Critique my weld
- Thread starter airman401
- Start date
AlexNGreen
Well-known member
You're off to a good start. A bit too much heat though.
What are you welding with?
What are you welding with?
Are the starts and stops part of the test as well? If so, you'll want to avoid the cold starts and craters.
Start welding a little bit beyond the start, then weld "backwards" towards the start. Once at the start, weld as normal in your normal direction.
Instead of welding to the end and then stopping, go to the end, then backtrack onto the weld a little bit.
Start welding a little bit beyond the start, then weld "backwards" towards the start. Once at the start, weld as normal in your normal direction.
Instead of welding to the end and then stopping, go to the end, then backtrack onto the weld a little bit.
aka Larry
Well-known member
X2. All the above is good advice IMO. Your crater left on the right end as pictured is a result of stopping before backing up to fill in the void.
Constructive criticism? Over the Net? 
OK, enough 'funnin wit ya'.
As mentioned, the starts and stops need to be improved.
Over the Net, from a single (blurry) picture, it looks like you didn't blow a hole right through the workpieces, so a + to you there.
But, over the Net, from a single (blurry) picture, it looks like you piled up waaaaaay more weld metal into the bead than should/would be called for. Unless otherwise specified (on the print/drawing), generally you make the bead dimension the same as the workpiece thickness. You "overwelded" that T joint by like 2-3x, which wastes time (labor) and materials (weld filler, shielding gas, and electricity).
From that single blurry picture, I really can't tell how well you wet in the toes of the weld or how well you did with the weld penetration (short-circuit GMAW is notorious for being able to make a weld that 'looks' pretty or OK but is actually just 'glopped onto' the workpieces with inadequate penetration/fusion (aka "cold lap" aka lack of fusion aka lack of penetration, etc, etc)).
I've seen worse, but I've also seen better. Practice some more and find out exactly what this "test" is about or for. Doing some short-circuit GMAW on some relatively 'thin' sheetmetal is not the exact same 'test' of skills or technique as doing pipe or 'structural' welding or whatever.
OK, enough 'funnin wit ya'.
As mentioned, the starts and stops need to be improved.
Over the Net, from a single (blurry) picture, it looks like you didn't blow a hole right through the workpieces, so a + to you there.
But, over the Net, from a single (blurry) picture, it looks like you piled up waaaaaay more weld metal into the bead than should/would be called for. Unless otherwise specified (on the print/drawing), generally you make the bead dimension the same as the workpiece thickness. You "overwelded" that T joint by like 2-3x, which wastes time (labor) and materials (weld filler, shielding gas, and electricity).
From that single blurry picture, I really can't tell how well you wet in the toes of the weld or how well you did with the weld penetration (short-circuit GMAW is notorious for being able to make a weld that 'looks' pretty or OK but is actually just 'glopped onto' the workpieces with inadequate penetration/fusion (aka "cold lap" aka lack of fusion aka lack of penetration, etc, etc)).
I've seen worse, but I've also seen better. Practice some more and find out exactly what this "test" is about or for. Doing some short-circuit GMAW on some relatively 'thin' sheetmetal is not the exact same 'test' of skills or technique as doing pipe or 'structural' welding or whatever.
-A bit too hot, speed up or turn down the heat.
-A bit too wide, as in bead width is very wide for the base material thickness you are welding. Kinda hard to tell from the pics, but it definitely looks that way to me.
-As noted multiple times above finish the ends properly, don't just leave them like that. Especially with your tacks still visible.
What machine were you running? Base material thickness? I assume you mean 0.023" solid wire. Giving wire speed and voltage settings without stating machine are kinda useless parameters.
-A bit too wide, as in bead width is very wide for the base material thickness you are welding. Kinda hard to tell from the pics, but it definitely looks that way to me.
-As noted multiple times above finish the ends properly, don't just leave them like that. Especially with your tacks still visible.
What machine were you running? Base material thickness? I assume you mean 0.023" solid wire. Giving wire speed and voltage settings without stating machine are kinda useless parameters.
Last edited:
toomanytoyzz
Well-known member
What gauge steel are you going to be welding in the test? That stuff looks pretty thin (1/8th") to me
? .023 wire is good for sheetmetal, but most metal fab/production shops are running .035 or higher gauge wire with big 220V or even 3 phase multi-process units with a remote mig set -up mounted on top.
Basically, I would try and go with a thicker gauge wire as well as materials you are welding and don't pile it up like MoonRise said. Aslo practice different positions including uphill vertical welding. That and overhead welding are tests that will seperate the boys from men. Good luck on the test!!
? .023 wire is good for sheetmetal, but most metal fab/production shops are running .035 or higher gauge wire with big 220V or even 3 phase multi-process units with a remote mig set -up mounted on top. Basically, I would try and go with a thicker gauge wire as well as materials you are welding and don't pile it up like MoonRise said. Aslo practice different positions including uphill vertical welding. That and overhead welding are tests that will seperate the boys from men. Good luck on the test!!
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Severe distortion in the base metal...
lotsoftools
Well-known member
What kind of weld test are you going to take, out of curiosity?
toomanytoyzz
Well-known member
Yeah, most are aware of that, but when you are doing a full weld especially for a test (I'm assuming for potential employment) you want it to appear seamless left to right or front to back.
toomanytoyzz
Well-known member
You'll probably be asked to perform rosette/plug welds and maybe some series of tack welds. They may do a visual inspection and then stress test the weld in order to pass or fail it. I'm not familiar with this style test, but I can't see how they would tell you to run a bead on sheetmetal
.innealtoir
Banned
I assume that this is a summation of the qualifications you are working towards? http://ezinearticles.com/?Welding-Certification---Automotive-ICAR-Tests&id=2841748
If it is then your weld would possibly have the following issues:
(I am not familiar with how AWS has assisted ICAR with their tests (e.g. if it references something like D1.1).)
- The fillet weld look to be well outside of tolerance for 18 gauge steel, e.g. 0.050" equilateral legs.
- Excess distortion in the weldment.
- Areas of incomplete fusion and not tying your tacks to your weld bead. (Practice how your test will be. Running beads that are not exactly what your test will be like is counter productive and leads to bad habits. I assume you aren't learning how to weld, but practicing for your test.)
Run a little colder and run faster! Profile wise it looks okay (where you did run the bead.) The bead is uniform and doesn't look like it is extremely concave or convex. If you are testing to prequalified welding procedures (which you should be) then you will be given a set range in which you should be setting up your welding machine. This would be a good place to start. It makes more sense to run your machine how it will be on test day than to just start running the beads by what works or feels best for you. (i.e. You find that you run better at 80 amps with a certain electrode, but the WPS says you will run between 60 and 70 then the procedure may have to be requalified depending on the code.)
Ask for a copy of the WPS! It should make your life easier when trying to past the tests. Critiques on the internet are good and all, but unless the people critiquing are familiar with the code you are working on or testing to then they are just helpful hints at what to work on instead of accurate answers that will defiantly aid you in passing. An example would be in a part of an AWS code there is a test that actually discounts the first and last (1/2" or 1") of a weld. If that were the case for your code then your tacks not tied into your weld might be styling!
If it is then your weld would possibly have the following issues:
(I am not familiar with how AWS has assisted ICAR with their tests (e.g. if it references something like D1.1).)
- The fillet weld look to be well outside of tolerance for 18 gauge steel, e.g. 0.050" equilateral legs.
- Excess distortion in the weldment.
- Areas of incomplete fusion and not tying your tacks to your weld bead. (Practice how your test will be. Running beads that are not exactly what your test will be like is counter productive and leads to bad habits. I assume you aren't learning how to weld, but practicing for your test.)
Run a little colder and run faster! Profile wise it looks okay (where you did run the bead.) The bead is uniform and doesn't look like it is extremely concave or convex. If you are testing to prequalified welding procedures (which you should be) then you will be given a set range in which you should be setting up your welding machine. This would be a good place to start. It makes more sense to run your machine how it will be on test day than to just start running the beads by what works or feels best for you. (i.e. You find that you run better at 80 amps with a certain electrode, but the WPS says you will run between 60 and 70 then the procedure may have to be requalified depending on the code.)
Ask for a copy of the WPS! It should make your life easier when trying to past the tests. Critiques on the internet are good and all, but unless the people critiquing are familiar with the code you are working on or testing to then they are just helpful hints at what to work on instead of accurate answers that will defiantly aid you in passing. An example would be in a part of an AWS code there is a test that actually discounts the first and last (1/2" or 1") of a weld. If that were the case for your code then your tacks not tied into your weld might be styling!
innealtoir
Banned
I see your name says airman are you in a component of the Air Force? If so, is this a qualification for the auto body / mechanic AFSC? If it is and it will be the NDI guys on base doing the VT / NDT on the piece they will have copies of the Welder Qualification Test Record that you could reference.
This isn't a Metals Tech AFSC (2A7X1) qualification, but if it is .mil related you could reference T.O. 00-25-252 / NAVAIR 01-1A-34. It is 456 pages of good times
. I am not sure what the auto body / mechanics used for a T.O. as a guidance for their welding. On the air side of things though the 252 is the reference for Metals Tech welding.
http://www.robins.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-091005-064.pdf
This isn't a Metals Tech AFSC (2A7X1) qualification, but if it is .mil related you could reference T.O. 00-25-252 / NAVAIR 01-1A-34. It is 456 pages of good times
. I am not sure what the auto body / mechanics used for a T.O. as a guidance for their welding. On the air side of things though the 252 is the reference for Metals Tech welding. http://www.robins.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-091005-064.pdf
I see your name says airman are you in a component of the Air Force? If so, is this a qualification for the auto body / mechanic AFSC? If it is and it will be the NDI guys on base doing the VT / NDT on the piece they will have copies of the Welder Qualification Test Record that you could reference.
This isn't a Metals Tech AFSC (2A7X1) qualification, but if it is .mil related you could reference T.O. 00-25-252 / NAVAIR 01-1A-34. It is 456 pages of good times
http://www.robins.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-091005-064.pdf
I am prior air force. I am currently getting my ICAR auto welding certificate
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