Guys,
So, when the code states that with regard to fillet welds, the stud base (7.5.5.3) "shall be prepared so that the base of the stud fits against the base metal", what exactly does that mean? To me, if it is implying that the stud tip be removed, I think it should have stated something to that effect. As it is written, it seems to leave some things to the imagination, i.e., in order to get the "base of the stud to fit against the base metal", all that's required is to simply remove the stud tip? OR, worse than that, does the end of the stud need to be notched, ground, or machined to fit against the base metal, such as when a stud is manually welded to either the heel of an angle or the inside fillet of an angle? I've never done either one and I doubt that anyone else has either, but; to comply with 7.5.5.3, in order for the stud base to "fit against the base metal" in the two applications with the angles I mention, one case would require each stud end to have a 90 degree notch when applied to an angle heel, and the other case would require each stud end to be radiused to fit inside the angle on the fillet. Food for thought, and I still don't understand the significance of removing the tip, regardless of the stud location. I mean, it's less than 1/16" long. It's more trouble to remove it than to simply increase the fillet weld size a little to compensate for not removing it.