Chapter 15: Weld Identification

two pipeline welders using the SMAW process to splice piping together. The workers are wearing full PPE including welding helmets, gloves, protective pants, and leather welding aprons. They are sitting on the ground across from each other, on either side of the massive pipe. Both welders are in the process of welding, so their arcs can be seen as well as the sparks coming off of the metal pipe.
Splicing Pipe as a Team / Photo Credit: amarandogala, Pixabay License

Overview

“Is there enough throat on that fillet weld”?

“Make sure the root opening on that butt joint is a least ¼ inch.”

“Don’t forget that V-groove is supposed to have complete penetration.”

“We’ll need you to pass a 3G test if you’d like employment here.”

What information can you glean from these statements? Any? If not, it’s no reason to worry, they contain a lot of unfamiliar terms for the uninitiated. However, in a fabrication environment, these statements are everyday shop talk, and necessary for communicating about common welding tasks.

The goal of this chapter is to help you, the reader, build a vocabulary. In the following pages, we’ll cover the terms and principles necessary to identify different types of welds, the parts of those welds, how their size is determined, and the different welding positions.

Objectives

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

  • Identify joint types.
  • Identify weld types.
  • Define different welding positions.

Key Terms

  • Weld joint
  • Welding position
  • Joint root
  • Root opening
  • Groove weld
  • Base metal
  • Filler metal
  • Weld metal
  • Fillet weld
  • Bevel

Attributions

  1. Chapter opening image: image released under the Pixabay License

License

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Introduction to Welding Copyright © by Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.