Welding certified testing

[junya92toy]

There has been a few people asking what it takes to get certified. So Im going to give a little info into the process.
First thing, there is many many different types of welds you can get certified for. The basic one is structural, d1.1.
When getting certified, you must say what position, what size of plate, what size of wire , what type of wire,  shielding gas, preheat, bevel angle, root opening, land size, backing strip etc.
The first position is flat and in a groove welds its called a 1g, then horizontal-2g, vertical-3g and over head -4g.
Best test is to a 3g and 4g this will qualify you for all position. 
If you use a 3/8ths plate you can weld up to twice that thickness. If you use a one inch plate for the test, you have a unlimited thickness cert.

I took pictures of some plates I made for a friend who was trying to get his. To show how to set it up, and how to make multipass welds.
3/8s plate, 1/4 inch root opening, no landing, 22.5 degree bevel 70 degree preheat( room temp) with a backing strip. I used .030 hardwire, c02 gas and my 110v lincoln wire feed.


This is with a root pass in it, set up in the 3g.




Here is a pic of how I stack the welds and go from side to side doing that .


This a picture I found with a different view, if shows a smaller heat affected zone with the multipass welds, rather then trying to fill it in with just a few big welds.

Once you get it welded up, you cut two 1.5 inch strips out of the plate, a inch from each end. Then grind off the backing strip, and the renforcement, mark one root and open face. Its then bent 180 degrees and checked for lack of fusion, slag, or just breaking.



Here is a the root with my 110mig, no breaks no slag, and a couple of pin holes. Which is  not a failure. You can have them up to 1/32th of a inch, and the sum of them cant not be over 3/8sth of a inch.  Of course my little machine was maxed out doing this, but it still passed.

[Dr Phat]

Great write up! Learned all of this last semester.

Mine was for STCW certification though. Have to make a fillet weld then put it in a press and have the weld fail directly down the center of the weld bead along with some brazing, torch welding, and cutting holes through plate steel.

[yjay]

I hear the terms "qualification" and "certification" used almost interchangeably when it comes to welding personnel. A person wanting to weld let's say structural steel per D1.1 has to be able to pass a welder qualification test for the process, position, thickness, etc. that they will be performing, and this makes them a qualified welder under those variables. Where does the term "certification" come from? I know that a few specific jurisdictions such as Los Angeles have certification programs and testing that go well beyond a performance qualification test as per D1.1 in order to be accepted to weld there, and the American Welding Society has a certification program that they do, where I believe the test plates are sent directly to them, but I am wondering if there is additional certification testing that I am not aware of?

[yjay]

Actually, I see for the AWS certification the test procedure is performed and inspected at an AWS accredited facility and a payment is sent directly to AWS for their "certification" card. But I am wondering if people who are qualified by a performance test are considering themselves certified as well.

[4RunnerChevy]

Was that the duty cycle that made all those starts and stops ? why are the following passes so erratic ?  I am also trying to figure out why you did a test plate for a 110 machine ?  Was the plate annealed before bend ?

[Sparkplug]

I imagine starts and stops are to keep heat down, or possibly show how the weld was built with multi passes, and it doesnt look very erratic to me, but again im not certified at all. I HAVE passed the 3g test at the top for a shop.

[junya92toy]

Was that the duty cycle that made all those starts and stops ? why are the following passes so erratic ?  I am also trying to figure out why you did a test plate for a 110 machine ?  Was the plate annealed before bend ?

Its ropey looking becauses  I need more power, but I still got fusion.
Why with a 110? Because I wanted to see if I could do it.

[4RunnerChevy]

Its ropey looking becauses  I need more power, but I still got fusion.
Why with a 110? Because I wanted to see if I could do it.

Then 

[yotaneck13]

good write up might try that with my 110 tm and se how it comes out

[94MtnYote]

 Certification notes may also specify weaves or stringers, direction of travel and overall appearance of the deposit.