Welding Tips and Tricks

Like the title says....I'm goin for it...Feel like I gota shot...Thanks to ALL that helped get me to this point...LEFT TO RIGHT...HORIZONTAL..VERTICLE.. OVERHEAD.. And some 6010 i ran on an old junk craftsman I found in my brother in-laws shed....

Nice man! You've mad a ton of progress! Still trying to get on with your buddy? What type of test?

Hi Dylan...3 & 4 G on 1" plate...Structural...For a red iron crew....

Awesome man. Your welds look good I think you got a good chance

Nice job. I really hope the weather breaks soon so I can practice my 6010 rod. I want to get ready to try some testing. Going to see if the local college will do the testing.

Mike do you know if it will be d1.1 or d1.5?

Greg your local college may not do testing for non students because of liability issues but if they have a CWI in-house you may be able to get him to do it on the side.

AZ..It's a D1.1....1" plate...plate I been showing is 3/4..Close enuf I think..

Make sure before you go to the test that you know exactly what you will and will not be allowed to used for tools. Some let you have a grinder only to prep plates, after that it is taken away. Some allow you to have a file to get out any slag, my guy won't allow it. My guy lets you have a chipping hammer, wire brush and a scriber. My tests are fracture critical so I also have to use tempilsticks for preheat and interpass temps. Just make sure you know what you are looking at before you get there so there are no surprises. Also, see if you can play with a few passes on scraps before the actual test begins to dial in the particular machine you are using, as you know every machine is a little different in the way it wants to run and you don't want to change things up and be in unfamiliar territory during a cert test.

Eat a good breakfast, try to not have more than 2 cups of coffee, and basically try to get it in your head that you are just practicing and don't give a shit. That takes away all the nervousness. The first test I took was on two different processes back to back. Got nervous enough to botch the first, had to move on to the next. Was down enough on myself for a stupid mistake on the first test that I didn't give a damn anymore and just laid in the beads. That 1" plate passed fracture critical certification. Remember when you were a kid and took your driving test? Easy to get nervous and second guess yourself, but your steering wheel is a lot more forgiving than your welding torch. Any twitching from nerves and it can be game over. I laugh at myself now when I think of how I should've passed that first test. Since then I just treat it as practice. I'm just running some practice beads and for some reason a guy in a different colored hard hat happens to be nearby watching. Maybe I try to think he is watching to learn it, like I'm training him in. Its whatever works for you to just focus on the weld, not the test.

In AA they tell you to take things one day at a time. Well, take it one bead at a time. Best of luck to you man. Let us know how you come out on it. A picture is worth a thousand words, a welding cert can be worth thousands of dollars. With that said, if you pass you have to buy a beer for everyone who responds to this thread, and two beers for Jody just because he made the forum in the first place.

Nick made some good points but on a D1.1 3G and 4G test use of a grinder is allowed. That was the reason i asked D1.1 or D1.5. The D1.5 bridge code test does not allow use of power tools. 3/4" for practice is the same as the 1" just a few less passes. I'm sure you wont have a problem, you're doing very well.