Introduction Weld shuinkage is very much in evidence sven during the initial stages of tack weld- ing. When joining two components in anas- sembly the very first tack weld pulls more than any'other subsequent tack weld. It is Erustrating at times for the fitter who takes reat care in aligning two parts, to find that iter tack welding, the two parts are com- pletely out of line. Weld shrinkage plays an important part Guring assembly and the tack welder re- ures some skills to be truly productive. This chapter teaches presetting techniques, combined with tack welding skills, to over- ‘come the shrinkage problem. It also in- ludes tips for using mechanical aids during sssembly and procedures for assembling end welding simple fabrications, The Tack Weld ‘The very rst tack weld always pulls the two pieces being joined out of alignment be- cause of shrinkage unless the parts are restrainedin a jig or fixture. When this hap- pens the inexperienced operator engugesin realigning the parts before resuming. To save the wasted time repairing parts out of alignment, the tack welder should use the pulling power of the tack weld to achieve the desired alignment, and use the same procedure for the subsequent tack welds. Figure 8.1 gives several examples. Using Tack Welds to Advantage ‘Tack welds in general can resist a certain amount of shrinkage. While being deposited, however, they can also con- tribute significantly to the shrinkage. Con- sequently, tack welding is a force to be reckoned with, and the welder who uses it to advantage will usually be one step ahead of those who continually struggle with dis- tortion. Chapter 8 Tack Welding50 Distortion Control \ FIRST TACK weLo 5 BULLS erRPENiCULAR PUATE Gr 'StUaRe® | 1404 veubane vere vice PULL FigcE”a TOWARDS. Prorem AC ote WiTH Pieee"o o Fiast Tuck RESULTS IN Web HERE f HERE Finer Tack wet Inside Wik KEEP TIGHT FIT [FINISHED ASSeMaLy. ° Figure 8.1 ‘Two examples of using the pulling power of the tack weld to achieve the desired alignment. Assembling When joining two components, the first tack usually pulls towards the front side if the tack weld is made on the front side. As- suming the plates are now out ofalignment, itwill take at least two or three tacks on the oppositeside to pull the work backinto line. Once this is accomplished, another couple of tacks should be applied to pull the work a little out of alignment in the opposite direction. To finish the tacking, as many “ tacks as are needed ean be applied to the back side to bring the work back inline. The previous tacks provide strong resistance and allows the front side to be tack welded completely. At this point, braces should be tack welded to the work before the final welding begins. See figure 8.2. If the work is still little out of alignment after tack welding, the welder can make a suitable continuous pass on the appropriate side before installing the braces. ce) Figure 82 ‘Tack welding braces to work before final welding. (a) First tack weld (6) 2nd, 3rd, and th tack weld; (€) completion ot tick welding with bracing.hs t Sub-assemblies Tack welders should avoid assembling all components together if the possibility exists for sub-assemblies. The main advantage is that it reduces the risk of distortion on the main body which may occur if all the parts were tacked together and welded com- pletely. Another advantage is that smaller components can be easily straightened if necessary before final assembly and it per- mits stress relieving of certain sections (if required) before welding to the final as- sembly. See figure 8.3. Flat Plates ‘When tack welding unrestrained plates ina flat position the end will raise up as in figure 8.4, If the weld is allowed to cool, clamp or wedge will be needed to force the plates tightly together again. This is more of a nuisance factor than it is a problem but it can be avoided simply by tapping the top plate lightly with a hammer as soon as the tack weld is deposited. Working from the Center When fitting a distorted plate to another the condition in figure 8.5 often occurs where the ends are touching, with an open- ing in the center. Do not tack weld both ends because this will magnify the resis- tance, making it very difficult to close the opening. ‘Turning the bottom plate over to create the opposite condition is the right approach. This allows the fitter to start at the center and work toward the ends. Experience shows that closing the ends represents a small problem compared with closing the center, Sometime the shrinkage caused by tack welding will close the ends. If not, a wedge ‘will finish the closing easily, Tack Welding 51 amAcxer 10 BE ADDED To EXISTING 1 | WORK Consists OF Pee A-s-t=0. 1 Soh WE J A se! g qe $2 cw oat oe vats 00 = FOR ADDING. 4. BRACKET TO EXISTING’ WoRk: Figure 83 ‘Sub-assemblies. f \ FIRST TACK NELD LIFTS & YP TAP PLATE LIGHTLY rT, Maint AS 300% 23 ¥ELO fe apeciee ano PLATE wil REMAIN FLAT. Figure 84 ‘Tack welding Mlat plates.i §2 Distortion Control cnr THE WRONG PROCEDURE 15 TO START BY TACK-WELOING STARTING TN THE CENTER AND WORKING TONARDS THE EXOS 1 THE BEST APPROACH, Figure 83 (a) Working from the ends is wrong method. (b) Working from the center is best approach. the heat treatment, Then they can be safe- ly separated. If stress relieving is not called for, a balanced welding sequence will assure a minimum degree of distortion under the circumstances and there should not be too much of a problem. However, with thinner material or fabrications of considerable length there may be a tendency to bow when separated. Inserting spacers of ebout 6 mm (¥/4 in) in the central area before clamping together should improve the results. Bringing Two Plates Together ‘There are various ways of closing gaps that are too wide. Where there is little resis- CLAMPING To CLOSE ee st r 2 ie ai a feeder tL © ASSEVOLY WELDED BACK TO BACK. space Figure 86 Back to back welding. Back to Back Welding When two weldments are identical it is a good distortion control practice to tack weld them together back to back. This al- lows the welder to balance all the welds about the neutral axis of the combined as- sembly, At the same time, the weldments provide reciprocal restraining forces. See figure 8.6. If stress relieving is required, both weld- ‘ments remain joined until completion of fcc Tins To BRING CLOSER TOCETHER resistance Dot fromaante ace. © ~ yi Paget 10 IADICATE THE ete fa a © Figure 8.7 Bringing two plates together.a8 i tance, merely striking with a hammer is enough to do the job. On more troublesome joints mechanical aids are required. Figure 8,7 outlines several methods to accomplish this goal: + In), two small plates are tack welded to the work. The tacks are applied on one side only to allow for easy removal when no longer needed. A clamp is at- tached to the plates to close the joint. + (b) shows two small angle plates which are used with a bolt inserted into predrilled holes. Tightening the nut brings the joint to the proper specifica- tions. + For heavier plates, two stoppers and a hydraulic jack are used to apply the Tack Welding 53 force that is needed, as shown in (¢). The stoppers are located to hold one plate and allow the jack the resistance necessary to push the other plate. © (d)isavariation of (©). Instead of ajack, a wedge is driven between the resis- tance stopper and the plate to close the joint. « (¢)isalso a variation of figure (). This time using the leverage force of a pinch bar against the resistance stopper to push the plate, When closing gaps in this manner it is a good practice to insert a spacer measuring the same thickness as the gap required. Otherwise it may be necessary to open up the gap again if it closes too tightly. ToeATING LINES t First Tack Ak Figure 8.3 Bracket tack welding procedure.Sa eh! mn mee 54 Distortion Control Brackets Inspite of the shrinkage effect of tack welds pulling parts out of alignment during fabrication, itis still a simple matter to as- semble aweldment using the proper proce- dure, illustrated in figure 8.8. 1. Markthe locatinglines on the base plate b to accommodate piece A and also wo tibs c. 2. Hold.A on locating line and offset a lit tle so that the tack weld pulls it square. 3. Use steel square to check for square- ness. Tap with hammer if necessary. 4, Tack weld both ends of A. 5, Alignonerib Cand tack weld both ends, ‘Make sure there are no openings. 6. Adjust with hammer until square with B and also with 4. 7. Align and tack weld other rib C. Make sure there are no openings. 8 Adjust with hammer until square with B and also with 4. 9. Check overall squareness and measure- ments, 10. Reinforce tack welds. Re-read steps 5 and 7. Making sure that all joints are tightly closed is a prerequisite and 1a good distortion control practice. To control shrinkage, it is always desirable to have joints as snugly fit as possible. It is not always the case, however, and there are times when joint openings occur during the Tack WeLo witt NOT | , Sor Suntweace. o NW ° assembly of weldments. In such cases, precautions are necessary, otherwise the distortion factor is magnified. Take the ease ofa simple rib, as shown in figure 8.9(a). Poor preparation leaves a small gap open- ing at the top of the gusset x. Welding the bracket will result in the distortion as in figure 8.9(b). To limit the distortion similar gap openings should be wedged before welding. See figure 8.9(c). Some welders erroneously believe that making a tack weld where itis open will do the job and limit the distortion, The shrinkage of the tack weld itself will close the gap somewhat and is likely to be com- pletely melted during welding. The natural shrinkage is consequently allowed to follow ‘an unrestrained path towards distortion. The Butt Weld Inthe case of short butt joints, welders can tack weld the top side to pull the work lit- tle out of alignment. This allows them to tum the work over to completely weld the bottom side. In the process the work comes back into alignment. Turning the work over to complete the welding on the top side hardly upsets the alignment because of the resistance of the full weld on the underside. Beginners may have problems with this ap- proach at the onset but with practice they soon learn what to expect and can quickly () Figure 89 (a) Simple rib with gap, a result of poor preparation; (b) welding bracket will result in distortion; (c) gap opening should he wedged.Ch. 8 w Oy Tack Welding 55 (e) Figure 8.10. Butt welding: (a) after 3 tacks; (b) turn over for welding; (¢) welded complete and straight. master the art of tackwelding to control dis- tortion. See figure 8.10. Before assembling the components, the tack welder’s responsibility is to assure that the parts are dimensionally accurate and she joints properly prepared. Inaccuracies at the beginning only add to distortion problems later because the parts must be forced into the correct relationship and maintained there under considerable restraint. Parts that have been forced into position by mechanical means contain stresses that may add to those caused by welding and produce increased distortion. Preparing Butt Joints When the gap is too small for butt welding will result in lack of penetration. A root Sce that is larger than specified also causes lack of penetration. Even though back ‘suging by carbon arc‘or chipping is called Sr it will require a deeper gouge than ‘would be necessary under desirable condi- Sons. Consequently, the excess metal re- ‘qeired to complete the joint will destroy the Selance and add to the distortion problem. ‘When the gap is too large extra filler metal = required to complete the joint. But this cen be compensated for by reducing the ‘==lc of the bevel proportionately. Beveled ‘eats should be prepared as accurately as possible. They should even be inspected by = quality control representative before proceeding. Poor or shabby workmanship can greatly add to distortion and excessive costs in this area, See figure 8.11. Presetting One of the simplest weldment assemblies is the setting up of two flat steel plates for a butt-weld. Strangely, though, it gives a surprisingly large number of welder/fitters a good deal of trouble, simply because they do not follow the proper procedure. The trouble is caused by the distortional qualities of the welding during deposit, which makes it difficult to keep the job straight, and in spite of turning the piece over often to balance the welds, 2 necessary straightening operation is required to finish, Naturally, this adds greatly to the manufacturing costs. ‘The following procedure will result ina job being done as economically and efficiently as possible, with little or no straightening required to finish the piece. BUTT JOINT PREPARATION Figure 8.11 Butt joint preparation.56 Distortion Control 1, Before aligning the two plates, install a 25 mm (1 in.) shim at the center. This will result in the opposite ends tapering down to allow for the “pull” of the weld- ing in the initial stages, es shown in figure 8.12. 2, When pieces are aligned and parallel, tack-weld about 25 mm (1 in) long in the center only. Tack-weld yokes. (figure 8.13). 4, Tack-weld starting and run-off tabs at each end of weld joints. By starting and finishing welding well into the tabs, a full weld is assured at the sides and eliminates the need to weld vertically. 5, Weld first pass completely, starting and finishing well into the tabs. 6. Make two or more weld passes until piece comes straight. Note the restrain- ing effect of the yokes. 7. Tum piece over and by either the arc- air method or by chipping, penetrate into the weld to prepare for the 100 per- cent weld specification. 8, Weld as muchas possible on this side as Jong as the piece remains straight, after which turn over again to finish other side. The only thing remaining is to turn back and finish the welding, before removing the yokes and tabs. Restraining parts may produce relatively high residual stresses but in many fabrica- tions made from mild steel this does not present a problem.-Under certain condi- tions of very high restraint, such as when welding special steels, cracking of the weld metal may occur. This can generally be avoided by preheating and by using an ap- propriate welding sequence. When service requirements demand the removal of residual stresses, a stress relieving treat- ment must be applied after welding. When using strong-backs to avoid peaking incylindrical butt welded joints, the amount of distortion can be minimized by allowing the joint to shrink freely. Thisisachieved by welding the strong back on one side of the joint only. The other side is fastened with wedges. See figure 8.14. aN —SS DRAWING INDICATES THE BEVELLING OF TWO PLATES FOR A FULL SUIT WELD. Figure 8.12 Preparing two beveled plates for tackwelding. TAGK=HELD ONE $10 EP Foe EAS eu WELDING RUNOFF TABS. Figure 8.13 Adding yokes to the plates to counteract weld distortion during the full weld. ie ‘STRONGABACKS ARE WELDED ON ONE. SHOE OF WOINT CHLY. SETUP FOR TWeLo1Ne sence THIS TYEE oF simaNo-enck LEAVES THE Moun FREE 10 GHRIHC TRBNSYERSELY. Figure 8.14 Using strong-backs.Introduction For shop production work, sophisticated jigs and fixtures are designed and used as a means of controlling distortion without sacrificing productivity. For most one of a kind type jobs, however, it is neither practi~ cal nor economical to use anything but im- provised restraining methods. Some of the tools and devices that are used for this pur- pose are illustrated in this chapter. Hold Down Bolts In engineering shops, hold-down bolts are widely used by machinists as aids 10 setting and aligning parts in preparation for the machining operation. At times, the welder/fitter can also find them useful for bolding weldments tightly to atable asa dis- sortion preventive, as shown in figure 9.1. Machinists have specially slotted tables, as shown in figure 9.2 into which they anchor the bolt, whereas the welderffitter has to cither tack-weld the bolt to anchor it or use ‘= table with holes. “The construction procedure is simple, con- ‘sting of a bolt of suitable length, a washer, ‘=nut, and a steel bar bent to the shape of a Jong U-bar. See figure 9.3. A better understanding of the uses of a ‘Sold-down bolt is possible by studying fig- =e 9.4, which illustrates various methodsof ay o OL A double application of hald-down bolts. Chapter 9 Tools and Restraining Devices58 Distortion. Control saa BE Figure 92 Hold-down bolt in a slotted table. Figure 93 AU-clamp. its application. Note that supportingplate, of approximately the same height as the body, is an integral part of the following preparation process. 1. Anchor bolt near body, as shown in figure 94(a). 2. Install U-bar, open end atop body, closed end on support bar. 3. Install washer. 4. Install nut and tighten with a suitable wrench. ‘As the nut is tightened, the body is squeezed tightly against the table. Greater pressure, ifneeded, canbe acquired by sub- stituting a hydraulic jack in place of the sup- surPoRT PLATE’ o a2 200¥ SUBSTITUTE HYORAULIC. AK INSTEAD ‘BF SUPPORy PLATE FOR GREATER Pressure © Figure 94 (a) Preparation using a hold-down bolts (b) using a hydraulic jack for greater pressure. portplate, as shown in figure 9.4(b),and ap- plyinga little jack pressure from there. Turnbuckles ‘The turnbuckle is of simple construction. One end is a right-hand threaded screw and the other end is left-hand threaded screw. Its functions to pull in or push out depend- ing on how the center is turned. When properly used, itis atime and money saver, but it is seldom recognized as such, and is not often used to its full potential. ‘The inherent value of the turnbuckle is the control of movement it gives, regardless of the incessant “pulling” during welding. Itao a ‘comes in different sizes, and welding shops should have afew of each size stacked neat- §y away, easily available for use when the weed arises. When the turnbuckle is at hand, it takes ‘ealy « couple of minutes to put an adequate ssck-weld at each end. Once installed, the eperator is in complete control of move- Sent, simply by turning the center piece. ‘Consider that 4 and B in figure 9.5 are to be welded together at a 60° angle. The sembuckle gives the operator complete control over the movement of two pieces. “eis control can be maintained throughout se entire welding process, which includes Selancing the welds in favor of the move- Sent desired, simply by turning the center = ‘Making a Frame "Apart from having a specially designed jig = finture, the fastest and most economical ‘== (0 build a frame is with turnbuckles. ‘The biggest problem constructing a frame = keeping it square, because of the distor- Son qualities of tacking and welding, Figure 9.6 shows a frame made with ‘sembuckles, Once tack welded, complete control over squareness is assured, simply Sy making adjustments. To assemble this Same, adhere to the following procedure: 2. Tack weld piece A to B (one tack only); 2 Tack weld turnbuckle to4 and B; Adjust turnbuckle to square A and B; 4 Repeat the process tacking C to B; 5. Before tacking D, make sure that both Cand A are parallel and square with B; © Bring D to proper dimension and tack weld parallel with B; 7. Tack weld two remaining turnbuckles (optional); & Remove turnbuckles, only after all welding is complete. Following this procedure eliminates many potential straightening operations. Tools and Restraining Devices 39 URNBUOKLE oes ROTATE HERE Co —THOKHELD [A TURNBUGKULE 18 USED TO OBTAIN THE EO*ANGLE BETVEEN PC.A AND PC... Figure 9.5 Using a turnbuckle to obtain a 60" angle. Figure 9.5 Making a frame with turnbuckles. Tack Welding Butt Joints If too few tacks are used in a butt joint the joint may close progressively as weld is proceeding, resulting sometimes in an overlapping of the edges at the end ofa long seam. If sufficient in number, tacks should generally resist transverse shrinkage. Tack welding can be accomplished from end to end using the back step method or progres- sively from the center towards the ends. An excellent mechanical aid is the turnbuckle to which small plates are welded at each end, These in turn are tack welded to the work as in figure 9.7. The set up takes only a minute, but once installed, turnbuckles contro! the joint opening. The turnbuckle—— oo ———“—OO— 60 Distortion Control SWILL PLATES WELDED TO ENDS. OF TwrEVBUCKLE soJUSTING TURNBUEKLE CONTROLS ACCURACY OF JOINT OFENINO. ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF PLACING TURNBUCKLES SATESPANGLE ALLOWS SOME NATURAL TRANBYERSE Abvewent WiTHOUT LOSS €F LONGITUDINAL RESTRAINT. Figure 9.7 ‘Tack welding butt joints. also provides excellent restraint against transverse bowing when used in conjunc- tion with a prescribed distortion control welding sequence. Assembling Half-Rings Figure 9.8 calls for three half-rings to be fitted on top of each other. There are various methods of approaching the as- sembly, but the following is likely to be the most productive. Since half-rings are seldom precise in ‘measurement, the first requirement is to open or close dimension X on piece A in figure 9.8, in accordance to what is specified, An excellent result is attained with a turnbuckle tack-welded to the legs. Follow the same procedure for dimensions Yand Z on pieces B and C. The next step is to assemble B to A, and after proper align- ing, tack-weld, Repeat by adding C to B. bee —suneace W ras (a ‘en We STEP 1 TAOC-WELD TURSBUCKLE AND _ADAUST UNTIL TER tear PROPER DIMENTION, STEP 2: REPEAT FOR PE.8 AND PCAC. eS SS STEP 3: ASHEWOLE @ TO A. ALIGN AND TACK-WELD: eS SSS STEP 4: ASSEMBLE © TD 8. ALION AND TACK-HELD. NOTE: DOTTED LINES INDoATE. TuRNOUCHL, DerTeD Cave 1a veee OF HALE RINGS. Figure 9.8 Assembling half rings.no Check dimensions, ¥,and Ztoseeifthere ssadequate stock for machining. Check sur- face W and dimension O for the same pur- pose. Surface WV should be the radius plus ‘Smm (4 in). Leave turnbuckles attached until all weld- Seg has been completed, as they make ideal Braces. Wedges ‘While wedges are used throughout the ‘world wherever weldments are fabricated, shere is an alternative which requires less ‘|ort (figure 9.9). To apply wedging force Swolves the use of a heavy hammer, and on = continuous basis this can mean a lot of sbysical energy. Instead, a light-weight Sedraulic jackwith a one or two-ton limit is ‘sr, faster, and more efficient. ‘To set up and use either method requires “Se welding of a stopper as a resistance _Teroughexperience twill be found thatthe antages of the jack outweigh those of the toppers Tools and Restraining Devices 61 areprgn sce vewo dq STOPPER HERE =) HrORALLIE ACK A HYDRAULIC. JACK CAN REPLADE THE WEDGE THE ASSEUBLY OF MANY NELOVENTS. Figure99 ‘Wedges and stoppers. S047 G44, gF kQwsTED 10 pper is any suitable size block used for us operations in the fabricating shop. ‘can be tack welded to a steel base plate 4 used with’a steel bar. Together they ovide leverage inaligning the parts. Stop- ‘Ses welded in formation in a jig serve to parts accurately without using a ring device. Stoppers also serve as necessary resistance when wedging tightly together. Refer to figure 9.9. ome cases, itis practical to use adjusting ws to close or push steel plates. ily weld a standard-size nut to a con- enient, small piece of steel plate, taking ‘cre to prevent weld spatter from entering ‘Se threaded area of the nut. Tack-weld the # SMALL eat cnc 3 Figure 9.10 Using adjusting screws. steel plate to the work piece and insert the bolt. The finished adjusting screw is shown in figure 9.10. ‘The tightening of the bolt will push the work as required. Note that the functions of the adjusting screw are similar to thatof the wedge Platens Wherever metal is formed, shaped, orweld- edit is almost certain that platens are being used. A platen (Figure 9.11) is a square- shaped machined table that has 48 mm (1- 344 in) square holes spaced on 87 mm62 Distortion Control Figure 9.11 ‘Aplaten. 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Pethaps the most used of al the accessories is the gooseneck hold-down dog, as il- lustrated in figure 9.14). ‘To use it, the straight leg is inserted into a square hole while the flat end is placed on top of the work. One or two blows with hammer is all that is needed to “dog” the work down tightly. This is excellent for holding weldments to minimize distortion during welding. To remove the dog oncom- pletion of the work requires only a couple of tapson the side of the leg with ahammer. Finally, figure 9.15 illustrates @ holding bolt and a wedge, and uses for the bending post.Introduction Discrepancies caused by weld shrinkage must be measured accurately in order to gauge the amount of movement during heating or welding. This chapter illustrates the tools and the methods that are used to test for straightness. Tools and Methods Straightedge Checking for straightness is an essential every day event in welding shops. Using a straightedge is the most common method, and itis simply a matter of applying it to a surface to reveal whatever deviation there is, as shown in figure 10.1. A straightedge can be made from steel or wood. The checking edge must be straight and smooth. The most accurate readings can be obtained with a stecl straightedge but on occzsion an improvised one made from wood may be adequate. arsneemer STRAIGHTEDSE Figure 10.1 Usinga straightedge to check for straightness Piano Wire Formore accurate readings, the piano wire method is recommended. This is done by fastening a suitable length of piano wire at each end so that the wire passes over the checking area, as shown in figure 10.2. Measuring from the surfaces to the wire at different points gives the amount of dis- crepancy. Chapter 10 Checking for Straightness66 Distortion Control nayoine verous Ar cach! TNs" GaeaTes TAUINESS: Figure 102 ‘A piano wire stretched taut with welghts can also be used to check for straightness. String ‘The string method is similar to the piano wire, although not quite as accurate, 2s the string has a tendency to stretch and create a slight belly in the cemter. It is suitable, however, for most weld shop checking. Steel Blocks Setting the piece to be checked on three blocks of equal thickness (figure 103) on a flat table prepares for an accurate check. ‘Measuring from the table to the bottom or top of the piece at different points will indi- cate the amount of bend there is. Using four blocks instead of three would not be suitable as a bent piece can only touch on three points. Using four blocks would create arocking motion. It is preferable to A — SS use blocks rather than setting the piece flat on the table. The possible presence of grit or other small pieces of foreign matter would reduce the degree of accuracy in measuring. Surface Gauge ‘Although the surface gauge is a machinists tool, some welder/fitters like to use it when checking the straightness of a piece on a table. This tool consists simply of a flat machined base, with a round 12.5 mm (ih in) diameter perpendicular post in the center to which is attached 2 pointer of about 4.5 mm (Ys in) diameter, with uni- versal movement and height control. ‘The way to check with this tool is to set the pointer at a suitable height and just move ‘around the piece, keeping the base flat with the table atall times, and comparing the dif- ferences. Sce figure 10.4 for further clarification of the above checking method. Monitoring Movement Oncertain types of work where control over movement caused by welding orstraighten- ing is important, monitoring may be te- quired, Therearevarious ways of doingthis, although it is only necessary to illustrate @ few to get the general idea. FLAT TABLE MEASURE AT DIFFERENT POINTS FROM TABLE SUALL SPACER BLECKS Figure 103 Straighiness can be checked by placing small spacer blocks under the work in question af these points. ‘Measure from the top of the piece to the table surface to check for stralghtness.Ch. 10. = Checking for Straightness 67 “MEASURE DISTANCE BETWEEN POINTER AND WORK AT OIFFERE ie thee LocarioNs — men FLAT Tate: Figure 104 A surface gauge is moved along the top surface of the work in question, slightly in from the edge, to check for straightness. A check can be effected by tack-welding two welding rods together (figure 105). One rod is ground to a point at one end and ii easine nus o1stance z t \ MOTH A state bent to serve as a pointer, Using a scale to { \ measure the distance between the point ee and the work will indicate the amount of eee movement that took place. aa Steel Square Monitoring a perpendicular piece is easily done using a steel square. However, if the part is oddly shaped, it must be checked as Figure 115 shown in figure 10.6. The following proce- wg crude surface gauge made from dure depicts a very accurate reading. welding rods to monitor weld distortion, Trammels ‘Trammels can be used to monitor straight sree sous ness, as shown in figure 10.7, using the fol- lowing procedure. 1. Establish point.4 and pop mark. 2. Using trammels or dividers and point A as center, scribe any given are shown. 3. Measure any equal distance fromline D to intersect seribed lines. Pop mark in- tersection creating points B and C. Figure 10.6 Once the three points have been estab- Checking with a steel square. lished, the operator will have complete68 Distortion Control” knowledge of movement through oc- casional checking with the trammels. Plumb Bob On larger structures similar to the frame in Figure 10.8, the plumb bob is an excellent indicator. It is only important to suspend it from a point at any convenient location on top and identify it with a point below. Any deviation will show immediately, Since the plumb bob in this instance is used merely to recognize movement, it can be used even if the job is not leveled-off beforehand. ‘The main purpose of having monitoring operations is to be able to assess corrective action at an early state, when it is possible todo so, aswell as to know what amount of movement is taking place during a welding or flame straightening operation. Itis wi toexercise this type of control whenever ex- acting tolerances demand it. Corrective ac- tion in the form of distributing the welding to areas where the pull is to the advantage is usually all that is required prevent need- Jess straightening costs to the company. ramen oreo //] \_ wero Z \ PE Ne On ~ sti MoNITORING A PERPENDICULAR PLATE FOR Weto bistextios. Figure 10.7 ‘Monitoring a perpendicular plate for weld distortion. oP aR smn. PLATE Figure 10.8 Deviation of plumb bob fom pop mark on small plate indicates amount of movement.