Are Concave Fillet Welds Bad?

You may be surprised to know that sometimes they are desired

The following is an exerpt from:  TROUBLESHOOTING FOR NON-WELDING ENGINEERS There is nothing wrong with concave welds so long as they attain the desired throat dimension. AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020 Structural Welding Code (Steel) states that “there is no restriction on concavity as long as minimum weld size (considering both leg and throat) is achieved.” Concave welds […]

Weld Troubleshooting for Non Welding Engineers

NOW AVAILABLE! Troubleshoot common welding and welding equipment problems the way welding engineers do. For more information CLICK HERE or the image  below. Learn and follow the process used by welding engineers to find the root cause of welding problems and their solutions. This troubleshooting guide goes beyond your typical troubleshooting charts on the back […]

5 Questions and Answers You Must Know for the CWI Exam

And fundamental principles for the fabrication of steel structures

If you have taken or hope to take the CWI exam you probably have searched for some practice exam questions.  In practicing for the code book portion of the test you may have come across a few questions for which you could find the answer, but didn’t really understand the importance of the question or […]

10 Types of Welding Discontinuities Explained

Not all discontinuities are defects

Cracks can lead to catastrophic failure in a relative short amount of time.

Not all weld discontinuities are weld defects, but all weld defects are discontinuities. Understanding the difference will let you know if you need to scrap a part, repair it or simply add more weld. There are many codes depending on what type of product you are welding on. The codes are used as guidelines by […]

How to Weld Galvanized Steel

Galvanizing is the application of a zinc coating to a ferrous material. It is done to prevent, or at the very least delay corrosion. The zinc coating can be applied in many different ways including but not limited to hot-dipping, metal spray and electrodeposition.  Similar to galvanized steel is galvanneal steel.  Galvanneal is the process […]

What is Your Biggest Welding Problem?

Welding is a very complicated industrial process with many different variables.  Because of this there are an innumerable amount of problems we can experience when we weld.  From porosity and spatter to cracked welds, welding problems cost us a lot of money.  In some cases welding problems are severe enough to cause significant delays adding […]

Modes of Metal Transfer: Short Circuit

The modes of metal transfer refer to the different ways in which the filler metal (electrode) is transferred through the welding arc and into the weld puddle.  We can write a book on this topic but we’ll keep it simple to provide an understanding of the different modes of transfer, what they require and what […]

Importance of Root Fusion

When weld sizes are determined by design engineers, the theoretical throat is used to calculate weld strength which in turn gives our leg size (for fillet welds).  This means that the desired strength of a weld is achieved only if we attain fusion to the root and side walls. The terms fusion and penetration are used […]