10 lbs ER70S-6 solid MIG welding wire contains higher levels of manganese and silicon deoxidizers, delivering strong, consistent welds on mild carbon steel—even when working with oily or lightly rusted steel
Practical Welding Workflow
Before Welding
- Confirm the exact material grade, product condition, thickness, and service.
- Review the current drawing, WPS, code, manufacturer guidance, or OEM repair procedure.
- Verify the welder, procedure, and inspection qualifications required for the work.
- Confirm filler classification, diameter, shielding gas, polarity, and consumable condition.
- Check joint design, root opening, bevel, backing, weld size, and access.
- Remove paint, plating, moisture, oil, rust, scale, and cutting residue from the weld zone.
- Set up ventilation, welding screens, fire protection, grounding, gas-cylinder restraint, and PPE.
- Measure and document preheat when required.
During Welding
- Use the permitted amperage, voltage, travel speed, electrode extension, and technique.
- Maintain minimum preheat and maximum interpass temperature.
- Use stringer beads or limited weaving when required by the WPS.
- Clean every pass and remove slag, silicate islands, or defects before covering them.
- Control starts, stops, craters, tack welds, and temporary attachments.
- Avoid arc strikes outside the joint and do not quench the weld with water or compressed air unless a qualified procedure specifically permits it.
- Stop if cracks, unexpected hardness, unstable shielding, incorrect temperature, or material uncertainty appears.
After Welding
- Allow the joint to cool as required by the procedure; do not improvise blankets, forced cooling, or postheat.
- Clean the weld so the full surface and toes can be examined.
- Complete visual examination and dimensional checks.
- Perform MT, PT, UT, RT, hardness testing, bend testing, or other examinations when specified.
- Observe any required delay before final crack inspection.
- Document repairs and inspect repaired areas to the same acceptance standard.
Automotive and Critical-Repair Limits
Vehicle bodies may combine mild steel, HSLA, dual-phase steel, martensitic steel, and press-hardened steel in neighboring parts. A repair that was acceptable on an older model may be prohibited on a newer version of the same vehicle. Confirm the VIN, model year, exact component, joining method, sectioning location, and current OEM body-repair procedure before welding.
Do not assume a visible vehicle frame rail, pillar, rocker, reinforcement, bumper beam, seat-belt anchorage, battery enclosure, or suspension mount can be heated or welded. Some parts must be replaced at factory seams, while others allow specific plug-weld, spot-weld, MIG-braze, rivet, or adhesive procedures.
The same caution applies to crane booms, excavator components, trailer frames, pressure equipment, bridge members, lifting attachments, and wear plate. Repair welding can introduce local hard zones, softened zones, residual stress, fatigue-sensitive geometry, or hidden cracks. Obtain engineering approval and a repair procedure before starting.
How to Inspect Welds for Strength and Safety
Visual testing is the first inspection step, but it does not prove that the inside of a joint is sound. Examine accessible surfaces for weld size, profile, reinforcement, undercut, overlap, surface porosity, cracks, crater defects, arc strikes, poor tie-in, distortion, and visible root conditions.
Use suitable nondestructive testing when the design, code, WPS, or repair plan requires more information:
- PT, or liquid penetrant testing: Finds surface-breaking discontinuities in suitable nonporous materials but does not reveal hidden internal flaws.
- MT, or magnetic-particle testing: Finds surface and near-surface discontinuities in ferromagnetic steel.
- UT, or ultrasonic testing: Can evaluate internal discontinuities when the joint geometry, procedure, calibration, and operator qualification are suitable.
- RT, or radiographic testing: Produces an image of internal conditions but has access, radiation-safety, orientation, and defect-detection limits.
- Hardness or mechanical tests: May be required to verify HAZ condition, procedure qualification, ductility, or weld-metal properties.
Do not claim full penetration from the cap appearance. Penetration and fusion are established through joint design, procedure qualification, accessible root examination, destructive testing, or suitable NDT.
Correct edge preparation for a butt joint helps create the root opening, groove angle, and access needed for fusion, but the finished joint must still meet the specified examination and acceptance criteria.
Warning: Welding produces metal fume, ultraviolet radiation, hot metal, sparks, fire hazards, noise, and electrical hazards. OSHA recommends appropriate work practices, ventilation, eye and face protection, protective clothing, and other controls. Do not weld in a confined space or on an unknown coating, container, or pressurized system without the required hazard assessment and permits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is mild steel the same as high-strength steel?
No. Mild steel is generally a low-carbon steel with moderate strength and good weldability. High-strength steel is a broad group that includes HSLA, quenched-and-tempered, abrasion-resistant, pipeline, and automotive grades. Each family can have different welding and repair limits.
What is the golden rule in welding?
Identify the material and follow the correct procedure. Clean preparation and good technique cannot make up for an unknown steel grade, incorrect filler, prohibited repair, or heat input outside the approved range.
Can you weld on high-strength steel?
Yes, many high-strength steels are weldable. The exact grade may require a qualified WPS, low-hydrogen filler, controlled preheat, an interpass limit, a defined heat-input range, special inspection, or an approved repair design.
Can you weld stainless steel to mild steel with 7018?
E7018 may physically join some combinations, but it is usually not the preferred filler for stainless-to-carbon-steel service. A 309-type stainless filler is commonly considered for this dissimilar joint, but the correct choice depends on the stainless grade, process, dilution, temperature, corrosion exposure, and engineering requirements.
Does high-strength steel always need preheating?
No. Preheat depends on the exact grade, chemistry, thickness, restraint, filler hydrogen level, process, heat input, temperature, and governing procedure. Some modern high-strength steels need little or no preheat in approved conditions, while other joints require strict minimum temperatures.
Should filler metal always match the base-metal tensile strength?
No. Matching may be required, but some engineered joints use an undermatching filler to improve ductility or reduce cracking risk. Select filler from the design, code, WPS, service-temperature requirements, and manufacturer data rather than choosing the highest tensile number.
Is lower heat input always better for high-strength steel?
No. Excessive heat can soften or coarsen the HAZ, but too little heat can increase cooling rate, hardness, and lack-of-fusion risk. Stay within the minimum and maximum heat-input range established by the qualified procedure.
Can post-weld heat treatment fix a high-strength-steel weld?
Not automatically. PWHT can help certain steels and applications, but it can reduce the original properties of quenched-and-tempered or thermo-mechanically processed material. Use only the exact temperature cycle approved by the code, engineer, manufacturer, and WPS.
Sources
- American Institute of Steel Construction — High Strength Steel Report — high-strength-steel development, welding procedures, preheat, interpass temperature, consumables, and hydrogen-cracking control.
- AISC — Guidelines for Field Repairs and Retrofits of Steel Bridges — repair planning, filler selection, procedure control, and considerations for higher-strength base metals.
- SSAB — 20 Questions About Welding — HAZ changes, heat input, hydrogen cracks, distortion, and common weld defects.
- Lincoln Electric — SuperArc L-56 ER70S-6 Data Sheet — ER70S-6 classification, deoxidizers, shielding gases, applications, and mechanical properties.
- Lincoln Electric — Excalibur 9018M MR Data Sheet and Excalibur 11018M MR Data Sheet — low-hydrogen classifications, strength levels, hydrogen limits, and typical applications.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration — Welding, Cutting, and Brazing Hazards and Solutions — welding-fume, ultraviolet-radiation, burn, eye, electrical, and related safety hazards.
Conclusion
Mild steel generally tolerates a wider range of welding conditions, while high-strength steel requires decisions based on its exact grade and processing history. Identify the material, use the approved filler and procedure, control preheat, interpass temperature, and heat input, and apply disciplined low-hydrogen practices.
Do not improvise repairs on unknown or critical components. A qualified procedure, manufacturer or OEM guidance, traceable consumables, measured temperatures, and suitable inspection protect the joint’s strength, toughness, fatigue life, and safety far better than a good-looking bead alone.
