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ProperUseofWeldGages|WELDINGANSWERS

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ProperUseofWeldGages
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ntheJanuary2011AWSpublicationofInspectionTrends,AlbertJ.MooreJr.statesthatotherthanthe
measuringtape,thefilletweldgageisthemostusedmeasuringdeviceintheweldinginspectorskit.We
agreewiththisstatement,butarealsoconvincedthatthefilletweldgageisTHEmostunderusedtoolby
peopleresponsibleforqualityandweldingoperations.Inourexperience98%offilletgagesareownedby
CWIsandotherinspectors,yetwelders,supervisorsandproductionmanagersshouldallbeusingthem,as
theyarealwaysconductingweldinginspection.WealsoknowthatotherthanCWIsmostpeoplethatowned
thesegagesusethemimproperly.
Thereareseveralkindsofgagesusedinmeasuringweldsandwelddefectssuchasporosity,undercut,underfill,concavity,etc.Thetwo
mostusedandcertainlyourfavoritesaretheStandardFilletWeldGageandtheAWSGage(AutomaticWeldSizeGage).Beloware
instructionsandgraphicsonhowtouseboth.
StandardFilletWeldGage
ThisFilletWeldGageisonoftheeasiesttouseanditishelpfultocheckforfilletsizeandconcavity.Wealwayswantourweldstobeflat
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toslightlyconvex.Thisgagewillletyouknowifyourweldisconcave.

Aweldfilletgagesetwilltypicallyinclude7ormorepiecessimilartothisone.

Exampleofproperlysized1/2filletweld

Theillustrationsaboveshowyouhowtotesta1/2fillet.Slidethegageandhavethetopendrestagainsttheverticalpiece.Thisend
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shouldbeexactlyatthetopedgeoftheweldtobea1/2fillet.Ifthereisspacebetweenthegageandthetoeoftheweldthentheweldis
undersized.Thebottomedgeofthefillethasmoreroom.Thisistoallowforalargerlegsize.Thisissometimesusefulwithbigfillet
weldsweregravitywilltendtomakethebottomleglarger.Theverticallinewillshowwherethebottomtoeshouldbe.

Oncewehavedeterminedthatourweldisproperlysizedat1/2wetestforconcavity/convexity.Asageneralruleofthumbfilletwelds
shouldneverbeconcave.Theprotrusioninthemiddleofthegageshouldmakecontactwiththeweldthisverifiesthattheweldisnot
concave.Ifthereisdaylightbetweenthefaceoftheweldandthisendofthegagethenourweldisconcaveandnolongeranacceptable
1/2fillet.
Belowareexamplesofweldsthatweresupposedtobe1/2butendedupbeingundersizedandconvex.

Filletweldwassupposedtobe1/2butfilletgage
showsitisundersized

Thisweldmayhavemeasuredat1/2buthasaconcave
facemakingitanunacceptable1/2fillet

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AWSGage
ThisgageismoreversatilethantheStandardFilletGage.Belowisallitcanmeasure:
1.Sizeofafilletweldplacegageagainstthetoeoftheweldandslidethepointerdowntowardsthebottompieceofthestructure
beingwelded.Thesizeofthefilletweldwillbeindicatedbythegage.

Measuringafilletweld

2.PermissibletoleranceofconvexityUsingtheendofthegagethathasthe45degreeanglesidesbringthegageuntilittouchesboth
piecesbeingwelded.Onceagain,slidethepointerdown,thistimeuntilittouchesthefaceoftheweld.Thegagewillindicateifthereistoo
muchreinforcement.

Checkingforaflatfaceand/ormeasuringamountof
reinforcement(convexity)onafilletweld

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3.PermissibletoleranceofconcavityandunderfillDoingthesameaswhencheckingforpermissibleconvexitythegagewillindicateif
thereisaconcaveweld.

Measuringunderfill/concavityonafilletweld

4.PermissibletoleranceofreinforcementButtweldwillsometimeshaveaspecifiedmaximumreinforcementallowed.Placingthegage
asshownaboveyouwillbeabletomeasurereinforcementonabuttweld.

Measuringreinforcementongroovebuttweld

Thereareothergagesthatcanalsomeasureundercut,misalignment,amountofporosity,andangleofpreparation.
Doyouhaveapreferredgage?Ifnot,areyouconsideringoneoftheaboveorsomeotherone?
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Category:TestingandInspection

PostedonSunday,September21,2014

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PostComment

10thoughtsonProperUseofWeldGages
JeffLanesays:
February21,2015at6:03pm

Reply

Thisisveryhelpful.Thankyou

Raymonsays:
May17,2015at5:06pm

Reply

EveryonepublishesthefourfunctionsoftheAWSgageandhowtheyareused.Howaboutsomeactualmeasurements(pictures)
thatyoucanreadthedimensionalsizeandadescriptionofeachfunction?(showandtellofeachfunction).

TheWeldingGuyssays:
July4,2015at4:03pm

Reply

ThanksforyourcommentRaymon.Wewilltrytoupdatethispostsoontoincludepicturesasyousuggested.Thanksfor
thefeedback.

HenryArturosays:
August3,2015at7:45am

Reply

Thankyouforthissimple,yetinformativearticle.

OswaldTinkersays:
August19,2015at3:12pm

Reply

Verygood!!!ForyournextprojectcouldyoudemonstratehowtousetheCamtypeweldinggauge.

Andrewsays:
October11,2015at2:15am
http://weldinganswers.com/properuseofweldgages/

Reply

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YourinstructionsarethebestandtheclearestthatIhaveseen.DoyouhaveinstructionsforaWeldFilletGauge?Thankyou

Samuelsays:
January23,2016at12:16pm

Reply

Itisveryhelpfulandajobwelldone.Thanks.
Adejuyigbe.

TheWeldingGuyssays:
March25,2016at6:20pm

Reply

ThanksSamuel.Wearegladyouenjoyedthearticle.

MaggieAllensays:
April22,2016at2:28pm

Reply

Thanksforsharinginfoonthesetwotypesofweldinggages.ItissocoolthattheAWScanactuallydeterminewhetherthelevelof
concavityandconvexityisalright.Insteadofjustdeterminingwhethertherearesignsofit,youcanseethelevelsonamuchmore
specificscale.Dothesemorespecificmeasurementsallowformorepiecesofmetaltopassinspections?

TheWeldingGuyssays:
April22,2016at3:30pm

Reply

HelloMaggie,thereareseveralotherweldgaugesavailable.Somearebettersuitedtospecificapplications.Testingthe
concavity/convexityofafilletweldisveryimportant.Aconcaveweldmayfailtohaveadequatethroatsize.Aconvexweld
mayexceedtheamountofreinforcementallowedpercode.Typicallythemaximumconvexitydependsonthewidthofthe
weld.
Wegenerallydonotseeweldgaugesthatgiveavaluefortheconvexityofaweld.Whatweseearego/nogogauges.These
aregreatsincetheyarespecifictoacertainfilletweldsize.Doyouhaveaspecificgaugeyouuseforthisvalue?

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