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This page is about how to pass a 3G flux cored arc welding certification. Just like my other welding
certifications I wrote down all of the detail on how to pass this welding certification and took pictures
to illustrate the procedure. This is a very easy welding certification to pass as long as the welding
machine is set right. I literally have not picked up flux cored welding wire since 1996 and it took
about ten minutes of practice before I took this welding certification. If you can Stick and MIG weld,
then flux cored welding should not be a problem for you.
As easy as this test is I did fail it the first time. So this is the second time I am taking this welding
certification. The failure of the first 3G certification was not caused by any weld defects. The weld
held up fine but what happened was the test coupons broke about 1/8 of an inch outside of the weld
area. At the time I was taking the test many other welders were failing their welding certifications for
the same reason. What we all had in common was, when taking our welding certifications our test
coupons were too close to the exhaust vents. Failing a welding certification that costs only $20 was
not a big deal to me, but the fact I had to do it again got me thinking.
When I went home I pulled out my metallurgy book and started looking for an explanation. The most
likely cause for this type of coupon failure seems to be coming from the Heat Affected Zone. I dont
know if what I am about to mention is completely true. Remember I am not a metallurgist or a
welding engineer. I am just a welder and this is just a theory! Since all of the welding certifications
that failed were too close to the vents in the welding booths and none of them broke in the weld
area. I believe that the cause was coming from the test plates cooling too fast. The area where the
test coupons failed is also where the metal is known for forming a coarse grain structure, causing
that area to harden. Since that time, nobody at the school has tested with their test plates to close to
the exhaust vets, and since that change, no one has had this type of coupon failure!
The pictures I am posting are going to be mixed up between the first and the second test. When I did
this certification the first time, I took a lot of pictures showing how to prepare the test coupons, and
how to remove a backing bar. Outside of preparing the test coupons and removing the backing bar
all of the other pictures are from the test I passed.
Position. Vertical
Vertical Progression. Up
Backing. Yes
Back Gouge. No
The root pass was done by building a shelf of weld and moving upward from there. I using a side to
side weave while washing into the sides of the bevel. I did not pause much on the sides. All I did was
use a steady weaving motion and the root came out fine. This specific procedure does not say you
need any restarts so I did not have any. The first picture below is the weld still covered in slag. All I
did to clean the weld is use a wire wheel and the slag came off with ease. The second picture is the
cleaned root pass. After that the root of the weld was inspected because the welding procedure
states:
The root of the weld shall be inspected, and there shall be no evidence of cracks, incomplete fusion,
or inadequate joint penetration. A concave root surface is permitted within the limits shown below,
providing the total weld thickness is equal to or greater than that of the base metal. The maximum
root surface concavity shall be 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) and a maximum melt-through shall be 1/8 in. (3
mm)
Before welding the hot pass I did let the plate cool to the point that I could almost touch it. The hot
pass was done using the same technique as the root pass. All I did was just use a steady side to
side weave with-out pausing too much on the sides. I did the fill in a single pass and had no restarts.
With flux cored welding the wire does most of the work. It is such an easy process to use and takes
very little skill. All I did to clean the slag was use a wire wheel and the weld was cleaned.
and face bend specimens. Using the top and bottom line, mark another line a minimum of 1
inches above the top line, and then 1 inches below the bottom line. The minimum width of a test
specimen needs to be 1 inches wide. Otherwise that test specimen will fail on the spot! After that
they were marked by the welding instructor for a root and face bend followed by me cutting them on
a band saw.
After the backing bar is removed, the face and the root of the weld need to be ground flush to the
base metal. If you grind past the base metal the test will be rejected for excessive material removal.
After grinding down the root and face of the weld, I used a belt sander to round the square corners,
followed by a buffing wheel to polish the weld area.
The bend test went very well on these coupons. If you remember I took this test before and the test
coupons failed before the weld area got a chance to bend all the way. On this test I had two bends
done, a root bend, and a face bend. Below are pictures of the test specimens being bent.
Both coupons were bent and I did not need the alternate. The results were flawless and this is how I
passed the AWD D1.1 FCAW 3G Welding Certification!