DELTA SCHOOL OF TRADES STANDARDS

WELDING PRACTICES

 

The way to learn Welding or improve your skills is through practicing the welding positions assigned over and over again until the Instructor or Inspector is satisfied you can consistently perform the assigned welding practice. When one practice is of acceptable quality, you will be moved on to the next practice.

The Standards for all practices at the school and in Industry are the American Welding Society’s standards as described in the D1.1 Structural Welding Code for Steel and their various Inspection publications.

Every Welder and Student should be aware of the Visual Inspection criteria used at the school and described below:

 

  1. There shall be no cracks anywhere in the weld.
  2. There shall be no undercut anywhere in the weld.
  3. There shall be no porosity anywhere in the weld
  4. The weld profile shall conform to the weld profiles shown below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TROUBLESHOOTING CHART

 

 

 

DISCONTINUITY

POSSIBLE CAUSES

Excessive Convexity

Slow travel speed  that allows weld metal to build up

Welding currents too low

Insufficient Throat

A combination of Travel speed to fast and current too high

Improper placement of weld beads when multiple pass welding

Undercut

 

Amperage too high

Arc length too long increasing the force of the arc so that it cuts into corners

Improper weld technique causing the corners to be left unfilled or cut into

Groove joint not completely filled and overlapped

Insufficient Leg Size

Using the wrong electrode angle causing the weld to be deposited to heavily on one side

Using the wrong angle on multiple pas welds Causing the welds to overlap incorrectly

Poor Penetration

Amperage too low

Travel speeds too fast

Using too large an electrode for the root of the joint

Improper electrode angle at the root of the joint

Improper weave technique

Using the wrong electrode for the desired joint penetration: (using E-6013 instead of E-6010)

Poor Fusion

Amperage too low

Travel speeds too fast

Improper electrode angle at the sides of the joint

Improper weave technique that does not allow enough time at the sides of the joint

Using the wrong electrode for the application

Overlap

Amperage too low and /or travel speed too slow

Electrode too large with low currents

Porosity

Dirty base metal  painted or galvanized surfaces

Arc length too long especially with E-7018 Electrodes

Moisture in low hydrogen electrodes

Wind or fans strong enough to break down the shielding gas

Slag Inclusions

Improper manipulation of the electrode especially with E-6013

Improper cleaning and slag removal between multiple pass welds

Cracks

Using the wrong Electrode for the application

Using Excessively high amperage on some metals

Excessive Spatter

Amperage too high

Electrode angle too extreme

Arc length too long