15

Shielded Metal Arc

Welding Practice:
Jobs 15-J43J55 (Plate)

Introduction Chapter Objectives

This third chapter in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
practice may be considered as advanced welding. It pro-
15-1 Describe techniques for making V-groove welds
vides practice in joints that are basic to code welding on butt joints with and without backing in various
required for pipe and building construction. (As stated positions with various electrodes and current.
previously, the practice jobs are numbered consecutively
15-2 Describe techniques for making fillet welds on lap
through the three units.) Successful completion of these and T-joints in various positions on plate and pipe
practice jobs is the final step in development of skill as with various electrodes and current.
a welder. A welder who is able to satisfactorily weld an
15-3 Explain various test methods and acceptance criteria.
open-root butt joint with complete penetration through to
15-4 Produce weld specimens that can pass groove, fillet,
the back side in the vertical and overhead positions has
and pressure tests with the SMAW process on plate.
achieved the manipulative skill that provides the basis for
all types of welding application.
Much of this chapter is doing overhead welding. Use
all the normal safety precautions and protective clothing
to protect from spatter, slag, and hot metal. Earplugs and
the bill on your welders cap should be used to deflect hot
metal away from the ears.
The chapter also provides considerable experience in
the use of both the hand and machine oxyacetylene cut-
ting torches in the preparation of practice joints and test
specimens. In addition, it adds to the students experience
in the use of various hand and machine tools. See the Job
Outline, Table 15-5, page468, for a list of all the practice
jobs covered in this chapter.

428
 The abilities to weld, to use the various cutting processes,
to read job drawing and sketches, to do simple layout, and to
be able to use the basic metalworking tools will have been
acquired through the completion of these practice jobs. If
student welders are able to perform these skills satisfacto-
rily, they can feel confident that they have the necessary
skills to satisfy the demands of industry for those jobs in
which shielded metal arc welding is performed, Fig. 15-1.
Fig. 15-1 Pipe welders working in unison to shielded metal arc weld a 5G po-
sition pipe butt joint with progression in the downhill direction for the root pass.
Multi-Operator equipment is being used to supply the welding arc and auxiliary
power for power cleaning and grinding tools. Miller Electric Mfg. Co.
Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 15-J43J55 (Plate) Chapter 15429
Practice Jobs
Job 15-J43 Welding a Single-V
Butt Joint
Objective
To weld a single-V butt joint in the vertical position by
means of multipass groove welds, weave bead technique,
travel up, with DCEP and/or a.c. shielded metal arc elec-
trodes (AWS E6010E6011 and E7016E7018).
General Job Information
The single-V butt joint in the vertical position will
be encountered in pipe and critical plate welding.
The joint design and welding procedure are similar
to those required in the ASME plate and pipe tests.
Welding Technique
First PassThe current setting should not be
too low. Hold the electrode at a 90 angle to
the plate surfaces (work angle) and no more
than 10 down from the horizontal (travel angle),
Fig. 15-2A, page 430.
The travel angle can be either a push or drag. The
push angle is when the arc is being pushed along by
the electrode angle, and the drag angle is when the
arc is being dragged along by the electrode angle.
When doing vertical welding, you should utilize
the push travel angle. This angle uses the arc force
to help overcome the effects of gravity.
Use the root pass technique in which an up-
and-down motion is employed. On the upward
motion do not allow the electrode to travel much
more than 2 inches and do not extinguish the arc.
Make sure that the small hole is present at the
point of welding during the welding operation.
This small hole is referred to as a keyhole. This is
your guarantee that you are securing penetration
through to the back side. Complete penetration is
necessary for maximum strength. It is also neces-
sary when making a test weld. Keep the face of
the weld as flat as possible.
The up-and-down motion of an electrode is re-
ferred to as the whipping technique. The upward
motion lengthens the arc gap, which raises the
voltage. With older welding machines this long
arc high voltage causes the amperage (current-
heat) to drop. This cools the weld and reduces
the melt rate (deposition rate) of the electrode.
The forward motion allows the welder to control
the keyhole size and thus the penetration.
 Joint Electrode Joint
Direction 010
of Travel
Groove
90
Welds
Up-down or Weave
Welds
oscillating side to
motionfirst side
pass. second
Hold close arc. Hesitate at & third Electrode
sides to prevent undercut. passes.
Side View (Travel Angle) Top View (Work Angle)
A B
Fig. 15-2 Electrode position when welding a butt joint in the
vertical position (3G).
With some of the more recent advancements in weld-
ing power sources this technique will not work as well.
These welding machines use closed loop feedback cir-
cuits, which maintain the current once it has been set. So
when you perform long arcing with this type of welding
machine, the voltage does go up but the amperage level
is maintained. Instead of cooling the weld and reducing
the melt rate, the opposite happens. Many welders de-
scribe it as the arc is getting hotter. Check with your
instructor to determine which type of power source you
are using. If it is a closed loop feedback power source
with a vertical volt-amp curve, you should not long arc
the electrode. Instead merely move the arc out of the
weld pool (keyhole) area and let the weld pool cool
down (dry up). Then at the appropriate time bring the
arc back into the keyhole and continue the weld. By
watching the size of the keyhole produced and by mov-
ing the electrode forward and backward the penetration
level can be controlled. Do not use the up-and-down
motion with this type of welding machine. This whip-
ping motion technique should never be used on low hy-
drogen electrodes, those that end with a classification
number of 5, 6, or 8. These electrodes should never be
long arced or porosity will result.
Second and Third Passes Current adjustment must be
increased. Hold the electrode at a 90 angle to the plate
surfaces and weave it from side to side, Fig. 152B. A
uniform weave and rate of travel is important to obtain
a weld of uniform quality and appearance. Movement
across the face of the weld must be fast to prevent exces-
sive convexity in the center of the weld. Maintain a close
arc gap at all times. Keep electrode movement within the
limits of the bead width and hesitate at the sides of the
weld to avoid undercut.
Practice starts and stops on all passes.
430Chapter 15Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 15-J43J55 (Plate)
Operations
1. Obtain plates; check the job drawing, Fig. 15-3, for
quantity and size.
2. Obtain electrodes of each quantity, type, and size
specified in the job drawing.
3. Set the power for 75 to 125 amperes. Set a d.c.
power source for electrode positive.
4. Set up the plates and tack weld them as shown
on the job drawing. Grind and feather the tack
welds.
5. Place the joint in the vertical position on the weld-
ing table. Make sure that it is connected with the
work connection.
6. Make the first pass with 18-inch electrodes as
shown on the job drawing. Grind the crater prior to
restarting.
7. Chip the slag from the weld, brush, and inspect.
Refer to Inspection, below.
8. Increase the current to 130 to 160 amperes.
9. Make the second and third passes with 532-inch elec-
trodes as shown on the job drawing.
10. Chip the slag from the weld, brush, and inspect.
Refer to Inspection, below.
11. Practice these welds until you can produce
good welds consistently with E6010 or
E6011 electrodes.
Once these welds are acceptable to your instructor,
make a vertical-up V-groove butt joint using E6010 or
E6011 for the root pass and E7016 or E7018 for all sub-
sequent passes. Use a steady short arc gap with the low
hydrogen electrodes; do not use the whipping motion with
these electrodes. Use 332- or 18-inch diameter electrodes at
60 to 120 amperes and 80 to 150 amperes, respectively.
Perform the same inspection and qualification testing that
was done on the previous joints.
Inspection
Compare the back side of the first pass with Fig. 15-4 and
all passes with Fig. 15-5, page 432. Check them for the
following weld characteristics:
Width and height: Uniform
Appearance: Smooth with close ripples; free of voids
and high spots. Restarts should be difficult to
locate.
Size: Refer to the job drawing. Check with a butt weld
gauge.
Face of weld: First two passes, flat; last pass, slight
convexity
Edges of weld: Good fusion, no overlap, no undercut
Starts and stops: Free of depressions and high spots
 Fig. 15-3 Job drawing J43.

Fig. 15-4 Penetration and fusion through the back side of a V-groove butt
joint. Note the spot in the center of the bead where there is a break in the pen-
etration. This can be caused by failure to burn through a tack or a poor tie-in on
a restart.
Beginnings and endings: Full size, craters filled
Back side: Complete and uniform penetration
Penetration and fusion: Through the back side,
preceding passes, and all plate surfaces. See
Fig. 15-4.
Surrounding plate surfaces: Free of spatter
Slag formation: Full coverage, easily removable
Disposal
Put completed joints in the scrap bin so that they
will be available for further use. Joints can be
cut and beveled between welds for further butt
welding, and unwelded plate surfaces can be
used for beading.
Qualifying Test
At this point you should be able to pass a 2G test
in the vertical position. (See Test 2 on p. 456.)
This test is similar to the test for pipe or plate developed
by the ASME.
Job 15-J44 Welding a T-Joint
Objective
To weld a T-joint in the overhead position by means of
a single-pass fillet weld, stringer bead technique, with

Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 15-J43J55 (Plate) Chapter 15431
 Joint
Fillet Weld

Electrode

2030
Side View (Work Angle)
A

Direction
Joint of Travel
Fillet Weld

Back-and-Forth 515
Oscillating Motion
Front View (Travel Angle)
B

Fig. 15-6 Electrode position when welding a T-joint

in the overhead position (4F).

A B
Practice starts and stops. Travel from left to
Fig. 15-5 (A) Typical appearance of a multipass groove weld in a V-groove butt right and from right to left.
joint without backing, welded in the vertical position (3G), travel up, with DCEP or
a.c. shielded arc electrodes. (B) Closeup of the weld bead. Operations
1. Obtain plates; check the job drawing, Fig. 15-8, for
quantity and size.
DCEP and/or a.c. shielded metal arc electrodes (AWS 2. Obtain electrodes of the quantity, type, and size
E6010E6011). specified in the job drawing.

General Job Information

The T-joint welded in the overhead position is used exten-
sively in shipyard and structural work.

Welding Technique
Current adjustment should be high. Hold the electrode at
a 20 to 30 angle to the vertical plate, Fig. 15-6A, and tilt
it no more than 15 in the direction of travel, Fig. 15-6B.
Figure 15-7 shows the actual welding position. Use a back-
and-forth motion along the line of weld. Hold a close arc
when depositing metal. The arc must not be extinguished
on the forward motion. Pay close attention to fusion and
penetration at the root of the joint and to the plate sur-
faces. Slag must not be permitted to run ahead of the
metal being deposited. Avoid overheating the weld pool
to prevent excessive convexity and overlap. While under-
cut is a problem, it can be overcome in the usual manner. Fig. 15-7 Electrode and electrode holder positioned as
Watch your speed of travel; the bead must be permitted to instructed in Fig. 15-6. Note how the joint is held by the jig.
build up to its full size. Edward R. Bohnart

432Chapter 15Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 15-J43J55 (Plate)

 Fig. 15-8 Job drawing J44.
3. Set the power source for 120 to 170 amperes. Seta
d.c. power source for electrode positive.
4. Set up the plates as shown on the job drawing and
tack weld them at each corner.
5. Fasten the joint in the overhead welding jig. See Fig.15-7.
6. Make the weld as shown on the job drawing.
Manipulate the electrode as instructed in Fig. 15-6.
7. Chip the slag from the weld, brush, and inspect.
Refer to Inspection.
8. Practice these welds until you can produce good
welds consistently with both types of electrodes.
Inspection
Compare the weld with Fig. 15-9, page 434 and check it
for the following characteristics:
Width and height: Uniform
Appearance: Smooth with close ripples; free of voids and
high spots. Restarts should be difficult to locate.
Size: Refer to the job drawing. Check with a fillet weld gauge.
Face of weld: Flat
Edges of weld: Good fusion, no overlap, no undercut
Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 15-J43J55 (Plate) Chapter 15433
Starts and stops: Free of depressions and high spots
Beginnings and endings: Full size, craters filled
Penetration and fusion: To the root of the joint and both
plate surfaces
Surrounding plate surfaces: Free of spatter
Slag formation: Full coverage, easily removable
Disposal
Save the completed joints for your next job, which will
be multipass fillet welding in the overhead position.
Check Test
After you are able to make welds that are satisfactory in ap-
pearance, make up a test specimen similar to that made in
Job 13-J14. (Refer to Figs. 13-57 and 13-58, pp. 364365.)
Use the plate thickness, welding technique, and electrode
type and size specified for this job. Weld on one side only.
Break the completed weld and examine the surfaces
for soundness. The weld must not be porous. It must show
complete fusion and penetration at the root of the joint
and to the plate surfaces. The joint should break evenly
through the throat of the weld.
 Fig. 15-9 Typical appearance of a single-pass fillet weld in a T-joint welded in the overhead position with DCEP or a.c.
shielded arc electrodes.
Job 15-J45 Welding a T-Joint
Objective
To weld a T-joint in the overhead position by means of
multipass fillet welds, stringer bead technique, with
DCEP and/or a.c. shielded metal arc electrodes (AWS
E6010E6011).
General Job Information
When more than one pass is necessary for fillet welds in
the overhead position, it is usually the practice to apply
stringer beads. It is to be understood that the thickness
of plate used in this job would not require a 12-inch fillet
weld. The plate is merely being used as much as possible.
Welding Technique
Current adjustment can be high. The angle of the elec-
trode to the vertical plate changes according to the pass
being deposited, Fig. 15-10. It is 20 to 30 for the second
pass, 35 to 45 for the third and fourth passes, 45 for the
fifth pass, and 20 to 30 for the sixth pass. The electrode
is tilted no more than 15 in the direction of travel for all
passes. Use the stringer bead technique and deposit each
pass in the sequence shown on the job drawing. You will
Fillet Welds
45
2030 3545
Electrode 3545 2030
Second Pass Third Pass Cover Passes
A B C D
Fig. 15-10 Electrode position when welding a T-joint in the overhead position
(4F) using the stringer bead technique.
434Chapter 15Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 15-J43J55 (Plate)
have difficulty in obtaining the proper proportions, but
practice will overcome it. Each bead must be fused with
the preceding bead and the plate surface. The face of each
layer should be as flat as possible.
Practice starts and stops. Travel from left to right and
from right to left. Be sure to remove slag from each bead
before starting the next bead.
Operations
1. Use the joints welded in Job 15-J44.
2. Obtain electrodes of the quantity, type, and size
specified in the job drawing, Fig. 15-11.
3. Set the power source for 120 to 160 amperes. Set a
d.c. power source for electrode positive.
4. Fasten the joint in the overhead position with an
overhead welding jig.
5. Make welds as shown on the job drawing. Manipu-
late the electrode as shown in Fig. 15-10.
6. Chip the slag from the welds, brush, and inspect be-
tween each pass. Refer to Inspection.
7. Practice these welds until you can produce good
welds consistently with both types of electrodes.
Inspection
Direction of Travel Compare each pass with Fig. 15-12 and check it
for the following weld characteristics:
Width and height: Uniform
Appearance: Smooth with close ripples; free of
voids and high spots. Restarts should be dif-
ficult to locate.
Size: Refer to the job drawing. Check with a
015
fillet weld gauge.
Oscillating Motion Face of weld: Flat
Front View Edges of weld: Good fusion, no overlap, no
undercut
Starts and stops: Free of depressions and high
spots
Beginnings and endings: Full size, craters filled
 Fig. 15-11 Job drawing J45.

Job 15-J46 Welding a Lap Joint

Objective
To weld a lap joint in the overhead position by
means of a single-pass fillet weld with DCEP
and/or a.c. shielded metal arc electrodes (AWS
Fig. 15-12 Typical appearance of a multipass fillet weld in a T-joint welded in E6010E6011).
the overhead position (stringer bead technique) with DCEP or a.c.shielded arc
electrodes. General Job Information
The overhead lap joint is found very frequently
in tank, structural, and shipyard work. Because of the
Penetration and fusion: To preceding beads and both size and nature of these objects, it is impractical to posi-
plate surfaces tion them. The lap joint can be welded with three stringer
Surrounding plate surfaces: Free of spatter passes instead of a single weaved bead.
Slag formation: Full coverage, easily removable
Welding Technique
Disposal Current adjustment must not be too high. Hold the elec-
Put completed joints in the scrap bin so that they will trode at a 30 angle to the lower plate, Fig. 15-13A,
be available for further use. Plate edges can be used for page 436, and tilt it 20 in the direction of travel,
square butt welding, and unwelded surfaces can be used Fig. 15-13B. Figure 15-14, page 436 shows the actual po-
for beading. sition for welding. A back-and-forth whipping motion

Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 15-J43J55 (Plate) Chapter 15435