taking my 3g test today

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Hey guys going to take my 3g smaw test tonight. A little nervous since we where giving a curb ball and are giving a 1/8 backing plate.
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Reply:How do you think you did?City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Never seen 1 of those before but looks like you have nailed the visual part . Dont know what else they do to them . Do they bend that kind of test and are you supposed to fuse the backing piece to your coupon ?
Reply:Having qualified myself, and also qualified others, people generally weld anywhere from 70 - 80% of their normal ability during a qualification test.   Overall looks good, can't really tell how much reinforcement there is.  You have some undercut on the toes on the right, but I think your under 1/32" looking at it from this angle.  Looks like you may of had a lack of flush reinforcement, necessitating the run up the middle.  Always tough because you risk excessive reinforcement so you sub consciously rush it, which gives you a somewhat peaked bead, with undercut on that particular pass. Not trying to pick it apart, just my interpretation of what you may have been facing. I like the pass on the left, smooth with nice toes most of the way up.  I really like your starts a stops, you ran it all the way up the backing bar so you don't have a nasty crater at the end of the plate.  Your start at the bottom is well placed.  Good job.  As long as your your root went in strong, and you cleaned it well between passes, it should bend.  Pass or fail, post up pictures of your bend.  Either way you you get my respect!Jay DavisAWS-CWIC-60 Specialty Welding ContractorLoving husband, and father of two boys (
Reply:Originally Posted by jbyrdHaving qualified myself, and also qualified others, people generally weld anywhere from 70 - 80% of their normal ability during a qualification test.   Overall looks good, can't really tell how much reinforcement there is.  You have some undercut on the toes on the right, but I think your under 1/32" looking at it from this angle.  Looks like you may of had a lack of flush reinforcement, necessitating the run up the middle.  Always tough because you risk excessive reinforcement so you sub consciously rush it, which gives you a somewhat peaked bead, with undercut on that particular pass. Not trying to pick it apart, just my interpretation of what you may have been facing. I like the pass on the left, smooth with nice toes most of the way up.  I really like your starts a stops, you ran it all the way up the backing bar so you don't have a nasty crater at the end of the plate.  Your start at the bottom is well placed.  Good job.  As long as your your root went in strong, and you cleaned it well between passes, it should bend.  Pass or fail, post up pictures of your bend.  Either way you you get my respect!
Reply:Originally Posted by spurwelderIve only tested on pipe as im a pipeliner and oilfield fabricater can you explain to me this test . Why the backingstrip why not weld it with a bead ? What does this Qualify you for structural im guessing Do you try and fuse the backing strip to the coupon pieces ? Glad they didnt throw that test at me wouldnt have a clue . All diffrent kinds of welding out there would like to see it done a time or 2 to understand whats going on
Reply:Good question, most prequalified procedures in D1.1 requires either a continous backing bar or backgouging the root to sound metal after welding, and then welding flush (or as specified by the procedure).  The test just simulates the procedure  to which he is qualifying. The root gap for structural are general much greater than in pipe welding.  Trying to open root weld a 1/4 root gap would be difficult i believeLast edited by jbyrd; 02-09-2012 at 08:10 PM.Jay DavisAWS-CWIC-60 Specialty Welding ContractorLoving husband, and father of two boys (
Reply:You do indeed fuse the backing plate to the coupons. Its one of things they usually look for in a destructive test. This is by far my favorite test. It looks pretty good on top, but like stated before, the root pass is where it is. Getting both coupons tied together to backing strip in one pass is the hardest part. Only thing I saw on this one is it looked like the mill scale was on it. Getting the scale off the front 1", back 1/2inch, and backer is a good idea. It looked pretty good though, you gonna be in a harness?
Reply:Certainly looks as good as I did when I passed the aws test. All depends on the root.IW Local 580 NY, NY
Reply:Do you put a land on your coupon pieces ? I assume you have a longer pause on the sides to tie into the backing plate . How much penetration are you trying to get into the backing plate ?
Reply:Looks good. When I tested at the Navy Yard years ago they used the steel flat backing strip as a welding assessment. If you passed that they gave you the open root test. Later while working at the ship yard I heard people say that they would fit and weld with a steel backing strip that would remain though I never saw it done. It was all open root. Even if there was a giant gap. That steel flat bat is kind of old fashioned, I think? Now it is all ceramic backing tape for large or uneven gaps.Welding everything, from the crack of dawn to a broken heart.
Reply:It's a aws d 1.1 test on a 1 inch plate 45 angle with a 1/8 backing strip and a 1/4 root opening. I just did the 4g same specs as the 3g.. I think I did real good on both the only thing I was worried was the backing burning tru.  All my practice was used on a 1/4 backing wich was a lot easier to run a good hot pass. At the last week of practice the teacher came out with the 1/8 saying It's his way of showing us how to weld a thin piece to a thicker base. I won't get my result till next week.
Reply:I got to use 1/4" backer and I made sure I ground ALL millscale  off just before starting.  Otherwise I was not allowed to use a grinder.    The CWI inspected my root pass then didn't seem to care much after that.  I took my time so it kept cool.  I was allowed to clean up the slag with a powered wire wheel.   45*  angle means 22.5 on each side.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Originally Posted by David RI got to use 1/4" backer and I made sure I ground ALL millscale  off just before starting.  Otherwise I was not allowed to use a grinder.    The CWI inspected my root pass then didn't seem to care much after that.  I took my time so it kept cool.  I was allowed to clean up the slag with a powered wire wheel.   45*  angle means 22.5 on each side.David
Reply:Here is a look at the plates. Oh another thing that was last minute was the way we mounted our work price. We where told that we can only weld on the backing strip. That to me was a problem as the plate where getting filled and getting hotter that 1/8 metal.would start to sag during welding. Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Reply:Here is the first pass amp was at 95 arc control at 100% imageshack Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Reply:Second pass I was so worried I was going to burn that 1/8  Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Reply:Here is my 4G plate.  Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Reply:Here is the first pass amp at 110 arc control at 30%. Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Reply:I did not take that many pics of this plate since i was trying not to waste time.  And this last pic was in a rush to leave the class I just got 1 complete picture.  Uploaded with ImageShack.us
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Reply:To be honest I think you were too cold on your vertical. That tall crown leaves a lot of room on the sides for slag to get trapped. I know the heat can get worrying, but you'll be amazed at how well everything stays together if you move consistently and fill in the corners.IW Local 580 NY, NY
Reply:Originally Posted by BlueArcTo be honest I think you were too cold on your vertical. That tall crown leaves a lot of room on the sides for slag to get trapped. I know the heat can get worrying, but you'll be amazed at how well everything stays together if you move consistently and fill in the corners.Eh. 120 is hot for vertical. I would try something in the neighborhood of 112-116. The 1/8th backing strip shouldn't make much of a difference. The majority of your time should be spent in the corners, and really just a swift move from side to side. "getting away" with 80amps means your classmate wasn't making a mess, but in terms of penetration, I doubt there was much at all. Was that your test, or just a practice? Also, if I recall correctly you said in another thread that you're from nyc, are you in 46?IW Local 580 NY, NY
Reply:Originally Posted by BlueArcEh. 120 is hot for vertical. I would try something in the neighborhood of 112-116. The 1/8th backing strip shouldn't make much of a difference. The majority of your time should be spent in the corners, and really just a swift move from side to side. "getting away" with 80amps means your classmate wasn't making a mess, but in terms of penetration, I doubt there was much at all. Was that your test, or just a practice? Also, if I recall correctly you said in another thread that you're from nyc, are you in 46?
Reply:Oh ok, must have you confused with someone else.IW Local 580 NY, NY