It is my opinion based upon limited experience that reviewing all of the information within  the BOK is needed. ESPECIALLY if your core knowledge and experience is "limited".

There is a thread at https://app.aws.org/forum/topic_show.pl?pid=3315 that may have some reading as there are many others on the subject of preparing for the CWI exam.

In my opinion you should obtain the skills and knowledge BEFORE the certification. Study to become an inspector not certified.

I have always been a "Self Study" person for the CWI exams and it has worked, however I have observed many with little experience asking some odd questions during breaks between parts. Not saying you can't do it. There is nothing to loose really (other than saying "I passed the test 1st time" and some $$) but that's of no interest to many.

Below is text from the above linked thread

1) Study all you can about welding technology. Welding Handbook Volume 1
2) Understand the meaning of terms and definitions including those used for describing discontinuities. Welding Handbook Volume 1
3) Get a basic undertanding of metallurgy. Welding Handbook Volume 1
4) Receive a basic introduction to the capabilities of various welding
processes. Welding Handbook Volume 1
5) Receive a basic introduction to NDT methods, capabilities and
limitations. Welding Handbook volume 1
6) Be familar with the available codes and standards that are used and how they are applied and their jurisdiction. Welding Handbook Volume 1
7) Get a basic understanding of Safety Issues related to Welding and Allied Processes. Welding Handbook Volume 1
8) Get a job in the welding field using some or all of the information
above. Life
9) Get the code book you have been using at work and understand how it is laid out. Pick a code
9) Take the test on the code you use at work or any other code since the code portion is open book.

Of course from my experience in the field and from talking with others the
above method is not practical since it takes years of being interested in
the science of welding and many hours in the bathroom reading.
------
All of the above may not help you but I do highly recommend a copy of the "Welding Handbook Volume 1" to be located in a convienient location for random reading. In my opinion studying because of interest is much better than studying for a test. Retention is much better, years vs months.

I have never been through a formal course so I am not familar with the extent they cover all of the curriculum. But maybe this is of use.

Just a few thoughts on the process.

The whole concept of "Accreditation" and certification is rampant. Everyone wants a "credential" without any understanding what the requirements are, what they represent, and what specification spells them out.

The ATF program is no less credible in my book than the CWI program. They are both programs in which the individual certified may have skills and abilities that vary greatly from what is expected by the employer of those people. However, when compared to NO Program, at least some minimum requirements are met.

Each program is subject to items left out by the writer of the specification  that may be essential to a company or specific industry. That's where diligence on the part of the organization utilizing the system is needed. If you don't understand the qualification process, how in the world can you control the fabrication process.

Some assume that a welder who is certified at an ATF is somehow different than one tested by some "non accredited" organizations. What people should assume is that the welders are tested and all operations documented as described by the institutes quality system.

Testing labs have been "certifying" welders for years with no standardized requirements for ANY part of the test process. Independent CWI's or just plain good ole boys have been doing it too.

Having welders tested by ANY method that just meets the minimum requirements of a code does not guarantee production quality. The system within the organization that establishes controls and monitoring methods for the process is a major part of the system.

Aside from the all important "compliance" side of things, a shop full of skilled and un-certified welders with a good quality control system will beat the pants off a shop full of ATF Certified, Shop Certified, CWI certified welders staffed with an armload of 2 week trained CWI's.

Certification (Signed Document supporting ...) of ANY type is no guarantee of quality.. Its just a part of a system. When it gets down to it, its in the hands and ethics of the skilled craftsman performing the work.

I have a quality system written for our facility and I did it from scratch. It's many more pages probably than a typical manual but regardless of how big it is or what it says, its only as good as the people who implement the procedures supporting the policies contained within it.

You made the statement "The difference between a Welder Performance Qualification Test Report generated by an ATF vs one produced by an independent CWI or even an in-house inspector does not carry much weight with anybody other than the people trying to sell ATF business." and I was wondering if you felt the same way about the CWI program.

I am the same inspector whether a CWI or not. I (or the companies I have worked for) have been guilty of feeding the cash cow since 90 and will probably continue to do so since it is whats expected. I may let it drop again and get a 4th CWI number. :)

Anyway, have a good one and thanks for reading my ramblings.  Been a busy few weeks and just getting back to the online world of welding.

Have a great day

Gerald

I have not been able to compare the application of welders to production welding that have been tested at an ATF myself. I do agree that there are shortcomings with quality control performed during qualification.

As I indicated before, If a company is not performing tests correctly, it would make you wonder what improves when they move to having their welders "certified" by an ATF when they very well may not understand the process. With the availability of testing facilities including labs that have been doing it for years, companies have some choices to make. Utilizing a facility with a documented quality system is a plus.

I have spoken with a few fabricators and manufacturers in our area regarding their reviewing our quality system prior to submiting to AWS and after speaking with some of them, I realize there are so few that even understand the process of qualification and certification of welders. Its just such a small part of controlling a possibly difficult process.

That looks nice. I had recently seen a few videos of someone designing a pulser utilizing the low cost Arduino microcontrollers.  Not sure if he ever got it up and going but for a sub $100.00 set of components, it was pretty neat.

I would like to see this if you are taking suggestions.

Currently a voice recognition card can be added to the Arduino (and I am sure others) for < $100.00. A voice recognition remote control seems very possible. Even if it were wired to the machine it could be a great aid for welding.

I started piddling with the Arduno for the voice controlled remote idea but my learning curve has been pretty steep and I am still working on just getting the basics of electronics in my head.

Looks like a pretty neat add on.

Keep us posted.

Have a great day

Gerald
Greeneville Tn

There is a page at http://weldingclassroom.org/index.php/welding-info/certification/welder-certification/ with  that reinforces and may add to some of the information you have already read. The PPT on that page is the same as the one attached to the post.

Have a great day

Gerald

Hector, Are these "Shortcomings" documented anywhere?  I understand the difficulties encountered without the adequate resources to perform testing.

Though I am in the process of having our facility audited to meet the requirements of QC4, I still try to let employers know that they retain the responsibility for qualification of and application of the welders in their employment.

The advantage of "self qualification" is that it is easy to add additional internal requirements to the process that may not be required when just performing testing at an ATF. I can add more stringent acceptance criteria, restrictions, and other variables. As the company representative that may be tasked with making the decision to hire or not hire, my witnessing of the test could be invaluable.

The ATF tests are no different than the tests conducted by the company other than the material traceability, a few extra documents, and the CWI requirement.

I think that ATF's or ANY facility with a well documented system for how they test and certify welders can be an asset for companies without the internal knowledge, equipment, and process controls needed to assure consistent testing practices.However if you cannot "trust" a company to test the welder, HOW IN THE WORLD can you test them to do the fabrication ?

There are so many that think the magic formula to quality welding is a certified welder when it is in my opinion, a very small part of the overall system for assuring welds meet the expectations of designers and end users.

Another point is that some codes specifically prohibit the process of welder testing being performed by other organizations. I think the testing facility has a place, however I hope it NEVER becomes a requirement by any code unless those facilities are going to take the responsibility for the welding performed by the welders tested there.

Have a great day

Gerald Austin
Greeneville Tn

I have developed a few applications for my own use using MS Access.  Though it is a bit more difficult to use than excel, it can be a powerful tool for tracking data (Thats what a database is for).

If you are just interested in tracking info such as attendance dates and notes, then a spreadsheet or even word document is suitable however the ability to report the data in various formats is best done with a database or at least spreadsheet tables.

I am sure there are commercial application suitable for tracking a tremendous amount of information. I may have something you can run in access but as with anything, there is a learning curve.

What I have done may not be suitable for what you need but I figure I will put it out there. Below are some reports from class a few years ago.

Air from the root side may be causing the issue.

A quick "Test" may be to purge or shield the backside. The gap may be tight enough that the heated air is trying to escape from all directions.

Within the past few months I have been assisting a company with porosity on a .059" thick weld on a D17.1 item. Every quadrant exhibited porosity. The area coincided with an area where the faying surfaces were slightly separated. 

Have you tried removing the scale from or cleaning the root face and not just the bevel face ?

If ASME Sec IX and the root has backing (Backing Ring or welded both sides) then yes. Provided all other ranges of qualification are satisfactory.

Welcome to the forum. Give us some background as to why you ask this.

"CommonArc" is a gathering of multiple contractors to witness welder performance qualification testing. One welder takes a test for multiple contractors at a time. Participating contractors submit records to the CommonArc organization to maintain continuity.

Both CommonArc and NCPWB are organizations catering to organized labor. Boilermakers and UA Pipefitters.

I believe the NCPWB allows easier "sharing" of WPS's across separate organizations. This allows for easier compliance with the requirements. Contractors join the NCPWB.

Though NCPWB isn't an employer, maybe they just handle the documentation. But they could be a one time employer during qualification.

Have a good day. Hope you find what you are looking for..

Gerald Austin
Greeneville, Tn

Various B31 codes have paragraphs that modify the restrictions on the responsibility for supervising qualifications. See 328.2.3 in B31.3 for example.

This would NOT apply to piping welded in accordance with B31.1. Sorry I can't post the paragraph, the B31.3 I bought doesn't let me copy text.

Thanks for all you do John.

I know a few replied on LinkedIn that are here. But I too would have thought more would have posted.  Here are the results from that survey. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hfIb0Vz4Ip7EyK8xp3BUqvet185onp8Y8V0-VoX7ooc/viewanalytics

I think for those motivated towards self study that you cannot go wrong with the AWS Welding Handbook Volume 1 9th edition, The AWS Certification Manual for Welding Inspectors (for the questions), and whatever code book you have worked with the most or anticipating working with.

The body of knowledge listed for the CWI exam is almost completly covered in the AWS Welding Handbook. Get any welding book you can find and read it.

There is also a company that has some online training that is pretty good. The company is SonSet consultants.http://www.weld-procedure.com/freecwipartbhelp.html

Thats not to say there isnt any value in a class however things learned over a week or two are different than those studied over a period of time. There are, I am sure, some great classes.

Yup. Yours is still the only response. Once I get a few results I'll post a link.

Hello,
I recently posted a survey in a "Welding Instructors" group in LinkedIn about which welding process you prefer to teach 1st. I have an identical copy of it here at http://goo.gl/forms/zcJ14w365f . It would be cool to see what everyone here thinks (Unless you already answered from the LinkedIn post. The questions are the same, the data is just stored in a different location to keep it separate.

If this is not in accordance with any current restrictions on "link posting" etc.. let me know with a severe scolding.

Have a great day

Gerald Austin
Greeneville Tn

There is nothing specific in the codes however that does not mean its not a good idea. I assign a specific and unique number to each test. That test ID number is linked to all of the information to the test. It is located at a specific orientation and location.

I have a procedure written that is part of our quality control program developed for welder testing if you would like to look at it. Probably much more complicated and "wordy" than it needs to be but sometimes I'm that way.

Pulsed Arc is Spray Transfer Mode. Or it was in older D1.1's.

Haven't gotten into a fact finding on it yet and willing to be pointed in  the right direction as the where it Spray Pulsed is not prequalified.

Have a good day

Gerald Austin
Greeneville Tn

More than likely the only reference to this can be found in the specification for the filler metal. This is a requirement for the manufacturers when qualifying the products. Not sure if it exist in A5.20 or not. Don't have a copy here. However regardless of what A5.20 says, they are NOT limits for production.

Have a nice day

Gerald Austin
Greeneville Tn

This one probably would have been best posted in the safety section but no big deal to me.

The majority of the fumes will probably be generated by the filler metal or processing the base metal. Because the situation is infrequent and situations may change, source extraction is a great way to go. Air monitoring by an industrial hygienist would be the most surefire way to verify you are really looking out for your guys. There are also some great PAPR welding hoods available that may also be suitable solutions but in my opinion (which is mine), a safety professional is best consulted for safety issues just as a welding professional is best consulted for welding issues.

I would worry more about the SS wire than the Manganese. Especially if it is used more frequently.

Have a good day.

Gerald Austin

Glad your OK! That woulda drew me up pretty tight.

A mans gotta go when he's gotta go but I'm thankful it wasn't then for you.

Have a great day

Gerald

I have worn safety glasses (prescription) my entire life. I have never had the "sand in the eye" feeling. I have had them feel a little irritated.

I think UV protection on my glasses has been a major factor in this fact. I have had my cheeks and forehead turn slightly pink but my eyes be fine and still white.

So I too agree that the proper eye protection can eliminate this hazard. Worked side by side on waterwall panel welds with never a burnt eye.

Have a good day

Gerald

The thing to also remember is that all of the knowledge is available in some format.

I will throw in one more plug for the ole AWS Welding Handbooks ! Its almost all in there .

I reviewed some of the content quite a few years ago. It seemed useful however I had nothing to compare it too. Any information is good information it just depends on how it is best delivered to you.

There is no "best way" to study in my opinion. Just things that work for me, and things that work for you.

Hey Al,

I know what you are talking about as far as the "What I want it to do". When I created the database for tracking welds for an orbital welding company, I thought what I charged didn't need to cover all the time since I could sell it to someone else. Then the someone else came along and I realized it was easier to just create another program. All in all, return was probably on the order of $8.00 an hour.

Because so many quality systems require different data to be recorded, its difficult to make an all inclusive program. When they are simple, with few relationships across data, then they can be pretty easy.

Building your own is kinda fun though. I am hoping to get back into it if I ever get back up to speed with something different than "Access" which is still a powerful tool in my opinion.

Here http://weldinginstructors.org/ga/?p=76 is a page I wrote about some of my "programming" stuff over the years. There is a link there for one of the Access Databases I wrote a few years ago.  Love to hear your thoughts on this "desktop" type program vs the web application.

The link on that page includes the licensed "Runtime" version of MS Access so it is quite large. If you have Access 2007 or later, I can attach the Access file itself. It is less than 1MB.

Have a good day.

Gerald


Have a good day.

Oh I gotcha on the sharks. I have posted quite a few links here myself. Luckily you guys know I am tender :)

I recently received an email regarding the pricing. Who knows, maybe I need to spruce up my MS Access applications and post a link or two myself :). Mama needs some new shoes!!!!

Have a good night. I mistakenly took a steroid late with a cup of coffee (dark roast) with a handful of Dark Chocolate Covered Cranberries. Who knows, I make make a new internet tonight--or  get started on it and leave it unfinished like so many other things :)

Have a good one.

Gerald

When I was a HS student in welding I never noticed a better or worse book. The interest that was generated in welding kinda caused me to look at all that my teacher had. We used one from Giachino, Weeks, and Brune (I think as I pulled that ooutta my head) but I remember lusting after his "Jeffersons Welding Encyclopedia" and the AWS Welding Handbooks.

I think a the Books from the James F Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation are awesome. Are they "textbooks". Maybe not in the sense of modularized powerpoint presentation cool graphics books of today.

I sincerely believe there are tremendous free resources on the internet that can augment any classroom text to encourage engagement of students interested in welding. And there are not any materials that will change the view of those that don't without the proper encouragement and guidance.

I think the challenge comes from the application of whatever you have and the "complication" results from the presentation. I am not stating that is your problem or that you even have one. I am a babe when it comes to teaching and have a tendancy to "show up and throw up" whenever it comes to welding. So even with something simple, I may "over complicate".

I like the NCCER books I purchased but after looking at the Jeffus/Bower book http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/search/9781435427884 . The NCCER books have some interesting info too.

Sorry if I didn't help you much. I could probably be asking you for suggestions. Thanks for sharing the trade for 19 years !

Have a good day

Gerald

Everything still has "glitches" in it Henry. Often times they are the result of one setting, one tool, one file, one program, or other minor detail. The largest software companies in the world continue to release updates for program that they have had ownership of for 20+ years. Praise in my opinion is well warranted. When I look at the overall effectiveness of this forum (An internet App using a database fed by Html forms), then I become impressed with the effectiveness of this type of "program".

A standalone computer, not EVER connected to the internet is extremely stable. But of course if its not working correctly, it will probably need to be "connected" soon. As with all systems of security, there are flaws. That "security" risk could be the possibility of me dropping my laptop off of a scaffold with 3 days of inspection data on it including the images or one single user transposing a id number with a name on his "custom built standalone spreadsheet" and archiving the data, and some other individual trying to figure out whether the Name is wrong for all the related data, or the ID is wrong.

The program is probably hosted on a regular Windows/Linux server and I am pretty sure redundancy is available. But not sure. I do understand your concerns though. One thing that I feel should be required is the ability to export ALL raw data at any time by any admin users with full mapping information to allow the owners of the data to reconstruct any information previously recorded.

I am hoping the $1000.00 setup and 250 annual is for an unlimited (within reason) number of users/projects. If that is a per seat cost, then I'm not a fan either. But people have noo problem putting out 5-10k for autodesk software doing things they could do with opensource or lower end products. If it costs more, it must be better.

I'd love to build a program like this for documenting individual welder training tasks completed under the requirements of a standardized program to allow users to verify individuals stated credentials. Including video or documented "certification".   Just a thing in my head.  Have a good night Henry.

Gerald.

I went back and made a few entries with Chrome and everything worked fine. Besides a few things, it pretty much does what I did with the Access Application I made.  Much less complicated than what I did and obviously some added benefit being a web based database (depending on your views of course).

Some incredible similarities to the access application I built before. It was done for a construction company in the US for use at multiple sites. I am not sure how successful it was but I did do a search for it once and found it posted on someones resume :).

I think its a great idea but have not looked at the pricing. The ability to perform "real" programming is something I sometimes regret not developing to allow for sharing of some of the programs I have built with access.

Everything worked well and I can see it as a useful tool. Maybe a bit more customization for actual individual data importing (Drawing Indexes, Piping indexes, existing welder data, WPS's etc in CSV format)

If individual projects can be added yet separate from others and partial data imported then some some capabilities are increased.

Since there is a wide variation among companies as to how they document data related to welding, importing with field mapping can be nice too.

I think your on to something. Been studying up on php and mysql for a few weeks but by the time I get any good at it, there will be some better way and I will be too long disconnected from actually documenting welding data.

I am working on one now for tracking training activities related to welding training but still in Access/VBA.

Gonna go look at the "pricing" now.

Have a good day and thanks for sharing this. It has been a "dream" to do something like this but really didn't have the skillset.

Probably gonna share the link elsewhere .

Have a good day

Gerald Austin

I did try to add an annotation to a drawing and it has been saving for 15 minutes. Is this product in use or still under development or are there restrictions on the login accounts?

I have just logged in am pretty impressed just from the aspect of capabilities for a cloud bases resource. I haven't looked at the costs etc but just as a welder/wannabe programmer its pretty cool. Probably not the kind of review to do much for anyone, but its worth looking around for a bit.

I know many are reluctant regarding cloud based "programs/apps" but I think there is some great potential. A thought on cloud based vs desktop, If you don't own the source code, you don't really have "control" over the program. There is a great advantage to your programs travelling with you no matter where you go with a username/password as opposed to being tied to a physical machine.

Thanks and have a nice day.

Gerald Austin

I'd love to see it. I have built some custom programs in the past for Power and Pharmaceutical projects and would love to see a "commercial" application. I filled out the demo request on the form.

Here is a link to a video showing the one I made. (Remember I'm a welder) but am hoping to learn something besides VB and MS Access. But a long way to go.

http://youtu.be/H-i94dkb4KI

There are formulas in AWS Welding Handbook, Volume 1 that calculate "theoretical" angular distortion, transverse shrinkage and other things. I wrote some GWBAsic code many years ago trying to simulate the formulas but gave up based upon my very limited math background. (This was well before Excel, MSDOS and Dual Floppy Drives).

So someone could probably whip up some spreadsheets with all the needed formulas.

Gerald

I think for consistent clarity no matter where you look through the lens or angle, you can't beat a regular glass lens.

Bang for the buck, that can't be beat. I have used some autohoods and still do but when I really need to see the "guts" of it.

I break out the huntsman 490P with a shade 10 lens.

Autohoods that I have liked for the money are the 39.99 harbor freight blue flame model, the Miller Elite 9400 Titanium, and Hornel Speedglass Air Supplied Hoods. I have used hoods in between those from Arc One, Jackson, and Hobart. As with vehicles, there are tremendous differences between manufacturers and models.

As with many things welding, much is opinion and based upon individual experience. Many things you just gotta check out on your own.

I may have gotten more out of  it than they did. But it was all a good time.

Have a great day.

Gerald

Just wanted to post here about the Merit Badge program that I was fortunate enough to help with last week. I have a longer description on one of my websites talking about what we did but I wanted to share a couple of things with those interested.

1) I'm glad I didn't have to compete with Tim Gary for this job, I would still be in Mississippi.
2) I have only taught Community College Workforce Training courses which is great, but teaching kids or young men and women almost ready to enter the workforce is something I desire.
3) It's a great joy to see someone enjoy doing something that you have enjoyed for 35 years. Even if only for a day!
4) If you want to talk about what we did and would like to talk, my cell number is 660-0162.. You can call or text. The area code is 662

From a Wordpress Page I wrote early this AM. (They gave me steroids for a numb leg, so I was up late and woke up early, hopped up on drugs and welding stuff in my head)

I have been fairly idle in teaching since getting here a few months back and this day really encouraged me. The welding trade has been very good to me for over 35 years. My 1st introduction was in 9th grade shop. Then from the 10th grade on, I was blessed with being able to learn at Kingsbury Vocation Center in Memphis for 3 hours a day. My instructor was Mr. Ed Hemmingway. He was a person that really got my interest in the trade stirred up (that and maybe a little firebug in me). He often challenged me to learn and do more than was required. I ate it up. Point is, do not reduce the value of vocational education because you think everyone MUST go to college. I was able to work for 2x the minimum wage as a 15 year old. 39.5 hours a week. I WAS RICH! But not nearly as rich as I was this day watching these boys weld.

If you enjoy sharing welding, I think this is a great chance. Contact your local Council or Troop.

Have a good day

Gerald Austin

Ullman K2

http://www.amazon.com/Ullman-MX-Magnetic-Rectangular-Inspection/dp/B005YT6ELG/ref=sr_1_3?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1422924099&sr=1-3&keywords=uLLMAN+K2+REFILL&pebp=1422924110001&peasin=B005YT6ELG

I like this one the best, or maybe just a touch longer .

Outside diameter not "pipe size" is the variable used. 3/4" Pipe is 1.050 OD.

In my opinion there is no more correlation between welding ability and inspection than there being an air traffic controller and pilot, police officer and judge, president and member of the armed forces, and so many others. Sure, sometimes it helps with perspective and understanding, but is by no means needed. I also feel there is some overlapping knowledge that is needed.

I have come across so many golden arm welders put in positions as QC inspectors that have taken it upon them selves to assure quality by creating there own acceptance criteria with no regard for that referenced in the project specifications . I am not saying that being a welder is a hindrance, but I have seen and heard some things that make me roll my eyes. Things that far exceed those heard from CWI's who just got out of 2 week CWI course.

On the other end, how can a guy make a weld that has never opened up a code book, reviewed a WPS, or even knows what range of qualification he possesses?   He can because there are people that are trained to help assure those things happen.

A combination of experience is great, but the skills required are different.  They can be developed together. And there are plenty of welders who are great inspectors, but I strongly suggest judging the quality of an inspector based upon his or her ability to weld is no different than judging the ability of a welder based upon his/her ability to read a project specification, apply it as directed, and accurately report his/her findings.

As with many things there are exceptions. I have made some bad welds, I have done some things incorrectly as an inspector. Both jobs are ones I love. I try to even separate the two. When I am hired as a welder, I try not to get into to deciding if my weld is acceptable or not or if someone else s is. I just weld it up, and head on to the next one.

I could tell a story about a 4" crossover line in t he bottom of a recovery boiler that I welded that I am sure the welders that knew I was both a CWI, QC Inspector for the Company, AND part time welding instructor really got a kick out of. I made a terrible mess of it! 

Point is, that weld I messed up, had nothing to do with my ability to inspect.

Nor was my ability to weld reflected by the times I visually rejected welds in tube coupons with more than 1/16" reinforcement because I believed it was the right thing to do even though the code allowed up to 5/32" and was my only acceptance criteria.

The jobs are different, the skills are different, we all do good, we all do bad, we all grow.

All of the above is based solely upon my opinion and very limited observation of the welding world. Experiences and thoughts may differ :).

Have a good one.

Gerald Austin
Welder-Depending Who you ask
Inspector-Depending who you ask
Teacher-Depending who you ask
And many other things-Depending who you ask.

We could always add "....blend smoothly..." and a "....gradual...." just to clarify things a bit.

Have a good day.

Gerald

If its going to be welded AFTER its bolted up, then the bolts/studs can be an issue but t hat shouldn't be the way its done.

Very "Non-Textbook" electrode travel angles are used in real life. An example is water wall panels on a boiler. Extreme "push" or "pull" angles are used at at the membrane or tangent section. the same thing can be done on pipe. As with many things welding related, its not "by the book" but its been working for years.

Gerald

If you gotta think about how close you CAN get it, you probably need to look at it in real life and see how its gonna be to weld.  Do all you can to make the joint weldable. If its as easy as you can get it, then it is what it is.

The standard is sometimes mentioned in the field its the DU 1.1 "Specification for those who didn't have a clue.". As with many welding terms, the slang version is "I'd like to meet the idiot that drew this"

Have a good one.

Gerald

I checked out the RSS feed apps and the one I downloaded worked fine. Most will let you click on a feed and view it in your browser. If your browser keeps you logged in, you should be able to post .

I did this last week. I'm a better welder than I am a Camera man, Cue Card holder, and speaker. ...and I ain't all that good at welding.

http://youtu.be/KXQmWhFmQ74

I dont think so but there is or was an RSS feed.

Oh yea. The TV will be put to use. I'm a web showing, PowerPoint using kinda guy.

The other equipment consists of small tabletop type training aids for mechanical maintenance. There are some valve cutouts and similar components, but more for the millwright and mechanical maint. trades.  Good stuff cause t hey have had more classes than I have. Industry here has taken a pretty good interest in the maintenance training offerings for mechanical and electrical.

Gerald

I do the Weld Tests with quicker acting acids .  But I would not restrict someone from doing this should the code in question not specify what should be done.

BUT AWS D1.1-2010 says "A suitable Solution shall be used for etching to give a clear definition of the weld. "

Other codes are a bit more specific but even those in Sec IX are "Suggested" but do require a visible heat affected zone.

I have seen manufacturers use a torch and heat tint.

One thought though on the level of detail needed, typically the only thing being looked at is penetration, fusion, and discontinuities of a size that can be seen by the naked eye. (1/32" in the case of Section IX for Performance)

Have a good one.
Gerald

Well,

The 300K didn't all go to welding. Tim was a key player in getting everything selected and did a good job. We have the following.

5 XMT 350Mpa Power Sources
3 Invision 352Mpa Power SOurces
8 S74Mpa Wire Feeders
2 Syncrowave 250's
1 Realweld Trainer
10 Miller Arcstation Tables
1 Doall 1417 Vertical Bandsaw
1 Scotchman 50 Ton Ironworker
1 Lincoln/Torchmate 4x4 plasma table with Hypertherm Powermax 65
1 Sawyer Guided Bend Tester
10 Miller Filtair Fume Extractors
1 Oxy Acet Cart w/Victor Equipment
1 EH Wachs Electric Pipe Beveler
Ingersoll Rand Air Compressor
and associated accessories.

In addition to the welding equipment, there was a considerable amount of training aids and assessment devices purchased for mechanical, pneumatic, electrical, and PLC's. 

There are also two classroom equipped with  Large Screen TV's and support equipment.

I am looking forward to getting started. I am hoping to get things going soon.

Have a good day
Gerald