Tips for Passing Structural Welding Test

Here’s a list of 9 top tips that will help you pass your 3G Structural Welding Test (using a 7018 rod)

1. Most structural welding tests require a 22.5 degree bevel (also known as a 45 degree included angle)
on the two plates you will be joining together, with a 1/4 inch gap between the two pieces, and 1/4 inch
backing plate. 1/4 inch gap is pretty wide, but this is so you’re able to lay the 1/8 inch rod into the bevel
section between the two pieces. You need to make sure your gap is wide
enough to avoid excessive burn into the side walls of the bevel, or down into the backing plate.

2. Use a grinder to remove the mill scale from the welding area of subject materials, grinding down to
clean shiny metal on both sides of weld bevels and the backing plate. This is not technically a test
requirement, but a good idea because it’s the ideal field practice, and evaluators are looking for that kind
of behavior and attention to detail.

3. Plan ahead for placing your tie-ins. You don’t want to put your tie-ins on your root bend. Ideally, you
want to place them just a touch off-center.

4. The angle and height of the plate when you’re welding is important. Make sure you don’t put the plate
up to high relative to your physical height, it just makes the process that much harder. Evaluators expect
you to position the test plate straight up-and-down, but you can usually get away with up to a 5 degrees
angle. You don’t, however, want to angle the plate toward you (that’s almost like welding overhead), but
you should be able to get away with angling the plate about 5 degrees away from you, which will make
the rising angle a touch easier to handle as your weld travels upward.

5. Body position is important, because the more confortable you feel, the easier the process. The
consumable rod will become shorter as you weld, and you need to be comfortable with the body motion
necessary to adapt to this shrinking action. It’s best to use something to prop up the rod as you weld. If
don’t have any suitable object handy, you can prop up the rod with your finger as your weld travels
upward. Take a few dry runs to make sure you’re comfortable with the movements necessary to execute
the weld.

6. Expose the tip of your 7018 rod, especially if you’re going to restart a rod that’s already been used.
7018 rods don’t restart well, as they tend to form a slag cover over the end of the rod. With a file, you can
remove the slag coating and create a better starting surface.

7. You want your root pass to make contact with each side of the beveled edge, to ensure the weld
adequately penetrates the side walls and backing plate, and creates solid weld.

8. When you clean the weld with a file or slag hammer, you don’t want to peck at the weld bead, because
you’ll end up with divots, dents and dings. Instead, use the file and slag hammer to rake down each side
the of the weld bead to clean up the weld and remove slag.

9. Use a grinder to clean up the weld bead, especially at start points and where you tie-in to other welds. It
is rare that a grinder can not be used. However, the welder must be careful not to grind into the bevels and
change the joint geometry if this occurs the welder may be welding outside the parameters of the WPS and
the test would no longer be valid.