help me pass my welding test

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So heres my story, I was in a motorcycle wreck about 10 days ago.. lost a bunch of skin off the left side of my body, but I didnt break any bones (thnk god).. anyway, I missed a bunch of class and fell behind. So far I have good understanding of welding UP TO the 3G vertical Vgroove position.. this is where I missed the instructions, havent had time to practice, etc. Of course, our certification tests will be done in the 3G and 4G positions only. i know this is a longshot but.. could anyone give me any tips, links, pointers, words of advice, ancient chinese sayings, stories from your grandfathers, anything at all that might help me pass this test that is on thursday? I have two days (6 hours) of class time to perfect 3G and 4G (id be happy to just pass just the 3G) . We are running 6010 root and 7018 filler on 1/2" Vgroove plate.. with a 1/8" root gap, and 1/8" face... 1/8" and 3/32" rods available to use.   My main problem is , the keyhole gets too big and I dotn know how to control it .. also i am uncertain how I am supposed to overlap the weld beads.  I had my instructor draw a diagram for me showing me how the welds are supposed to overlap.. but his drawing was so bad i couoldnt even understand it. help me welding web!Last edited by AJM; 05-10-2010 at 07:56 PM.
Reply:Otay....I might be moving to Frederick soon....lolz The parents just moved up to Keetysville.Anyways, It appears that your running w/out a backing strip correct?So it would be open V- groove.As far as technique,If your keyhole is getting too big you need to turn the amps down. Simple It's really as easy as that.I run my root @ anywhere from 60-75 amps depending on the weather.In terms of Overlapping it might be along the lines of....Root 60-75 ampsHot 85 amps -- burn it in and push that root into the metal even furtherFiller 90-95 amps -- Watch your pool and weave it along.Start side x side filler from left to right. -- One string on left side, one on right. And break down the walls^^ Repeat till you reach the top.Run your cap with a weave motion. 90-95 ampsYou may need to run two stringers for a cap instead of a wide weave due to the thickness of metal. All I've ever tested on was 3/8ths.
Reply:Originally Posted by AJMMy main problem is , the keyhole gets too big and I don't know how to control it ..
Reply:All above I agree, but I am Hot Rodder guy, more heat better, but only what you can handle, heavy nickle to 1/8 landing tight, make fit make tacks as long as possible, grind down ticks,(feather each end, Start draging in center of tack, give machine time to find itself, drag into key hole I run 110 to 120, but each to own, HOLD rodsquare with and straight in center of bevel, hold er steady, no weave you should not see any fire on face plate, all fire should be on backside of plate, just let her drag and listen to the bacon fry, if you have to stop during weld, pull straight out on rod or a slight whip up, helps keep key hole smaller, but again grind a feather edge about 1/2 inch long for re start, start about 1/4 to 1/2 inch below key hole, start there and drag into key hole, penetrate feater, heat up iron, good tie in and machine has found its comfort zone, some machines have a hot start for a split second, this is propbably you key hole problem, drag in to key hole..................Lots of Luck KID, we use to call 3G on pipe Arkansas Bell Hole. I can weld anything from the break of day to a broken HEART
Reply:first of all, id liek to thank you guys for the info.. 2nd.. my teacher ****ed us. Today he tells us that he just found out the test is going to be WITH a backing plate, 1/4" gap , NO 6010 root, no land just a feather edge... no grinding allowed.  WTF??so I just wasted one of my two days practicing something that I wont even be tested for. This school is such a ****ing joke I am so pissed off. So now I have 3 hours to learn vertical AND overhead with a backing plate.. I have never done either before. I assume that having the backing plate will make it much easier ... but I still have no time to practice. Im pretty much just abandoning overhead and hoping I can pass 1 out of the 2 tests.. the vertical one. teacher still also doesnt know if AWS test requires us to do ONE "weave" pass for the root, or if we should do 2 stringers for the root... I mean WTF??? He cant even ****ing tell us what the test is going to be so we are all basically clueless just wasting our precious classroom time , dicking around waiting to fail the test on thursday because we dont even know what is required of us. does anyone know.. when testing for the 3G , shoudl you do ONE pass for the root, or TWO.. ??? because my instructor cant even tell  me.  this will be on 3/8" thick plate with a 1/4" gap , no land.. using 1/8" 7018 rod only. thanks guysLast edited by AJM; 05-11-2010 at 01:47 PM.
Reply:OK, so it IS plate. Thanks for the pipe technique coaching guys, I appreciate that! Just practice the 3G, you want to run one pass for the root and fuse all three pieces, just wet the edges together. It will only work with preheat to between 100 and 150 degrees, usually by torch, otherwise the root won't fuse properly. 118 amps DCEP is what I use. Fuse all 3 in one pass, really watch your timing and the edges (called the toes), leave no undercut, and keep the crown in the center from buldging up by spending as little time crossing from side to side as possible. Clean the metal to a mirror finish inbetween passes. Get all the slag out. The second pass goes on one side or the other, it should reach almost to the center of the root pass and wash up the beveled edge. The next pass goes on the opposite side. For the cover pass to be nice and clean, a bit of planning is in order so that it is at least flush with the plate surface, and be no higher than 1/8" reenforcement.4G is just like flat. But stand to one side, don't weave at all, stringers only and a little hotter, say about 120 amps.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:Originally Posted by tanglediverOK, so it IS plate. Thanks for the pipe technique coaching guys, I appreciate that! Just practice the 3G, you want to run one pass for the root and fuse all three pieces, just wet the edges together. It will only work with preheat to between 100 and 150 degrees, usually by torch, otherwise the root won't fuse properly. 118 amps DCEP is what I use. Fuse all 3 in one pass, really watch your timing and the edges (called the toes), leave no undercut, and keep the crown in the center from buldging up by spending as little time crossing from side to side as possible. Clean the metal to a mirror finish inbetween passes. Get all the slag out. The second pass goes on one side or the other, it should reach almost to the center of the root pass and wash up the beveled edge. The next pass goes on the opposite side. For the cover pass to be nice and clean, a bit of planning is in order so that it is at least flush with the plate surface, and be no higher than 1/8" reenforcement.4G is just like flat. But stand to one side, don't weave at all, stringers only and a little hotter, say about 120 amps.
Reply:vert test should be a weave all the way out, just like a 5g pipe test (bellhole) over head I would run the root with a small weave and stringer it all the way out.  with a 3/8 plate a 1/8 rod you will probably run all the way with 1 rod on your stringers in the overhead posi. when they test these the usual method is to cut a inch off each end then cut the plate in 1/2 and mark face and root on plate then grind weldement flat to apparent metal then bend a root and face.  ( 5g pipe- bellhole, 6g pipe hillbilly or arkansas bell. 5g weave all the way unless otherwise instructed by tech. 6g stringer all the way)  revpol