Hey community, I have been a welder for almost 15 years now. I love it! I graduated top welding grad from a creditable private welding institute in 2005 and have been loving it since!
Here is my problem:
I used to work on the road, shutdowns and turnarounds... Some grassroots construction as well, almost all of it 6g certifiable pipe...
I took some time off the road and got me a job at a lil shop, making utility trailers. At the shop there are some guys hassling me about forward hand and back hand techniques and which is best, and proper. Now, I remember my training and my experience will never fade. I know for a fact that the back hand technique is better than forward hand for deep penetration. It doesnt really matter if its GMAW or SMAW welding, as you can do both with each style of welding... How can I prove to these yahoos with keeping my shop creds when I prove them wrong? Ive drawn pics on the floor with soap stone, Ive mentioned codes and basic procedures... and have even argued and demanded them to provide a source of data from a creditable source that shows otherwise... These guys jsut wont listen to reason and you cant argue with ignorance... I dont think any of them have graduated from a school for welding nor have they ever been certified by AWS. Its annoying to me and I want to prove them wrong not cause Im right or what not, but because I take welding that seriously. I love my art and craftsmanship. I love welding. and I hate that The guys are telling to weld like a kid. Im a professional, even though Im in a small shop not welding pressure vessels, its still very important to me to do my job to the best of my ability. Any help is greatly appreciated... If I was to leave it alone, Id just ignore them. Anyone know of a pdf or an IMG on the net that shows the three work angles and the penetration? Should I make a wager on it too? Would be nice getting this lil issue resolved so I can go back to doing my job the right way, rather than the farmers way... thanks in advance!
Musty.
Why argue the point? Let them prove their technique is as good if not better than yours. Bet them lunch or coffee and donuts to make it worth their while.
Challenge them to weld a single pass fillet weld on one side of a T-joint. Then break the weld and see who has the required penetration to the root, no undercut, overlap, porosity, etc. If the saw cut edge is still visible it is a failed test.
I suggest you use two pieces of saw cut 1/2-inch thick plate, 4-inch wide by 8-inches in length. The weld should start at one end and stop and restart near the middle of the 8-inch length. The weld size, no less than 1/4-inch leg and no more than 5/16-inch to keep everyone on the same page. It is important everyone end up with welds that are comparable in size. Don't allow any root opening and don't weld on a rolled edge. Place the saw cut 8-inch dimension against the other piece (butting member against the nonbutting member).
Clamp the tee to the table and count how many blows with a sledge hammer it takes to break the weld. Check the fractured weld to verify it fused to the root (as a minimum). You can also check the tie in between the stop and restart to see that they completely fused and do not have incomplete fusion at the intersect of their stop and restart.
My money is on the weld made using the backhand technique (drag). The welding process doesn't matter as long as everyone is using the same process.
I have used the same challenge when someone says stringers are better than weave beads. The argument is settled pretty quickly using the count of hammer blows as the determining factor.
Best regards - Al
I did bet them and they did loose... we didnt have to weld anything either. which is what I wanted to avoid. I simply brought in my text books.... thanks anyway though. :) $100.00 richer now! hahaha!
BTW,
WELCOME TO THE AWS WELDING FORUM!!
Just remember, textbooks are not always the best way to demonstrate and/or prove a point. Al presented a good tactic. If need be, keep it in mind.
Have a Great Day, Brent
The local fabricator here tells my students to push instead of pull FCAW. The students know why and what the differences are but its to no avail. The fabricator will do what they think is best.
Topic Welders and Inspectors / Education & Training / I need some help here please. General welding recourse!
