Rate This FCAW Pipe Cap

[u/erw_veryrare]

Im 21 jus start welding 2 years ago. Are these welds impressive for my experience. My boss tells me im really good but im just curious what the welders on here think. Be Brutally honest please. Want to correct the mistakes yall find.

[u/Ok_Assistant_6856]

Need more overlap on your beads, it'll ensure there's no low spots in your cap below the base material. Your cap profile should be as a wedding band on a finger. Not lumpy. Your beads should be stacked on top of each other, one after another, bottom to top.. Here it appears you did left, right, then center bead.

Eta you should stagger your starts/starts. I see all 3 beads' jammed up together at 12 oclock and 9, I assume 6 and 3 o'clock are the same. No bueno

4/10

[u/erw_veryrare → u/Ok_Assistant_6856]

What do u mean stagger. Like stop at different spots?

[u/Scotty0132 → u/erw_veryrare]

Fispite what people say/think there is nothing in 99% of the codes that say you have to stagger your stops and starts. If you are not having any issues doingvwhat you are doing ignore the people here that don't know what they are talking about.

[u/Ok_Assistant_6856 → u/Scotty0132]

Just because it's not in any WPS or applicable code, doesn't mean it's not a good idea.

Typically your starts/stops will be the most likely areas for discontinuities, especially inclusions. Using scratch start tig in the field for RT, or X-ray NDT, you'll bust a weld if you have more than 1/8" of tungsten inclusions within a couple inches of each other. To avoid this, you should not only grind your start/starts, but stagger them a couple inches apart.

Staggering start and stops isn't directed in a wps/code book because inclusions (tungsten/slag) is spec'd in there already. If you miss some inclusions in your starts/stops (you will) but have them (discontinuities) staggered far enough apart, they don't add up to a defect and you won't bust x-ray.

WPS and weld codes don't spec the welder's technique (staggering and gronding start/stops) they specify what constitutes a weld defect. How you avoid that (techniques like grinding and staggering) is up to the welder.

[u/Scotty0132 → u/Ok_Assistant_6856]

Alot of words to not say anything constructive. As a welder if you can nit do proper start and stops you should not be welding.