Base Metal Preparation

Level 1 – Chapter 5
 Objectives
 When we have completed this chapter, you
should be able to :
› Clean base metal for welding and cutting
› Identify and explain joint design
› Mechanically and thermally bevel steel plate
› Select joint design based on a welding procedure
specification
 1.0.0 Introduction
 To ensure that the highest quality welds are
produced and to comply with codes, base metals
must be properly prepared prior to welding.
 The type of preparation required depends on:
› The governing code requirements
› Base metal type
› Condition of base metal
› Welding process to be used
› Equipment available
 2.0.0 Welding Safety
 Welders routinely use manual and powered tools
to clean and shape metals.
 Metal particles ground from the work pieces are
usually hot, and will burn your skin
 2.1.0 Protective Clothing and
Equipment
 To maintain safety and prevent injury, it is
essential that you wear the appropriate protective
clothing and equipment when preparing metals.
 Follow these guidelines:
› Always wear safety glasses
› Wear proper leather or fire retardant clothing
› Wear safety boots
› Wear ear plugs to protect ears from noise and sparks
 3.0.0 Base Metal Cleaning
 ALL base metal should be cleaned before
welding.
 To ensure quality welds and to conform to code
requirements, surface contaminants and oxides
must be removed prior to welding.
 3.1.0 Surface Corrosion
 All metal has surface corrosion.
 Corrosion occurs when metal is exposed to air.
 Some corrosion exist as a thin film that merely stains
the metal.
 A very course type of corrosion that is found on carbon
steel is rust.
 Alloys steel is mild steel that has had chromium and/or
copper added to protect it from corrosion.
 Weathering steel is an example of copper alloy steel
that protects itself form corrosion.
 3.2.0 Defects Caused by Surface
Contamination
 The most common defect caused by surface
contamination is porosity.
 Porosity occurs when gas pockets or voids appear
in the weld metal.
 The gas pocket is trapped as the weld metal
solidifies, but as the next layer of weld is
deposited, the porosity continues to float up.
 When the porosity has a length greater than its
width it is called piping porosity.
3.2.0 Defects Caused by Surface
Contamination
 3.3.0 Mechanical Cleaning
 Mechanical cleaning is the most common
method of removing surface contamination.
 Tools used for mechanical cleaning include:
› Hand tools
› Power tools
› Sandblasting
 3.3.1 Hand Tools
 Some common hand tools are:
› Scrapers
 Used to remove dirt, grease, and paint
› Wire brushes
 Brushes will remove paint and light to medium surface
corrosion. (do not remove tight corrosion)
 Only stainless brushes should be used when working
with aluminum or stainless steel
 3.3.1 Hand Tools
 Some common hand tools are:
› Files
 Remove surface corrosion
 Be sure there is a handle on the file tang
 Tang – pointed end of file
 3.3.2 Power Tools
 For larger jobs or jobs where speed is important,
power tools are best.
 Power tools may be electrically or pneumatically
powered.
 Some common power tools are:
› Angle grinders / End grinders
 Are very effective in removing large areas of surface
contamination.
› Die grinders / Small angle grinders
 Work well for weld grooves and bevel angles
 3.3.2 Power Tools
 Grinders have attachments for special
applications:
› Grinding disc
› Rotary files
› Flapper wheels
› Cut off wheels
› Wire wheels
 Use only stainless steel wire brush attachments when
working on stainless steel or aluminum.
3.3.2 Power Tools
 3.3.2 Power Tools
 Some common pneumatically powered tools:
› Weld flux chippers
› Needle scalers
 Have about 18 to 20 blunt steel needles used for
removing surface contamination
› Chipping hammers
3.3.2 Power Tools
 4.0.0 Joint Design
 Welded joints are selected primarily for the safety
and strength required for the conditions to be
encountered.
 When selecting the joint many factors must be taken
into account:
› Load considerations
› The environment
› Materials
› Processes
› cost
 4.1.0 Load Considerations
 The weld joint must be designed to withstand the
stresses caused by the loads.
 Load types:
› Tensile – capable of being stretched
› Compression – the reduction of volume or
mass
› Bending – to make curved
› Torsion – twisting
› Shear – to cut off
4.2.0 Types of Joints

5 Types of joints:
 Butt
 Lap
 Corner
 T
 Edge
 4.3.0 Types of Welds
 Most types of welds require some degree of base metal
edge preparation.
 Common types of welds:
› Surfacing
› Plug
› Fillet
› Square bevel
› Bevel groove
› V-groove
› J and U groove
 If a particular type of weld requires a specified root
opening, it is shown on the welding drawing
 4.3.1 Surfacing Welds
 Surfacing welds are used to build up a base
surface that has become worn below the desired
thickness.
 Before applying the first layer, the base metal
should be cleaned to remove contaminations.
 Surfacing is used to:
› Rebuild expensive tool and die parts
› Repair heavy equipment that has wear
4.3.1 Surfacing Welds
 4.3.2 Plug and Slot Welds
 Plug and slot used to join metal pieces when the
edges cannot be welded.
 The plug or slot weld may be applied:
› Lap
› Corner
› T – joints
 Preparation of the base metals for plug/slot welds
requires proper cleaning of both pieces, then
drilling of the hole.
4.3.2 Plug and Slot Welds
 Break Time
 Take a 15 min. break
 4.3.3 Fillet Welds
 Fillet welds may be applied to lap, T-, or corner
joints.
 Fillet welds only require removal of
contaminants from the base metal with little or no
joint edge preparation.
 4.3.4 Square Groove Welds
 Square groove welds can be used with butt joints,
corner joints, T joints and edge joints.
 The difference between the fillet and square
groove is that a square groove requires a root
opening between the two base pieces prior to
welding.
 This allows greater penetration into a greater
portion of the joint.
4.3.4 Square Groove Welds
 4.3.5 Bevel-Groove Welds
 Bevel grooves provide greater surface
penetration than the square groove.
 A bevel groove weld preparation may include a
specified root opening along with a bevel cut.
 4.3.6 V-Groove Welds
 Typically, a 45 degree angle will be cut on both
edges of the base metal.
 The angle may not extend from the top of the
bevel edge to the bottom of the bevel edge on
each piece.
 The flat surface from where the angle stops to the
bottom of the piece is called the root face.
3.3.5 V-Groove Welds
 4.3.7 Single vs. Double
V-Groove Welds
 The double V-groove require half the weld metal
compared to the single V-groove.
 4.3.8 J- and U-Groove Welds
 J-groove weld requires only one base metal
member to have its edge grooved in the shape of
a J.
 A U-groove is formed by preparing two matching
J-grooves on the base metal members.
4.3.8 J- and U-Groove Welds
 4.3.9 Combination Fillet & Groove
Welds
 The combination weld requires more preparation
time than a fillet weld alone, but saves time and
material and helps reduce distortion.
 4.3.10 Groove Angles and Root
Openings
 The purpose of the groove angle is to allow
access to the root of the weld.
 The root preparation is sized to control melt-
through.
 Root faces are used with open joints but not
when backing strips are used.
 4.3.11 Open Root Welds
 For open root welds on plate, the groove angle
should be 60 degrees.
 4.3.12 Welds with Backing on
Plate
 Backing for plate can be:
› Stripes made from the same material as the base metal
 The recommendation for a backing strip for welding mild steel
up to ¾” thick is 3/8” thick by 3” wide. (bottom of pg 5.15)
› Flux-coated tape
› Fiberglass –coated tape
› Ceramic tape
› Gas
 Check the WPS for joint preparation before using flux-
tape, fiberglass coated, or ceramic tape. (note pg 5.15)
4.3.12 Welds with Backing on
Plate
 4.4.0 Welding Position
 It is easier and faster to weld groove welds in the
flat position and fillers in the flat or horizontal
position than it is to weld out of position.
 Always try to position the weldment so that
welding is performed in the flat position.
 When welding pipe, weld as many fittings as
possible before taking the pipe into position, try
to leave the welds that will be the most accessible
and easiest to perform for last.
 4.5.0 Codes and WPS
 A welding code is a detailed listing of the rules
and principles that apply to specific welded
products.
 A weld procedure specification (WPS) is a
written set of instructions for producing reliable
welds.
 4.5.0 Codes and WPS
 A WPS includes:
› Welding parameters
› Type of joint to used
› Type of welding process
› Groove designed
› Groove preparation
› Position of weld
› Base material thickness range
 5.0.0 Welding Joint Preparation
 There are two ways to prepare a joint:
› Mechanically using:
 Nibblers
 Grinders
 Cutters
› Thermally using:
 Oxyfuel cutting
 Plasma arc
 Carbon arc
 Type of method to used depends on the type of metal
and specifications.
 5.2.0 Mechanical Joint Preparation
 Mechanical joint preparation is used most often
on alloy steels and nonferrous metal.
 It is slower than thermal methods.
 Advantages:
› High precision with low heat
› Absence of oxides (slag)
 5.2.1 Grinders
 Hand-held electric or air-operated grinders are
used in welding shops and even more often in the
field to prepare pipe and plate for welding.
 5.2.2 Pipe Beveling Machines
 Nearly every piece of pipe that is welded requires
that the edge be cut square and beveled according
to specifications.
 Mechanically cutting and beveling is often
accomplished by using electrically or
pneumatically powered beveling machines.
 Various models are available to cut and bevel 2”
to 60” pipe.
5.2.2 Pipe Beveling Machines
 5.2.3 Nibblers and Cutters
 Nibblers prepare the edge of a plate or pipe with
a reciprocal punch that cuts off a chip with each
stroke.
 Nibblers must have access to an edge to be used.
 Cutters use round cutting tools similar to mill
cutting tools
› Cutters leave the surface much smoother than
nibblers.
 Cutters made for pipe are sometimes called pipe-
end-prep machines.
 5.3.0 Thermal Joint Preparation
 Thermal joint preparation includes preparing a
joint with the oxyfuel, plasma arc, or carbon arc.
 The carbon arc process is best for gouging seams,
crack, or weld repairs.
 The torch for oxyfuel or plasma cutting can be
hand held or mounted on a motorized carriage.
 5.3.0 Thermal Joint Preparation
 Special equipment is used for cutting pipe.
 A steel ring or special chain with rollers is
attached to the outside of the pipe.
 For large diameter pipe (54” or larger), special
equipment is available.
 The torch mechanism is mounted on the inside or
outside of pipe.
4.3.0 Thermal Joint Preparation
 Summary
 The importance of proper joint preparation
cannot be overemphasized.
 If a joint is not properly prepared, the resulting
weld will not perform as designed.
 It is important to select the proper type of joint
and use proper joint preparation methods to
ensure acceptable welds.
 Welding codes set guidelines that must be
followed during joint preparation.
 Answer review questions 1-15 on pg. 5.21
 Fill in trade terms 1-18 on pg. 5.23