Basic Welding Terms

The following are my non-technical definitions for some basic

welding terms. These are good for the home hobbyist and those
just coming into the welding field. Most people don't want to sit
down and learn all the welding vocabulary and I don't blame 'em,
I didn't either. But if you will learn these, you'll be a cut above
most beginners.

Arc Blow — is the arc going everywhere that you DON'T want it
to go. It only happens in DC, happens a lot welding up into a
corner, and is believed to be caused somehow by magnetisim. It
sometimes helps to move the work clamp to a different position
on the steel.

Arc Cutting — can be done with a 6010 or 6011 rod with the
machine turned up to "warp 10". (very hot) Other rods can be
used but these two are the best. It is where you cut through the
steel using the force of the arc. It doesn't make the prettiest cut,
but will do in a pinch when you don't have a torch.

Arc Gouging — is where the steel or metal

is cut using an arc from a carbon electrode.
The electrode is solid carbon wrapped in
copper for conductivity. The stinger has
compressed air and when a button is
pushed, it blasts air at the molten metal
being cut. The machine is turned to "warp
10" which means you are using a LOT of
amps (heat).

An example of this is when we went to a job where 5 stainless

steel tanks about 10 stories high had almost every weld flunk an
x-ray test. We gouged the weld on the outside, then re-welded
them. We then gouged the welds on the inside and re-welded into
our previous weld.

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Thick stainless can't be torch cut, and even if it could, the heat
would cause it to warp. Arc gouging keeps the heat concentrated
at the cut.

Alloy — is an element added to a metal. An example is mild steel

with chromium (resist rust), and nickel (makes it less susceptible
to oxidation which is rust) which makes a form of stainless steel.
(the most common stainless is 304)

Alternating Current — reverses back and forth from positive to

negative on a sine wave. It makes for an erratic arc on most
welding processes and that is why DC is preferred.

Amperage — measures electricity flowing and is the same as

current, which is your heat.

Arc — is what is between the end of the electrode and the base
metal. The resistance causes heat.

Automatic Welding — is a weld made by equipment such as

robots.

Backup Strip — is a strip or section of steel butted up to an

open gap between two pieces of steel. 6010 welding rods can be
used for open butt welding, but 7018 cannot and requires a
backing strip to provide a surface for the electrode to weld to.
Some backup strips are cut off and some are left in place.

Bead - the deposited filler metal on and in the work surface when
the wire or electrode is melted and fused into the steel. A stringer
bead is a narrow bead with only a dragging motion or light
oscillation, while a weave bead is wider with more oscillation.

Bevel - an angle cut or grinded at the edge of the work-piece to

allow more penetration for a stronger weld.

Blown-up - what you will be if you weld or cut on containers

with fumes. NEVER weld or cut on any container unless it is new

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or you know it has been cleaned and safety certified! Containers
can be toxic, flammable, or explosive.

Brush - steel wire bristled hand brush, disc brush for a hand
grinder, cup brush for hand grinder, or wheel brush for bench
grinder. They're used to clean mill scale, oxidation, dirt, oil etc.
off of steel surfaces. Cleanliness is of utmost importance on the
work piece to assure there will be no weld defects. It is important
to use a stainless steel brush and mild steel brush correctly.

Build-Up Weld - building up the surface of a steel part such as

the teeth of a sprocket, surface of an idler wheel (keeps the track
in place on tracked vehicles such as bull dozers or cranes), or
bucket on a front-end loader. In most cases it is far less
expensive to have a welder build up a component than it would
be to replace the part. Build-up welds are usually done with hard
surface electrodes.
It is also a good way for a new welding student to learn proper
re-starts and tie-ins.

Busted Out - failing a weld test because of defects in the welds.

"He busted out on his test plates and didn't get hired."

Butt Joint - just what it sez'…two pieces butted up against each

other. Only the top and bottom surface can be welded. Without
good penetration, this weld does not have the strength of a multi-
pass fillet weld, or beveled joint.

Cap - the last bead of a groove weld, it can be made with a

weave motion back and forth, or with stringer beads tied into
each other.

Also what you need to wear on your head when welding Mig
vertical, or any process overhead, to keep hot sparks off of your
head. (see Cussing.) Welder's hats have a small bill and are so
high they need a warning light to keep airplanes from crashing
into them. This is so they can be turned and pulled down over
your ear when welding pipe and your head is tilted. You don't
EVEN want a glob of molten metal going into your ear! You can
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literally hear it sizzle as you suffer through the burn. Welding
hats could win any ugly hat contest with all the crazy polka dots,
paisley and other crazy designs.

Cardinal Sin of Welding - see undercut.

Coalescence - ah, this is when the metal or steel is fused

(joined) grasshopper.

Coated Electrode - That is the flux on the filler metal of a

welding rod. They used to use bare rods only in the horizontal
position. Someone noticed that a rusty rod worked better than a
brand new one so they started experimenting with different
coatings on different rods. They found that some coatings
produced a shielding gas that protected the weld pool from
contaminants in the atmosphere. Contaminants cause Porosity
and Longitudinal Cracking. With the weld pool protected the weld
was smooth and sound and could be used in different positions
rather than just flat. I can only imagine how many times those
bare rods would get stuck!

Concavity - It is when a Fillet Weld bead sags inward from the

root Face to the Root.
Consumable Insert - This is where a filler wire or rod is in a gap
and you weld it into the base metal along with your wire or rod. It
becomes one with the weld grasshopper.
Convexity - This is when a Fillet Weld bead protrudes outwards
from the Root to the Face.

Corner Joint - One of the five basic weld Joints. It is when the
edges of two plates butt up to each other at a 90 degree angle. It
usually provides a groove to fill providing good Penetration.

Cover Glass or Cover Plate - Clear glass or plastic lens in a

hood or cutting goggles that protects the #5 (for cutting) or
#10,11, 12 lens (for welding) from getting spatter on them.
Gripes the heck oughta' me when a student forgets to put it in
when they change out the lens. They then weld with it and the
spatter ruins the # glass which ain't cheap! You should change
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the cover plates often as they restrict your view when they get
spattered or scratched up.

Crack - Where the weld fractures or breaks apart. A good

example would be welding on cast iron. If it is not pre-heated and
post-heated right, or if the wrong electrode is used, it will crack
BIG TIME. Sometimes the crack will run right in front of the weld
pools as you weld.

You should pre-heat, post-heat, and run cast iron rod, which has
a nickel content. A trick to keep a crack from spreading is to drill
a hole before and after the crack you are about to weld. Run the
weld, and then fill the holes. The holes keep the crack from
spreading.

Crater - At the end of the weld bead you burn into the steel
without depositing any filler metal which leaves a depression in
the base metal. When doing a Restart, you want to start at the
end of the crack, weld back into where the weld stopped, and
then proceed in the direction you were welding. This pre-heats
and gives a good Tie-in into the bead you just laid.

Critical Temperature - This is when the base metal transitions

from solidus to liquidus as you heat it during the welding process.
It's right at that point where it goes from being solid mass, to
melting and becoming liquid. This is a great term to discuss at a
cocktail party to make you sound smart, ESPECIALLY if your
audience doesn't know much about welding!

Current - In the electric circuit the current is the flow of

electricity. What you're welding on resists the flow and that forms
heat. AMPS are the measurement of your current. To get a bit
more technical, current is negatively charged electrons passing
through a conductor, which is usually a wire.

Cylinder - What we store oxygen and acetylene in for cutting,

and SHIELDING GAS for the MIG and TIG welding processes.
They come in different sizes and you wanta' research before you

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buy. If you get too small of one, you'll get real tired of refilling it
all the time.

Defect - Something that ain't right with the weld. Main defects
are Longitudinal Cracks, Porosity, Slag Inclusion, and the
"Cardinal Sin" of welding…Undercut.

Depth of Fusion - How deep your filler metal penetrates into the
metal from the surface.

Direct Current - DC welding is the smoothest welding producing

the least amount of spatter. The current is flowing one way, from
negative to positive. (Cathode to Anode)
It is similar to when you turn on a water hose and the water flows
out. With DC the current ALWAYS flows the same direction. You
can however, change your welding leads to change Polarity.

Direct Current Electrode Negative - Electricity flowing OUT OF

the welding Rod or Wire is dispersed into the work piece therefore
giving less penetration. About 1/3 of the heat is on the end of the
rod and 2/3 on the work piece. This is what you want to use for
thin gauge metals.

Direct Current Electrode Positive - Electricity flowing INTO the

welding Rod or Wire and therefore putting more heat at the rod
or wire end. This gives you 2/3 heat on the rod and 1/3 on the
work piece, which gives greater penetration for thick metals
because the arc force digs into the steel before depositing filler
metal.

Ductility - Is the metal bending and staying bent without

breaking.

Duty Cycle - This is how long a machine can run in a ten minute
period of time before it overheats.

10% = 1 minute out of every 10.

20% = 2 minutes out of every 10.
On up to 100% which would run the full time without stopping.

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For a machine in a factory or construction site you'd want a 100%
duty cycle.
For your hobby workshop you might get by with 20 or 30%.

Even in the busiest factory there's gonna' be off time in a ten

minute period. If you're stick welding, you might run a little over
a minute. Then you're gonna' raise your hood, check out what
everyone else is doing, think about what you're gonna' do that
night, chip the slag, brush the weld, check what time it is, change
rods, and FINALLY start back to welding.

Edge Joint - The outer edge of two plates butted up 90 degrees

parallel to each other.

Edge Preparation - Before welding the edge of a plate or pipe,

care is taken to ensure a sound weld. It may be torch cut or
beveled, machined with a grinder, filed, or all three.

Electrode - Electrodes come either covered with flux, or just

bare wire. In the field an electrode is called a "rod" in stick
welding, and "wire" for Mig and Flux Cored Arc Welding.

There are MANY different types of electrodes.

In WWII bare rods were used that could only be used in the flat
position. It was VERY easy to stick these rods, and I can only
imagine how frustrating it must have been to use them. One day
a guy noticed that a rusty rod he picked up welded better than
the brand new ones.

Experimenting with different types of coatings like silicon and

potassium, it was determined that flux on a rod not only helped it
burn better, but produced a shielding gas that protected the weld
pool from the atmosphere.

Electrode Holder - A hand clamp that holds a welding rod and

conducts electricity out of the rod in DIRECT CURRENT
ELECTRODE NEGATIVE, or into the rod in DIRECT CURRENT
ELECTRODE POSITIVE.

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Face - On plate or pipe welding there is a ROOT PASS, HOT
PASS, FILLER PASS, and CAP. The root penetrates through the
back of the plate, the cap is on the surface which you are
welding, which is the face.

Fan: Welding machines have a fan to cool the machine down and
keep it from overheating. (see DUTY CYCLE) Some fans run
constantly, while others run "on demand" which means it comes
on when necessary and clicks off when not needed.

(It is a good idea to blow out the welding machine with

compressed air at least once a month. This keeps dust from
accumulating and possibly interfering with the inside electrical
workings. All machines have vent slots and each slot should be
blown out.)

Ferrous Metal - Iron comes from ore that is mined from the
Earth. See How Steel is Made. Ferrous means that the metal is
iron, or iron with alloys.

Filler Metal - This is metal added to the weld pool. A weld can be
made with or without filler metal. Thin gauge metal is sometimes
welded by melting the two base metals together.

Flash Burn - This is a burn from the radiation produced from the
ULTRA VIOLET rays from the welding arc. It can burn the skin
similar to sunburn, and even blister the cornea. You don't realize
it until hours later when it feels like someone is rubbing hot sand
in your eyes.

Two of my students were welding too close to each other and I

told them to move, but they said they were just fine. Yeah, what
do I know? I've only been doing this 30 freaking years compared
to their three or four months!

Welp, that night they were in the emergency room getting salve
for their eyes and a nice $300 emergency room bill.

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You should never be where you can see the welding arc light
without protective lenses, even if it is just out of the side of your
eyes. In my shop we announce loudly "WATCH YOUR EYES!"
before striking an arc to warn you to cover your eyes.

Fillet Weld - The king of welds because it is used in so many

applications, it is mostly used on Tee joints. . (See JOINTS.)

Two pieces of metal butted together at a 90 degree angle, a bead

is run half way into each piece. Depending on the thickness, it
could take one bead, or multiple beads TIED-IN to each other.

Fillet Weld Face - The surface or top of the weld.

Fillet Weld Leg - From the intersection of the joint to the end of
the weld. There will be a leg for each plate.

Fillet Weld Toe - Is the end of the weld at the end of the leg.
Again there will be one for each plate.

Fillet Weld Root - Where the weld begins at the intersection of

the joined plates.

Fillet Weld Throat - The distance from the root to the face.

For the above FILLET WELD definitions, see Miller's Tig Welding
page for a good illustration…
http://www.millerwelds.com/education/TIGhandbook/pdf/TIGBoo
k_Chpt7.pdf

Flow Meter - The pressure in a SHIELDING GAS bottle can be up

to 2400 lbs. per inch. The flow meter reduces this to a working
pressure, usually around 20 to 25 cubic feet per hour.

Flux:
Cleans the surface and when burned makes a SHIELDING GAS
that protects the weld POOL, or PUDDLE from atmospheric
contaminants that cause DEFECTS.

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Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) - Long thin flat strip is run
through a series of dies until it begins to curl up on the sides.
FLUX is then added and it continues through the dies until it is
rolled into a tubular wire.

Similar to SOLID STEEL WIRE, it is rolled and used similar to MIG

usually set to DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRODE NEGATIVE. When
the wire is melted to become FILLER METAL, the FLUX burns and
forms a SHIELDING GAS.

Therefore, no SHIELDING GAS is needed, so it can be used in

drafty areas or even in the wind, unlike it's cousin MIG.

Free Bend Test - Also called a guided bend test, this is a

destructive test. A coupon is cut from a test plate, the weld
grinded, then the coupon (usually 1 ½ "wide by 7" long) is bent
in a JIG. It is then VISUALLY INSPECTED for cracks and defects.

This is one way of demonstrating QUALIFICATIONS to become

certified. Welding is one of the most demanding trades because
the welder always has to show they are qualified.
I have 30 years of experience in the shop, Iron Workers Union,
and education, yet if I went to a job on say, a power house, with
a welder whose been in the field only a couple of years, I'd still
have to take a test with them!

Critically demanding jobs require X-RAY qualifications which are

non-destructive, but show everything!

Fumes - Whether you are a skilled JOURNEYMAN, or NEWBIE,

you should always be careful of fumes when cutting and welding.

From GALVANIZED zinc fumes which make you sick, to more

dangerous phosgene gas which can be emitted from the UV RAYS
around some cleaning solutions, FUMES can be dangerous!

Always make sure you have proper ventilation, especially in

confined quarters!

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Fuse - If you purchase a welder to use around the house, make
sure you have the proper fuse so you don't blow everything out.
In older houses, make sure the wiring has been updated or you
could cause a fire when they overheat.

Fusion - As stated in COALESCENCE, fusion is the melting and

becoming one with the base metal or PARENT METAL you are
welding grasshopper.

This is also a word for what the doctor wants to do to my ankle

that I shattered when I fell three stories. Wants to take a chunk
of my hip bone and fuse it to my ankle. Trouble is, it'd take
longer for the hip to heal than the dang ankle! So…that little
operation ain't gonna' happen. Heck, it only hurts when I'm
awake anyway!

Galvanized - An electrochemical process where mild steel is hot-

dipped into liquid zinc to make it anti-corrosive. I was surprised
to learn it has been done for 150 years!
When you weld on galvanized steel you have to burn through the
zinc coating first and it produces FUMES that can make you feel
sick like you've been punched in the gut.
Drinking milk before, during and after welding is supposed to
help, but proper ventilation and not breathing it at all is best.

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) - see "MIG"

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding - see "TIG"

Groove Weld - When a very strong weld is needed, such as

where two columns are spliced together on a high-rise, it is
important to get the maximum penetration and fusion. This is
done by cutting a BEVEL so that you can weld solid from the
ROOT, to the FACE of the PARENT METAL.

Heat Affected Zone - Something many welders do not consider,

but they should. Anytime you weld on metal or steel, you are
heating the area next to the weld. After it is heated, it cools at
different rates depending on the temperature in the shop or field.

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On construction projects in the winter, this can be very rapidly.
Both the heating and cooling can affect the properties depending
on what base metal you are welding on.
The heat affected zone on mild steel is usually no big deal.
However, if you weld on cast iron, for example, without properly
pre-heating and post-heating, it will crack right before your eyes.

Inverter - Relatively new, I first heard of them about 13 years

ago. A power source for welding machines that is much more
efficient than the normal transformers most machines use, and
therefore much smaller units.

When I first started welding thirty years ago in a black iron shop,
I used a welder that looked like a big atomic bomb with a box on
top of it. It was at least four feet wide, two feet deep and about
three feet tall.

Today they have machines that can do everything that one could,
plus some and they're the size of a small suit case which is much
more convenient for the shop and field.

Iron Workers - There are a couple of meanings here. The first is

the union I belong too, the International Association of Bridge,
Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers. As the title
suggest, we work on structures, everything from high rise office
towers, to dams, power houses etc. After a 3 year apprenticeship,
I became a structural welder. There are other gangs (crews) such
as the Raising Gang, Plumb Gang, Bolt-up Gang, and
Miscellaneous Gang. Although I've worked on them all, I spent
most of my time on various Welding Gangs seeing as how
welding is my true love!

This is also the term for a machine, both HUGE ones, and those
small enough to be portable on jobs. It can shear metal, cut
angles, and punch holes. You're gonna' invest a minimum of
around a couple of thousand for a smaller model. Don't even
want to think what the big ones cost.

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Intermittent Weld: A very common mistake in welding is
welding it too much! A lot of welders, especially those new to the
trade, figure "the more the weld the better it'll hold." Well, it
AIN'T true! Many times one or two inches of weld every couple of
inches will hold just as good as a continuous weld.

On most jobs, whether in the shop or field, the welds will be on a

blueprint so that you will know just what to do. Engineers
determine what kind of weld is the best for the joint involved.

There are two types of intermittent welds. I'll give an example

from a black iron fabrication plant I once worked at:

1) "Chain" On a twenty foot beam, we would find the center at

say, ten feet. We would mark two inches, one inch on each side
of the center. Then, from the center of that weld, we'd make a
mark twelve inches away. On that mark, we'd measure one inch
on each side. That way we were measuring from center to center
on each weld. In most construction, just about everything is
measured from center.

On the other side of the beam, we'd mirror the marks of the first
side.

Obviously, the ends of the beam would not come out right in
sequence, so it was important that we made sure and put two
inches on each end even if it was right next to the other two inch
marks we had made.

2) "Staggard" After making the marks on one side of the beam,

we would place the other side in-between the marks on the first
side.

These welds are strong enough to hold and it is overkill to weld

these joints solid. When overzealous welders over weld, they are
screwing up in several ways…

1. They are heating the base metal which can change its
properties adversely.

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 2. They are spending unnecessary time. In the shop and field
"Time is MONEY!"
3. They are wasting materials by using rods which are costing
more and more each year.

Jig - Jigs hold the metal or steel you are working on in place as
you are fabricating. They can be steel clamped with a vice or C-
clamp, bolts tack-welded to a table, or very elaborate frames.
Positioners in large fab shops hold the work piece, spin, rotate, or
revolve so that you can weld in the flat or horizontal position.

Joint - Intersection where two different sections of PARENT

METAL meet. To be listed under WELDING JOINTS. On a power
house, they'd ask how many joints we welded each day.

There were many different types such as beam to beam, beam to

column, x braces etc. Although it was not an accurate account, it
gave the foreman an idea of what was getting done.

Excellent chapter on JOINTS is Miller's Tighandbook...

http://www.millerwelds.com/education/TIGhandbook/pdf/TIGBoo
k_Chpt7.pdf

Keyhole - When welding an open butt, or open groove weld

JOINT with STICK, MIG or TIG, a "keyhole" will open up. When
the sides of the plate burn away on each side of the WELD POOL
a hole is formed which allows for good TIE IN and PENETRATION.

The keyhole must not be allowed to grow too large or the WELD
POOL will waterfall out the back of the joint.

If the keyhole grows too large, stop welding immediately, let the
plate cool and make the proper adjustment to correct the
problem. (Too much heat, wrong rod angle, or staying too long in
the puddle may be the cause.)

Labor Unions - A good site listing trade unions is

http://www.trcp.org/unions.aspx.

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In my experience as an Iron Worker, I'd say you'd have the most
chance of welding in the following…

Boilermakers

Iron Workers

Pipefitters

Pipeliners

Sheetmetal Workers

Leads - These are the lines from the machine to what you are
welding that carry the current. They are lots of copper wires
woven into one to conduct electricity, then covered with a non-
conductive rubber or plastic wrap.

It is important to make sure there are no rips or a tear in the

leads exposing bare wire which could arc on a grounded surface.
Besides being a shock or fire hazard, it would especially be bad if
it came in contact with a pressurized gas bottle!

Liquidis - A word that makes you sound smart when you mean
the lowest temperature that steel or metal is liquid. Guess what
"solid" is called? (See SMART TALK)

Machine Welding - Equipment performs the weld while a person

watches to make sure it is working right. They will also visually
inspect the completed weld. Whether with robotics, or machine
welding, most companies prefer someone who has actually
welded in the field because they have a "feel" for it.

Journeyman welders can actually feel the weld TIE-IN to the

steel. When I'm STICK WELDING with 7018, I can literally feel
the rod give ever so slightly as it coalesces with the steel.

Manual Welding - A person is doing the actual welding. In

SMAW (stick) they are holding the STINGER and manipulating the
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WELDING ELECTRODE to control the WELD POOL. In MIG they
are using a Mig gun feeding wire to do the same. In TIG they're
using a torch and manually feeding a filler rod.

Melting Rate - How much of the rod (electrode), wire, or TIG

rod is melted in a certain amount of time.

Melting Point - Ahhhh grasshopper, this is where the metal goes

from SOLIDUS to LIQUIDUS. See SMART TALK.

MIG (GMAW or Gas Metal Arc Welding)- It may be technically

called GMAW, but in the shop and field all I ever heard was Mig.

Mig welding uses a solid steel wire rolled up on a spool and fed
through a welding lead with a liner in it. Drivers push, pull or both
to feed the wire through the lead to the WELDING GUN.

It uses several different mixtures but the most I've used is either
stratight carbon dioxide, or a mixture of the inert gas argon and
CO2 (75/25 is common. 75% Argon, 25%CO2) to shield the weld
PUDDLE from the atmosphere.

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Basic Welding Terms - Part-2

Non Ferrous - Does not come from iron ore. It is mined pretty
much in its true form such as copper, aluminum, nickel etc.

Nozzle - A brass attachment that is about three inches long and

shaped as an open cylinder. It is put over and insulator (to keep
the nozzle from being electrically charged which would short out
on the PARENT METAL and shock the heck out of someone not
using a glove.) and seals at the top giving the shielding gas one
direction to go…out over the weld.

It is real important to continuously clean built up SPATTER from

out of the NOZZLE. Anti-spatter sprays and dips help keep the
spatter from sticking to the inside of the nozzle which blocks the
SHIELDING GAS.

Open Circuit - Cross your arms across your chest. Now uncross
them. When they are crossed, they are like a "CLOSED
CIRCUICT." When they are not crossed, they're like an open
circuit. When the switch on the welding machine is open, it is not
completing the circuit, therefore electricity can not flow.

When it is closed, the switch joins the two conducting parts

completing the circuit, allowing electricity to flow across.

Oscillate - While dragging (back hand) or pushing (fore hand)

the weld PUDDLE, you oscillate by moving side to side. (Think of
an oscillating fan.) This feathers, or washes in the sides of the
PUDDLE into the PARENT METAL.

Ovens - see POROSITY, and also check out the ovens on this
site.

Overfill - Similar to overkill, many welders think the more the

weld deposited, the better the weld. Overfill is a waste of time
and material, and can weaken the steel by placing too much heat
on the joint. (Opposite of this is UNDERFILL)

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Parent Metal - also called "base metal", this is the metal or steel
that you are actually welding on.

Peening - When you're mechanically working the metal, you are

peening. How do you mechanically work it? You get a beater
(hammer) and beat on it. What it does is release stresses in the
steel. Use EarPlugs!

Penetration - Is the FUSION or depth into the PARENT METAL

from its surface, or the amount of FUSION through an open faced
joint.

Plastic Welding - Yep, there is actually plastic welding. It uses

several different processes. Saw one in the field with a hot air
gun that almost looked like a hair dryer, and a long plastic weld
rod.

Plug Weld - Say you have two pieces of steel you want welded
together. One has a hole in it, the other doesn't. You lay the
whole piece on the solid piece, and then weld in the hole making
sure you burn into the bottom piece. You can either make one
weld at the bottom of the hole (properly TIED-IN of course) or fill
the hole in flush.

I spent two full weeks at a power house plugging holes. After it

had been damaged by a tornado, it was decided to weld all the
gusset plates and connections that were usually bolted. They then
had us remove the bolts and put plugs into the holes, which
served no structural value, but were for aesthetics only. To this
day, I wonder why the heck they didn't just leave the bolts in!
And I still can't believe I repeatedly risked my life working in very
high, awkward situations, just to plug a dad gummed hole!

Polarity - Back in the day, we referred to the flow of current as

STRAGHT POLARITY and REVERSE POLARITY. In SP, the
electricity flowed out of the STINGER and into the WORK CLAMP.

18
In RP, the electricity flowed out of the WORK CLAMP and into the
STINGER.

For a better explanation see DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRODE

NEGATIVE and DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRODE POSITIVE, what we
now use instead of POLARITY.

Porosity - Referred to as worm holes, these are gas pockets

trapped in the weld. A couple of reasons would be from not
enough shielding gas in MIG, or moisture in the FLUX in 7018 low
hydrogen rods.

The moisture can easily be prevented by using one of Keen's rod

ovens. See How to Store Rods Properly…
http://www.keenovens.com/articles/store-rods.htm

Ports - In a mig gun there are small orifices (holes) that allow
the flow of shielding gas. The NOZZLE then directs the gas out
over the weld PUDDLE.

Positioner - These are usually found in the bigger more

prestigious fab shops. They can turn, tilt, rotate, revolve and that
allows you to make most of the welds in the flat or horizontal
WELDING POSITIONS which is really NICE!

Pre Heating - Some steels will accept the weld better, and the
weld will be more sound if the steel is heated before being welded
on. This is especially true up North in the winter time. Adding hot
filler metal to cold steel is NOT a good idea because it could cause
the steel to become brittle and crack.

Most of the time the weld specs will tell you what the PRE-HEAT
temperature is. One way of checking the steel is with heat pencils
which melt at certain temperatures to show when the right heat
is achieved. See CRACKING.

Post Heating - I know, I know, it ain't in alphabetical order, but

I just couldn't put POST-HEAT in front of PRE-HEAT 'cause it just

19
doesn't work that way. Post-heat is of course, exactly what it
sez…heating it up after you have welded.

Actually what you are doing is controlling the cool down of the
steel. Instead of letting it cool down on its own, you heat it
periodically and slow down the cooling process.
This is more for the exotic metals, as a structural Iron Worker I
never had to do any post-heating. However, when working in a
shop a few times on cast iron, I had to post-heat the cast iron to
make sure it didn't crack.

Here's a great site from Lincoln on cast iron welding.

Puddle - Ahhh, the puddle. My welding instructor used to drill

into my head "RELAX your hand and WATCH the PUDDLE!" The
PUDDLE is the same as the WELD POOL. It is the molten filler
metal that is combining with the PARENT METAL. You have to see
it and manipulate it to make a good weld.

The following excerpt is from TheFabricator.com…

I learned welding from two of the best in the business. Phil

Newell yelled in my ear, telling me I was never going to be a
welder because I didn't practice enough-scared the hell out of
me. Mike Waldrop was a laid-back, easygoing, go-have-a-beer-
with-me-after-class kind of guy. I learned all sorts of tricks of the
trade from both of them and am forever grateful. They had
different teaching styles, but they both taught the basics:

RELAX YOUR HAND

WATCH THE PUDDLE
Correct rod angle
Correct travel speed
Correct amps
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Quench - Rapidly cooling the steel to make it harder. The steel

has to have enough carbon in it for it to harden. Mild steel can't
be quenched to harden it because it has only .33% carbon in it.

20
You need about .70% to be able to harden by quenching. You are
changing the crystal structure from one atomic pattern to
another.

I've touched on this in http://keenovens.com/articles/heat-

treating-2.htm.

A very good article on hardness and quenching can be found at

eFUNDA's engineering company site.

Radiation - The welding arc puts out radiation that you must
protect yourself and others from. It is important that you
announce to others that you are preparing to strike and arc. In
my shop we holler "WATCH YOUR EYES!!!" That means it's up to
you to look away from whoever just said it. See FLASHBURN.

Besides burning your eyes, the radiation emitted from the arc can
also burn your skin similar to a sunburn. You should always cover
your skin with dark colored cotton, wool, or leather. Repeated
radiation burns of the skin can result in skin cancer later in life,
which is a very fast growing, and deadly form of cancer.

Radiography - Is the enemy of bad welders. The weld is x-rayed

and it will show even the minutest WELD DEFECTS. (Slag
inclusion, porosity, or undercut!)

Rods - See ELECTRODE. What we call electrodes in the shop or

field. Nobody asks for more "electrodes", they ask for more rods.
Just like the actual term is "SMAW", in the shop or field we call it
"Stick Welding." So, if I'm "stick welding", I'm using "rods."

Root Opening - If you're welding two plates together that are

beveled, (see BEVEL) the root opening is the gap separating the
two plates.

Root Penetration - How far the FILLER METAL is penetrating

into and through the ROOT OPENING. Here's a nice illustration
from Integrated Publishing…

21
Safety - ahhhhh Grashopper, this is absolutely the MOST
important part of welding, the safety of you AND others!

Welding has all kinds of inherent dangers. I've had quite a few
smashes, bumps, bruises, cuts, scrapes, shocks etc. But the
worst was when I was knocked off of the 3rd floor of a building
(well, actually right below the 3rd floor, but who's counting?) and
shattered my ankle.

However, although dangerous by nature, it can be relatively safe

if the proper safety practices are followed, AND common sense is
used.

One of my pet peeves is all the different shows on TV that show

people blatantly disregarding safety. All it takes is a split second
to be hurt, or hurt someone else. And usually it would've just
taken a moment to do it right, or get the right tool, or protective
gear.

There are all sorts of books, articles and guides to welding safety.
Just remember that you can get yourself and others hurt or killed
if you don't learn and follow these practices.

Two of the accidents that I hear about almost every year are eye
injuries (from not wearing the proper protective devices) and
people hurt or killed from welding on or near containers.

Welding/Cutting on or near a container that you don't know about

is dangerous in three ways…

It can be toxic, flammable, and or explosive.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER weld on a container that is not either

new steel, or has been cleaned and safety certified.

I don't weld on used containers PERIOD. Ain't worth life or limb to

make a dang barbeque!

22
Also, on cars or trucks, gas tanks should be removed or made
sure to be full so they don't explode. If it is full, the most it could
do is burn. If there are fumes and a wayward spark, or current
traveling the wrong way, you might just wake up DEAD!

http://www.hobartwelders.com/pdfs/ms199776b.pdf
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/safetyresources.html
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/community/safety/

Seam Weld - The seam is right where the two plates, strips, etc.
touch. It is important that you get half of the WELD POOL on
each side of the seam.

In ARC GOUGHING (where you are cutting an existing weld out)

you want to cut through the weld until you see the seam which
will appear as a crack. This is where the two pieces meet. The cut
is on the weld with little damage or heat to the plates.

Semi-Automatic Welding – MIG is an example. The machine

runs the wire (FILLER METAL) and supplies the SHEILDING GAS
automatically, but it takes a person to pull the trigger and
manipulate the gun to make the weld.

Seventy-five / Twenty-five – 75% Argon / 25% Carbon

Dioxide, see SHEILDING GAS.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding – See also STICK WELDING.

SMAW, is the process where we use ELECTRODES or RODS.
Although some of the other processes are more efficient, there
are some jobs where SMAW is the most practical, like climbing
around on a high-rise office tower, shopping centers and large
spread-out structures.

See the following for advantages/disadvantages involved…

23
http://www.thefabricator.com/ArcWelding/ArcWelding_Article.cfm
?ID=584

http://www.thefabricator.com/ArcWelding/ArcWelding_Article.cfm
?ID=3

Shielding Gas – Gases such as argon or helium are inert,

meaning they will not combine with other elements. This makes
them good for keeping atmospheric contaminants out of the
WELD POOL. Carbon Dioxide is not inert, but effective and used in
MIG either by itself, or mixed with inert gasses such as 75/25.

Carbon Dioxide gives a deeper penetrating weld, while 75/25

gives a smoother appearing bead and less SPATTER than pure
CO2.

Skip Weld – A sequence used to control warping (distortion).

Once on a parking garage there were big beams made of
concrete with steel gusset plates on each end to be welded to
gusset plates on the columns. Concrete is never completely
cured, it has moisture in it. If you get a cutting torch close to it,
or excess heat from welding, it will blow up and send little
concrete shrapnel shooting out like a dad gummed fragmentation
grenade.

If we woulda' welded those plates solid, it would've blown

concrete out from around the plate and weakened the connecting
points big time.

So instead, we skip welded the plates. We'd weld a couple of

inches at the top, couple at the center and a couple at the
bottom. We'd let that cool, and then do it again until the plate
was welded solid. It's all about keeping it cool dude.

Slag – when the FLUX on a welding ROD melts it produces the

SHEILDING GAS to protect the weld, and then forms a hardened
protective coating over the weld. This has to be chipped off and
thoroughly cleaned, usually by brushing.

24
Slag Inclusion – If you don't properly clean the SLAG from a
BEAD, you run the risk of it becoming part of the weld when you
run the next bead. A good welder will generally burn it out on the
next pass, but if not, there will be a chunk of slag in the bead
which leaves a weak spot. Slag inclusions are one of the main
WELD DEFECTS.

Slot – Slot welds are just like PLUG WELDS except instead of
being round, they are elongated. (Long and narrow.) Again
Integrated Publishing has a good picture of ‘em…

Smart Talk – When you have a boss who doesn't know diddly-
squat trying to talk like he is smart. Although this is usually very
irritating, it can also be quite amusing as well. Apprentices and
politicians are also notorious for this.

Soapstone - A soft stone that is pretty much compressed talc

which makes it excellent for marking on STEEL.

Solidus - A SMART TALK way of saying solid.

Solid Steel Wire - Mild steel MIG wire used for…that's right,
welding on mild steel. If you're doing art work, you can use solid
steel on stainless also. The welds will rust, but they will hold as
long as there is no stress on them. You would NOT do that on
anything structural as the weld is prone to cracking.

25
You can also use rolls of FLUX CORE (FCAW), STAINLESS STEEL
(SST), and Aluminum (Al).

Rolls come in a couple of pounds, five, ten, twenty, thirty-three,

and forty-four pounds that I know of.

Off the top of my head I'd say you can get wire rolls at your local
welding supply store, some hardware stores, Loews, Home Depot,
Harbor Freight, Northern Tools, and Grainger.

Spatter - When you weld, especially with the MIG process and 60
series RODS, the arc force blows small droplets of FILLER METAL
out onto the surface of the PARENT METAL.

In MIG welding you want to either spray the inside of the nozzle
with aerosol, or dip it into a gunky substance that coats the inside
to keep the spatter from sticking. If spatter builds up in the
nozzle, it will obstruct the flow of the Shielding Gas. If using
nozzle dip, you wanta' heat the nozzle by running a few passes
first or you'll just have a nozzle full of gunk.

If the spatter chips off easily, it's no big deal, if the spatter won't
chip off, your temperature is too hot.

Also, if you are working on artwork or something that you really

don't want spatter to get on, you can spray the PARENT METAL or
spread the gunk on it and it will keep the spatter from sticking.

One of the stupidest/craziest/nonsensical things that happened in

my teaching career was a student eating a glob of nozzle dip. It
was nasty dirty from months of use, and out of the blue, he ate
it. Luckily it was not toxic and somehow did not make him sick.
When I asked him why he did it, he just looked at me with a
weird smile on his face!

Spot Weld - Used on thin gauge metal like car bodies, you have
a couple of prongs that grip the steel kind of like a pair of pliers.
In between is a small glob (I like that word.) of FILLER METAL.
The prongs shoot current through the steel melting the filler

26
metal while firmly holding the steel together. As long as it's set
right, it will melt the filler metal and make a very small, yet
strong weld. If it's set too cold, the weld won't hold. If it's set too
hot, it'll just wash the "glob" of filler metal away, or burn through
the steel.

It's a good idea to use it on some scrap pieces of steel to get the
AMPS right before doing the real deal.

This is a small Hobart spot welder. They come in all sizes, some
MUCH larger

Steel - Steel is iron ore mined from the ground, purified in blast
furnaces, and then carbon added in its molten stage. If called for,
ALLOYS can also be added while molten. See Steel Furnance
Article.

Stick Welding - See SMAW and

http://keenovens.com/articles/stick-welding.htm.
Done with either electric powered, or gasoline/diesel operated
machine. For heavy fabrication and construction in structural
steel, DIRECT CURRENT is usually used because it runs smoother
than ALTERNATING CURRENT.

One exception was when we used AC machines to run 6011

RODS at a black iron plant I worked at. Stiffening plates (plate
put in the web of a beam to give it extra strength and keep it
from sagging) that we routinely put in could be done with 6011
and it was cheaper using AC current. On most everything else
there we used DC with 7018, or FLUX CORED ARC WELDING.

In the Iron Workers Union, I welded for years pretty much

exclusively using 7018 RODS with DC. (7018 are also called Low
Hydrogen or LoHi) About the only time we didn't use 7018 was

27
when we were using 6010 RODS on decking. (We'd burn through
the sheets on the roof into the joists below.)

Miller eTraining has a nice site for basic electricity…

Sticking - A heck of a frustrating occurrence when the rod sticks

to the steel instead of starting an arc. It's usually caused by the
heat not being hot enough, or the wrong ROD angle.

The end of the rod heats up just enough to fuse to the base metal
without starting the ARC.

This frustrates the heck out of new welders and that's bad
because they then grip the STINGER even tighter making it likely
to again stick the rod. (You gotta' relax your hand when welding!)

If you jerk the stinger quickly enough, you can free the rod,
otherwise you have to disconnect the stinger from the rod, and
then break the rod free. (NOTE: Keep your hood down when
disconnecting because it will make a bright flash.)

If FLUX breaks off of the end of the rod, you will need to "long
arc" (hold the rod a quarter inch or so off of the plate and let it
burn) until it burns the exposed FILLER METAL back down to the
flux.)

Beginners should practice striking an arc over and over again to

learn how to strike it without sticking.

Stick-out - How far the wire sticks out from the end of the
NOZZLE in MIG welding.

Stinger - What we call the ELECTRODE HOLDER in the shop or

field. In SMAW there are several sizes of stingers, from
lightweight, to heavy industrial sized. In the field we would
connect the WORK LEAD on a column for completion of the circuit
which allowed us to only drag the stinger lead to where we were
welding. (As long as the structure was steel.) It's a heckuva' lot

28
easier doing that than dragging both leads, especially working up
high walking around on narrow beams!

Stringer Bead - The first bead you should learn after you master
starting the arc. Depending on the rod or process, this bead will
be done with a drag action on flat surfaces with little or no
OSCILATION. After the first bead, the others are run parallel to
the first.

For flat (see SURFACING) build up welds the beads will overlap
each other. In other words, the bead should wash in to about the
halfway point of the existing bead. That way there is a good TIE-
IN making a connection of the two beads. After several of these
are run, the top will be smooth if done correctly.

See also CRATER and OSCILATE.

Submerged Arc - When I was attending a welding school long,

long ago, we toured a massive steel plant. What I saw with them
melting down the iron in huge blast furnaces, blowing out drain
holes with dynamite, bright orange molten steel flowing into
different forms, and all the major machinery, was awe inspiring!

So I see this guy sitting by a big machine just kind of watching it

with a cig hanging out of his mouth. I asked what he was doing
and he politely said "What the hell does it look like I'm doing? I'm
welding!"

"But there's no arc." I replied.

In a mean, sarcastic, cuss-word filled voice, he told me how they

use a bare ELECTRODE set with flux spread out on top of the
steel. The flux cover kept the arc from being seen, so all he did
was set the machine, then sit there and make sure it was working
right. It's a very good process for long, continuous welds.

Surfacing - Welds used to build up worn down equipment to its

original form. A good example is a bulldozer. On the back is a
sprocket to make the track go forward or backward. Wheels at

29
the bottom and a few on the top keep it in line. At the other end
from the sprocket is an idler wheel. Its purpose is to keep the
track in place as it continuously rolls.

All of these wear down with use and it is way cheaper to re-
surface these welds rather than buy the new equipment,
especially for large shops and jobsites.

So a build up weld is done, usually with a hard surface rod which

does just that; it adds steel and alloys that are very hard so that
they don't wear down easy.

My first welding job was doing surface welds on idler wheels. I sat
there and slowly spun the wheel, running the rod back and forth,
about 4" left to right.

We started at 8AM. I would weld and figure it must be getting

close to lunch and check my watch…it'd be 8:15AM! It was
BORING!

But you gotta' start somewhere, and by sitting there doing a

weave pattern over and over, day in day out, I learned to run a
really good continuous bead, so it was a good start.

Tack Weld - Small weld used to hold what you're welding on in

place until you weld it solid. Used extensively in fabricating, tack
welds can be easily broken off if a change needs to be made.

It's REAL important that you make sure to weld ALL points on
something that has been tacked, especially if it is going to be
used structurally.

One time a fabrication guy welded a "dog" (temporary lifting eye

to hook the shop overhead crane to) on a set of stairs to lift them
a few inches off his table. He forgot to take it off and it shipped
out with the dog still in place.

When it got to the field, an unknowing rookie hooked it on and up

it went. On something like that, you tack only on one side so you

30
can knock it off when you're done. That was plenty for the shop,
but with it swinging in the air the tacks broke loose and the stairs
fell about 26 floors to the ground.

Miraculously no one was hurt, but the job superintendent yelled

so much it nearly melted the poor shop foreman's phone that
day!

Make sure to burn completely into a tack when welding, and don't
start or stop a weld by or on a tack.

Tee Joint - When flat, two plates put together where if you
turned them upside down, they'd look like a T. Hmmm…I wonder
if that's how they got their name?

Temper - Some steels can be hardened by heating, then quickly

quenching. When our chipping hammers get dull we sharpen,
then temper them.

Using a cutting torch, we heat them to what's called "cherry red"

(orange to me), then stop and let them began to cool until
they're a dull orange. (It's important to keep the tip of the torch a
few inches away to make sure it doesn't melt or scar the steel.)

Then we quickly dip it into a bucket of mineral oil to quickly cool

it. Water will work also, but not as good, and you need to make
sure it is cool or cold.

After that, you've got a re-hardened hammer.

31
After use, the crystal structure in the steel changes. In hard steel,
the crystals are small and close together. In softer, more ductile
steel, the crystals are longer and further apart from each other.

When the hammers are exposed to heat and constant beating,

the crystals elongate and the ends get dull. We heat them making
them flexible and taking the stress away, then cool them quickly
which causes them to contract.

Your pocket knife blade is very hard steel with a high carbon
content, which holds an edge well. If you were to sharpen it on a
machine bench grinder and allow it to heat up, it will no longer
keep a good edge because you change it's make up.

Temper is also something that my boss' lost when I was a

wiseass to them.

Tensile Strength - Welding RODS such as 7018, 6010, etc. are

rated in tensile strength per square inch. The first two numbers
tell the tensile strength in thousands. (A low-hydrogen 10018 rod
would be the first three.)

7018 has 70,000 pounds of tensile strength per one square inch
of weld. 6010 would have 60,000 lbs. That is a lot of strength for
a little amount of weld!

Tensile strength is the ability to resist being pulled apart by

TENSION. Strength is measured at the point it takes to bring the
steel or metal to its fatigue point where it fatigues and tears
apart.

I do a demonstration where I TACK WELD a 6" X 6" plate to the

end of a table placing only ½" of weld at each end of the top side
with 7018.

32
I then ask students if they would stand on it if it were 30 stories
in the air. Most say they wouldn't so I climb up on the table and
do that stupid crane stance from the Karate Kid standing one
legged on the plate.

It shows how much tensile strength two small tacks have, easily
supporting my weight.

p.s. Don't tack a plate 30 stories high and do the crane stance!
It's for demo only!
And by the way, when we tacked our welding baskets to stand in
working up high, we were always tied off with a safety harness
before we got in them!

Tension - Pulling taut or stretching with force. A good example is

a rubberband. Tension is where you stretch it apart.

Also the kind of headache I used to get when I worked up high

and looked down.

Test Coupon - I've written about how welders have to prove

themselves more than any other trade or career. This is done
either by a destructive test that destroys the steel, or a non-
destructive test such as x-ray. This is how you become a
"certified" welder.

On a destructive weld test in structural welding a GROOVE WELD

is made with either an open ROOT, or using a BACKUP STRIP.
Both sides of the plate are ground flush and cut into 1 ½" strips
which are bent in a JIG.

The strips are then checked for cracks, or other defects. If none
are found, you get the job, fail and down the road you go.

Usually two strips from the ROOT and two from the FACE will be
bent.

33
Sometimes the strips will actually break in two pieces. If this
happens, you might want to check out another career or get to
practicing!

Throat of Fillet Weld - This excellent site from TWI shows various
fillet throats.
http://www.twi.co.uk/j32k/protected/band_3/jk66.html

Tie-in - After running a STRINGER BEAD a tie-in is made when

another stringer bead parallel to the first, is burned halfway into
it. Instead of them being two beads side by side, they are
intertwined together. Ahhh…they have become one Grasshopper.

Tie-in is very important to give strength when making multiple

pass welds.

TIG Welding (GTAW, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) - Was

called Heliarc, then Tig, now GTAW. However, most welders out
in the field still call it Tig. If they call it Heliarc, they're old. WAIT
a minute…I've called it Heliarc!!!

This welding process joins metals by heating them with a non-

consumable tungsten electrode. That means the electrode, which
is TUNGSTEN, doesn't melt into the weld the way filler metal in a
ROD does.

In STICK WELDING the ROD is being consumed as you weld. As

you're burning into the steel, the rod is melting so you need to be
pushing into the steel as you go to compensate for the end of the
rod being consumed, which makes it shorter.
In Tig you hold the tungsten the same distance from the PARENT
METAL as you weld because it is not being consumed.

It can be done by melting two pieces together with no filler

metal, or with a filler rod that you hold and feed into the weld.

It takes a lot more skill and patience to Tig weld because you use
both hands for different functions and have to feed the rod
correctly. That means a lot of coordination, so if you can't walk

34
and chew gum at the same time, it's gonna' take a LOT of
practice to get it down.

Basic beads are relatively easy, but out of position, exotic metals,
pipe and tubing, and confined spaces can be very difficult, and
take a long time to master.

That said, if you are going to use it for hobby type, working on
your race car, motorcycle etc. don't let it intimidate you. With
practice you can become proficient.

It uses argon, helium or mixtures of inert gases for shielding the

weld, and with little to no smoke produced; it is very easy to see
the WELD POOL. (Except for Aluminum where the puddle is fairly
hard to see.)

Tig Torch - Made up of a head to protect the tungsten, collet

(sleeve to hold the tungsten) collet body (that's right, it holds the
collet), TUNGSTEN and a ceramic cup. The tungsten carries the
current which produces an arc. Orifices in the collet direct
shielding gas to flow out of the ceramic cup and surround the
WELD POOL. Different people hold the torch different ways. I
don't care how you hold it as long as you're relaxed and the weld
comes out ok! Some torches are air cooled, while others use
water or anti-freeze. If you use a liquid cooled torch, you better
be real careful not to set it down on a hot piece of metal. Spring a
leak and you could get shocked real bad with DC and if you're
using AC, you could wake up dead! The smaller the torch, the
faster it gets hot.

Tungsten - This stuff is hard! It also has the highest melting

point of any metal, with only the element carbon having a higher
one. This makes it a good ELECTRODE to use in TIG. It is non-
consumable whereas stick electrodes are consumable. They burn
up as you use them, tungsten doesn't. It carries the arc and
makes heat for FUSING the steel. See TIG.

If you want to pull a good ask for Wolfram. That is the original
name for tungsten because it is mined from ores, one of 'em
35
called Wolframite. After they ask what the heck you're talking
about, explain and act surprised at their limited metallurgical
knowledge.

Undercut - This is the CARDINAL SIN of welding grasshopper!

Cutting into the steel with the force of the arc leaves a cut out
groove in the weld. If this is not filled back in with filler metal, it
leaves a WELD DEFECT which is a weak point that can cause the
joint to fail. This can cause property damage, injury and even loss
of life. See WELD SIGNITURE.

Underfill - is a weld DEFECT that happens when you are not

depositing enough FILLER METAL according to the welding specs.

Underwater Welding - I'm very tempted to put "welding under

water" here. It is either done actually in the water, or in a
hyperbaric chamber which is a submersed room where the water
has been pumped out. If done in the water it is usually for an
emergency repair because there is no way to make a good
looking weld underwater, although you can make one that will
hold.

Here's a site with a great paper on the subject…

http://www.metalwebnews.com/howto/underwater-
welding/underwater-welding.pdf

There are several schools for underwater welding located in

different areas of the nation. Two good ones I know of from
visiting or researching are
The Ocean Corporation and Santa Barbara City College. There is
also one in Florida and Washington State that I know of.

Visual Inspection - is the easiest and most fundamental WELD

TEST. After the weld is made, a qualified instructor, inspector,
foreman, superintendent etc. will examine the weld by carefully
looking at it. It will be checked for the "Cardinal Sin" of
UNDERCUT, POROSITY, UNDERFILL, etc.

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It only shows the surface, not what is inside. However, you can
pretty much see if someone knows what they are doing by
visually inspecting their welds.

Voltage - is the force that makes the electrons flow through the
conductor. (Make sure you don't become a conductor by always
wearing gloves when you weld, and staying dry!) It's kind of like
when you turn on your garden hose. The water flows because it is
pumped. The pump is like the volts, and the water is like the
AMPERAGE.

Warping - is when the steel deforms either by twisting, bowing,

or bending because of heat from the weld. Not usually a problem
with thick steel, but a MAJOR problem with the thin stuff.

There are steps you can take to prevent warping such as putting
the steel in a jig, clamping it down, or immediately cooling it after
it is welded. (Immediately cooling can not be used on some
metals and alloys because it would make them brittle.)

Watch Your Eyes!!! - is what we yell out in our shop to let

people know we are about to strike an arc. You should always let
people know before you strike an arc so they don't get FLASH
BURN.

Weave Bead - is usually used on the last bead, or cap of the

weld. It is made when you OSCILLATE the rod in a wide pattern
back and forth, and in my experience done mostly with 7018
RODS.

Weld - although there are many definitions, the one I like is the
bonding or fusing of two materials. It can be done with or with
out filler rod or wire, and can use all kinds of crazy processes
such as explosive, pressure, laser, and others. My late, non-
mechanical brother used to ask me if I was going to use "jumper
cables and sparklers" when I was STICK WELDING. Many people
think of a welder as some dirty guy standing there with a cig
hanging out his mouth. In some instances, that's the way it is,
but there are MANY welding Processes out there, and new
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innovations being discovered all the time. You could be working
dirty as heck on some greasy conveyor belt system, dangerous as
heck way up in the air on a high-rise, or in an absolutely clean,
air conditioned and safe aerospace shop. Welding is a heckuva'
diversified trade.

Weldability - is if a metal or steel can be welded, and with what

process?

Weld Blanket - Used to keep sparks, molten steel, and SPATTER

from burning, scarring, or catching surrounding area on fire when
welding or cutting. They're made out of material with a very high
resistance to heat.

Weld Defect - UNDERCUT, POROSITY, SLAG INCLUSION, and

UNDERFILL are all defects which can adversely affect a weld
usually causing a crack which weakens it. Weak welds can
damage equipment or materials, injure or even kill.

Weld Electrode - see RODS.

Weld Face - is on the opposite side of the ROOT OPENING at the

top of the plate. It is where the CAP pass goes.

Weld Gauge - Comes in different sizes and is used by the

WELDING INSPECTOR to check the size of a weld. Measures how
much FILLER METAL is deposited from the ROOT OPENING to the
WELD FACE.

Weld Gun - In STICK WELDING we use an ELECTRODE HOLDER

which is called a STINGER in the field. When FLUX CORED, or MIG
welding we use a gun with a trigger on it. When you pull the
trigger it causes the wire to feed and activates the electric ARC.

Weld Joints - Lap, Butt, Edge, Corner and Tee are the five basic
weld joints. Beer and Strip are also a couple of joints many
welders know of.

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Weld Metal - is the melting together of the FILLER METAL (ROD
or Wire) and the melted PARENT METAL which forms the welding
bead.

Weld Pass - Made when you deposit the filler metal on the plate
or joint while traveling the length of the PARENT METAL. In some
cases one pass is enough while others require multiple passes.
Just depends on what you're working on.

Weld Pool - see WELD PUDDLE.

Weld Positions - in structural steel there's Flat, Horizontal,

Vertical and Overhead.

Fillet welds are done on a Tee Joint:

1F = Flat Fillet, 2F = Horizontal Fillet, 3F = Vertical Fillet, and 4F
Overhead Fillet

Groove welds are done on plate:

1G = Flat Groove, 2G = Horizontal Groove, 3G = Vertical Groove,
and 4G = Overhead Groove.

Weld Symbol – is the design on a WELDING SYMBOL that tells

what kind of weld you are to make. i.e. Fillet, Lap, Butt etc.

http://files.aws.org/technical/errata/A2.4errata.pdf

Welding Certification – papers showing what test/procedures a

welder has passed. Many people put too much emphasis on being
“certified.” You might be able to pass a test 100% in a controlled
environment. That is a whole different ball game than making it
30 floors up in the air, with the cold wind blowing down your neck
while standing on a 2” wide beam!

There are many different certifications and several different

institutions that offer them such as…

 American Welding Society – structural steel.

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  American Society of Mechanical Engineers – boilers and
pressure vessels.
 American Petroleum Institute – oil and gas pipelines

Welding Procedure – How they want it done. Listed on

blueprints or notes to the welder as a WPS or Welding Procedure
Specification, it tells you how to prepare the joint, what process
to weld it with, size and dimensions of the weld itself, how many
passes, and what kind of finish it will have. i.e. chip and brush,
machine grind or buff.

Welding Symbol – (see also Weld Symbol) - Shows what

type of weld, where it's gonna' be, the size and dimensions.

It has an arrow that points to where on the joint the weld will be,
a reference line where the WELD SYMBOL is, and a “tail” for
information on the weld itself.

Welding Technique – is how you make the weld. There are

different techniques for different welds. For STICK WELDING
using 6010 you OSCILLATE the ROD in either circles, or a “whip
and pause” where you are whipping the rod in and out of the
WELD POOL. This is a radical technique compared to 7014 which
you drag steadily with little ossicalation.

Some instructors will insist you use ONLY their technique. I don't
care if you stand on your head gargling peanut butter as long as
you get the weld right. If your technique makes for a sound weld,
then it is fine by me.

Wire Brush – A real important tool for both pre and post-
cleaning a weld. In welding “Cleanliness is Godliness” ESPECIALLY
in Mig welding. Mig doesn't work worth a dang if there is paint,
rust, or dirt on the metal. Although STICK and FLUXCORE can
burn through some paint, rust and dirt, it is still preferable to
have a clean surface if at all possible. The cleaner the surface,
the better your chance of a good, pure, sound weld.

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There are hand brushes, brushes that fit on hand grinders, and
brushes that fit on bench grinders.

After running a pass it is important to brush it good, especially if

you are going to run another pass over it.

If you are showing your weld to your instructor, or turning it in

for a certification test, it is in your best interest to clean the weld
properly. The better you clean it, the better it'll look!

Weld Procedure – The AWS sez a weld procedure is "the

detailed methods and practices including all joint welding
procedures involved in the production of a weldment." When I
first started welding and I read definitions like that I was like
“What the? Who the? Where the? Are you freaking kidding me?”

So here's my translation…”how you're gonna' do the weld.”

Blueprints have weld procedures which tell what kind of process,

and what number, thickness, width and length of the weld is
required.

On a big job, the superintendent will go over the weld procedures

with the general foreman, who will go over it with the foreman,
who will go over it with the welder.

In a shop the foreman will go over it with the welders.

Weld Puddle - or WELD POOL, is the molten metal produced

while the weld is being made. It can be made from melting the
PARENT METAL alone, the PARENT METAL combined with FILLER
METAL, or mostly FILLER METAL in SURFACING.

It needs to be protected from atmospheric contaminants by a gas

shield produced either from the flux of an ELECTRODE, or
SHEILDING GAS.

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Weld Size – Yes grasshopper, in welding size DOES matter. The
size of the weld is located on the WELDING SYMBOL and should
not be any more or less than what it calls for.

Weld Symbol – is on the WELDING SYMBOL and tells what kind

of weld is going to be made. A good site I found illustrating this
and welding symbols is
http://www.tpub.com/steelworker1/29.htm

Weld Test – There are Visual tests, Destructive tests, and Non-
Destructive tests in welding. In welding you have to prove
yourself more often and in harder ways than any other trade.

Visual Test - See VISUAL INSPECTION.

Destructive Test – In structural welding two plates welded

together are then cut into coupon strips usually 1 ½” wide. The
FACE and ROOT OPENING sides of the plate are grinded flush.

They are bent in a jig, two face sides, and two root sides, and if
they bend with no cracks or POROSITY, or SLAG INCLUSION, you
get the job.

Photo from http://www.wtti.edu/coupons.html

If they have cracks, porosity, or slag inclusion…head on down the

road.

Non-Destructive Test – is used when it is impractical to do a

destructive test, or to get a complete view of the weld. There are

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several types such as X-ray, Magnetic Particle, Ultrasound, and
Liquid Penetrate Dye tests.

X-ray shows pretty much EVERY part of the weld. If there is

ANYTHING at all wrong, it is gonna' show up! Welds done to X-
ray codes have zero tolerance. That means you better weld it
perfect EVERY weld, EVERY time!

In my years as a structural welder in the Iron Workers union I

tested on jobsites with Destructive Bend tests, or X-ray. There
are many other tests done, but here I'm only describing these
two. You can find more on the other testing methods in most any
welding journal, or search ‘em on the net.

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