of pipe as previously directed.

The root pass is welded weld in order to secure complete penetration on the in-
with a 18-inch electrode and a current setting of 90 to 125 side of the pipe, Fig. 16-60. Proper bead formation inside
amperes. The vertical-up and vertical-down directions of the pipe ensures maximum strength and the inside of the
welding should be practiced. Restarting the weld bead pipe is smooth to permit the free flow of materials. Clean
after a stop may cause you some trouble. Practice the pro- the weld thoroughly.
cedure outlined on page503-504.
Root Pass: Vertical-Down Method Start at about the 12 oclock
Root Pass: Vertical-Up Method Start just below the 2oclock point and weld downhill to just below the 2 oclock point.
point and weld uphill to the 12 oclock point. Make sure Rotate the pipe counterclockwise so that the crater of the
that you are getting penetration through the back side of previous weld is at the 12 oclock point. After making sure
the pipe. The back side and face side of the bead should that the crater is clean, restart the weld bead and weld
be flat (without undercut or excessive buildup) and show downhill to the 2 oclock point. Make sure that the slag
uniform fusion without undercut. does not run ahead of the weld and prevent fusion. Check
Rotate the pipe clockwise so that the weld crater at the the weld for the characteristics described for the vertical-
end of the completed weld bead is just below the 2 oclock up method. Clean the weld thoroughly.
point. After making sure that the crater is clean, restart
Filler and Cover Passes The direction of welding and rota-
the weld bead and weld uphill to the 12 oclock point.
tion of the pipe are the same as for the root pass. Filler and
Figure 16-59 shows the pass sequence on butt joint V
cover passes, however, may be made with 532-inch E6010
groove-welded pipe. There is a hole formation at the tip
electrodes or 18-inch E7018 for vertical-up technique and a
of the root pass. This is referred to as the keyhole. If
current setting of 120 to 160 amperes. All passes must be
the keyhole is allowed to get too big, it will cause inter-
cleaned thoroughly before proceeding with the next pass.
nal undercut or excessive melt-through. The size of the
Each pass must fuse and penetrate the underneath pass
keyhole is affected by the amount of current, electrode
and the side walls of the pipe. Make sure that the pool fills
angle, and electrode pressure. Excessive current must be
up at each side of the weld and does not leave an under-
avoided. It is necessary to achieve this formation as you
cut. Travel must be rapid enough to avoid an excessively
convex contour. Every effort should be made to produce
welds with a flat face.
Inspection and Testing After the weld has been completed,
clean it by brushing. Inspect the weld for the characteris-
tics listed in Inspection, Job 14-J36, page 410. Compare
the weld appearance with Figs. 16-59 and 16-60 and note
any defects in your weld.

Fig. 16-59 Vertical V-groove butt joint weld in pipe welded in Fig. 16-60 Root penetration on the inside of the pipe. Note
the horizontal rolled position (1G) (travel up). Note the s equence of that there is complete fusion and penetration without excess
passes. melt-through.

Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe) Chapter 16501
 Continue to practice this joint until you can consis-
tently produce sound welds of good appearance with both
E6010 and E7018 electrodes. When you feel that you have
mastered the welding of this joint in the 1G position, cut
two test coupons. Remove the test coupons as instructed
in Fig. 16-37, page 488, and subject them to face- and
root-bend, nick-break, and tensile tests, as described in
Chapter 28, pages 922-926. Examine the bended coupons
carefully for signs of lack of fusion and slag inclusions. Travel Angle

Apply acceptance criteria for all tests. 30

Horizontal Butt Joint V-Groove Weld ON Pipe Axis IN 10

THE Fixed Vertical Position (2G): Jobs 16-J3 AND J4 Work Angle
Before proceeding with Jobs 16-J3 and J4, review the
procedures and photographs for Job 15-J51, page 444.
Prepare the two pieces of pipe for welding as shown
in Fig. 16-61. Set up the joint and tack it as previously
instructed. Fig. 16-62 Angle of the electrode for a horizontal groove weld in
pipe in the vertical fixed (2G) position.
Root Pass The root pass is made with a 18-inch E6010
electrode and a current setting of 80 to 110 amperes. You used. The remaining intermediate passes should be made
may use 532-inch electrodes if you can handle this size. with 18-inch E7018 or 532-inch electrodes at 120 to 160 am-
Insert the electrode well into the bottom of the groove. peres. In making these passes, be sure that complete fu-
Direct the arc toward the top and bottom bevel of the joint sion is obtained with the underneath passes and the wall
at the same time in order to obtain fusion. Manipulate the of the pipe. The second pass must be fused with the root
electrode with a slight circular or back-and-forth motion pass and the lower pipe bevel. The third pass is placed
and play most of the heat on the upper bevel. The work immediately above the second pass and must be fused to
angle of electrode should vary from 5 to 15 from the the second pass, the root pass, and the upper pipe bevel.
horizontal and lean from 30 to 45 travel angle in the di- Each layer is started at the lower side of the groove and
rection of welding, Fig. 16-62. Control the pool by mak- built upward.
ing small changes in the electrode angle as you proceed If the travel is too slow or the heat setting too low, poor
around the pipe. fusion and excessive buildup will occur. If the travel is
As the weld progresses, inspect the root pass for signs too fast or the current is too high, poor bead formation
of not enough penetration, too much penetration, under- and undercut are likely to occur. Care must be taken to
cut, and poor fusion. If you observe any of these faults, eliminate deep valleys along the edges of each bead as it
check the speed of travel, the angle of the electrode, the is applied. Valleys are caused by convexity in the center
heat setting, the arc gap, and the welding technique. or poor fillup along the edges of the weld. They are hard
A procedure may call for a hot to clean and increase the chances of trapping slag. Careful
pass to be run as the second pass. cleaning is essential.
This is needed if the root pass
Cover Pass The final layer should be practiced with both
is small or if it has a number of
the stringer bead technique and the weave bead technique
minor defects in the face of the
required for Job 13-J24, page 382. Procedure qualifica-
weld. The hot pass will cause
tions differ.
60 more metal to be deposited in
When practicing stringer beads, be sure to start each
the groove and will eliminate the
3/32
bead in a slightly different area around the pipe so that
defects.
you do not start and end each bead in the same location.
Filler PassesMake intermediate Weld with a 18-inch E7018 or 532-inch E6010 electrode
passes like those in Job 15-J54, and a current setting of 120 to 160 amperes. Undercut is a
page 450. The second and third problem along the weld edges, especially along the edges
Fig. 16-61 Joint pre passes are usually made with a of the first and last stringer bead. This can be overcome
paration in the vertical
1
8-inch E6010 or E7018 electrode, by careful attention to the speed of travel and current
fixed (2G) position. although a 532-inch size may be adjustment.

502Chapter 16Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe)
 In practicing the weave bead technique, be sure to pause inside the pipe, the weld will
at the top of the weave in order to prevent undercut. Sag fail in service and also when
is also a problem and can be prevented by weaving at an subjected to the root-bend
angle and a rapid advance toward the bottom of the weave. test. Too much buildup on the 1/16
inside will restrict the flow of
Inspection and Testing After the weld has been completed,
materials inside the pipe and Fig. 16-65 Proper con-
clean and inspect it as instructed for Jobs 16-J1 and J2.
may also cause failure of root- tour of the root pass.
Compare it with Figs. 16-63 and 16-64. After you have
bend specimens under test.
made a number of these welds with both E6010 and E7018
The root pass should be
and they seem satisfactory on visual inspection, cut some
made with a 18-inch E6010 2
test coupons and subject them to applicable testing.
electrode and a current setting
Butt Joint V-Groove Weld ON Pipe Axis in the Fixed of 80 to 110 amperes. Gener-
Horizontal Position (5G) (Bell-Hole) (Travel-Up): Job ally, best results are obtained
16-J5 Two welding procedures are used to weld pipe in by using currents on the low
the fixed horizontal position (5G). On power piping the side of the range.
1
usual method is to start the weld at the bottom and prog- The root pass should never
ress upward. For cross-country pipeline work, the weld be started at the absolute bot-
is started at the top, and progress is downhill. You will tom of the pipe since this is Start here

be required to learn both procedures. Before proceeding the location from which one
with Jobs 16-J5 and J6, review the procedures and pho- of the test coupons is taken, Fig. 16-66 Starting point
for the first pass in pipe in
tographs for Jobs 15-J43 (p. 429), 15-J48 (p. 439), and and the possibility of failure the horizontal fixed (2G) po-
15-J55 (p. 452). Prepare the two pieces of pipe as shown in is increased. Start the root sition (note the sequence).
Fig. 16-58. Set up and tack the joint as previously instructed. pass at either the 5 oclock or
7 oclock position and proceed across the bottom to the top
Root Pass Practice welding from the bottom to the top. The of the pipe joint, Fig. 16-66. Never stop at the top center
root pass is the most important weld that must be made in of the pipe since this is another test location. Stop either at
completing this joint. Fusion must be complete on both the 1 or the 11 oclock position. Take care in welding over
pipe sections, and penetration must be through the inside the tack welds in the joint. They must be completely fused
of the pipe, Fig. 16-65. If there is insufficient buildup and become a part of the weld bead. Chip out and grind
any unsound or large tacks before welding the
root pass. As you carry the pass around the pipe,
a small hole (keyhole) of about 316 inch in diame-
ter should precede the weld pool, Figs. 16-67 and
16-68, page 504. Make sure the hole is not too
large. The hole at the root of the joint is caused by
the complete melting down of the root face. It can
be maintained by the use of a circular movement
of the electrode tip or by moving back and forth
Fig. 16-63 Root penetration on the inside of a pipe welded in the vertical in a straight line. The angle of electrode should
fixed (2G) position. be about a 10 push travel angle in the direction
of travel as shown in Fig.16-69, page 504.
Changing ElectrodesYou will probably have
some trouble at first with restarting after a
stop to change electrodes. The bead inside the
pipe will have a crater or depression at the end
which is lower than the inside wall of the pipe
and lower than the bead already laid at the point
where the new weld must join the weld just
completed. This can cause a future failure in
Fig. 16-64 Cover passes on pipe welded in the vertical fixed (2G) position the pipeline when it is in service and certainly
with stringer bead technique. will cause failure of the root- and side-bend test

Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe) Chapter 16503
 Travel

1/4 Dia.
3/16 Dia.
Electrode
3/8

10
Travel of Electrode

Fig. 16-67 Method of applying the root pass. Fig. 16-69 Angle of the elec-
trode for pipe in the horizontal
fixed [5G (uphill)] position.

Fig. 16-70 The keyhole at

the front edge of the weld pool
is enlarged before breaking the
arc at the finish of the electrode.

3.As you reach the hole at

the end of the previously
laid weld bead, insert
the tip of the electrode
3/4
clear through the hole
into the pipe and incline
the electrode at an angle
of 45 in the direc-
tion of travel. Maintain
this position only long
enough to deposit new
weld metal on the end
Fig. 16-68 Back side of the root pass welded in the horizontal New electrode of the previous weld
fixed [5G (uphill)] position. Note the keyhole formation. starts here. bead on the inside of the
pipe, Fig. 16-72. Resume
Fig. 16-71 Method for start- the normal electrode
specimens. The following precautions are necessary to ing the new electrode at the
position and proceed as
make a smooth, uninterrupted bead on the inside wall of end of the previous weld bead.
before.
the pipe at a start-and-stop point: 4. Inspect the back side of the completed root pass
1. When an electrode is used up, enlarge the hole (key- carefully. It should be no more than 116 inch higher
hole) preceding the weld pool to 14inch in diameter than the inside wall of the pipe, and it should have
before breaking the arc, Fig. 16-70. good fusion along the edges of the weld. There
2. In restarting the weld bead with a new electrode, should be no evidence of icicles, grapes (globular
strike the arc 12 to 1 inch back on the previous deposits of metal), excess melt-through, or undercut
weld and run slowly up to the end of the weld. This inside the pipe. The face of the pass should be fairly
heats the weld metal and the base metal enough to flat with smooth, even ripples, and there should be
ensure a hot and fluid start, Fig. 16-71. no undercut along the weld edges.

504Chapter 16Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe)
 undercutting by hesitating at the sides of the weld as you
weave. There is also the tendency to widen the pass as
you proceed with the weld. The weld bead should ex-
tend about 116 to 18 inch beyond the edge of the groove on
each side. The face of the weld should have an oval shape
with the bead no higher than 116 inch above the surface of
the pipe at the center of the weld. The edges of the weld
should flow smoothly into the surface of the pipe. Note
the even width and close ripples of the bead shown in
Preceding
Deposit
Fig. 16-73.
Inspection and Testing After you have completed this weld,
use the visual inspection procedures described previously.
The weld should look like that shown in Fig. 16-74. After
you have made a number of these joints that are visually
satisfactory, cut a few test coupons from the joint and sub-
ject them to the usual tests.
45

Butt Joint V-Groove Weld on Pipe Axis in the H

orizontal
Fixed Position (Travel-Down) (5G): Job 16-J6 This job
Fig. 16-72 The method used in restarting the weld. Weld metal is involves practice on the same pipe joint as in Job 16-J5,
deposited at the end of the previous weld on the inside of the pipe. but welding is from the top to the bottom. Vertical-down
welding is a cross-country pipeline technique. (Study the
photographs of the rolling groove weld made in Job 16-J2,
Filler Pass Beforemaking the next pass, clean the face of
page 500.)
the root pass carefully. Chip off any high spots or weld
spatter, and chip out any holes or depressions along the Root Pass Here again you are cautioned to take extra pre-
edges of the weld. Start the second bead in the same gen- caution in making the root pass. Always keep in mind that
eral area as the first bead, but try to avoid the exact start- the root pass is the basis for success or failure in making
ing point. Start on the opposite side of the joint or just
ahead of or in back of the previous starting point.
The single filler or intermediate pass is applied with
a weaving technique using a 18-inch E7018 or a 532-inch
E6010 electrode and a current setting of 120 to 160
amperes.
The current should be hot enough to ensure complete
fusion with the face of the root pass and both beveled
faces of the pipe. You should watch for any tendency to
undercut or to trap slag in the weld. If either defect is not
remedied, it can become the cause of failure of the weld
joint when in service. Avoid piling up the weld metal. The
face of the weld bead should be flat, and the bead should
not be thicker than 18 inch. In joining the bead from one
side to that deposited from the other side of the pipe, be
sure to fill the crater by moving backward over the fin-
ished bead for a short distance.
Cover Pass The third or cover pass is made with a 18-inch
E7018 or a 532-inch E6010 electrode and a current set-
ting of 120 to 160 amperes. Be sure to clean the preced-
ing weld and chip off spatter and excess weld metal. The
cover pass is also a weave pass, and the welding tech- Fig. 16-73 Cover pass on pipe welded in the bell-hole
nique is similar to that used for the second pass. Avoid (horizontal fixed) (5G) position.

Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe) Chapter 16505
 To secure adequate penetration on the inside of the
pipe, it is necessary to maintain a small visible keyhole at
all times. If the hole becomes too large, it will cause inter-
nal excess melt-through, sag, or undercut. Make sure that
enough heat is applied against the cold bevel of the pipe to
ensure good fusion.
The speed of travel is faster than that used in weld-
ing uphill, and it changes from time to time, depending
upon the joint condition and weld formation. You can also
maintain control of the weld pool by varying the speed of
travel, electrode angle, and electrode movement. After the
root pass is completed on one side of the pipe, weld the
other side in the same manner. Be sure to overlap the weld
on the other side about 12 inch at the top and bottom.
One method of determining whether or not there is
complete penetration is to listen to the sound of the arc.
A sound somewhat like compressed air being released in-
side the pipe may be heard when penetration is complete.
Insufficient penetration or lack of fusion may be caused
by an excessive root face, a root opening that is not wide
Fig. 16-74 Root penetration on the inside of a pipe welded with enough, or too low a welding current. In this event current
the vertical-down technique. settings will have to be increased.
Excess root face, insufficient root opening, or low weld-
ing current can result in lack of penetration through the
a test weld. It is also the basis of a sound weld. The root root of the joint. Other defects that can occur are lack of
pass should be made with a 532-inch E6010 electrode and fusion between weld and base metal, excess melt-through,
a current setting of not more than 200 amperes nor less and globular deposits (grapes) on the inside of the pipe.
than 150 amperes. Burning away the side walls of the groove results in
Correct joint preparation is important. Internal un- undercut. External undercut along the edges of the weld
dercut will occur if the root face is too small, the root bead is called wagon tracks. Undercut can also occur on
opening is too large, or a severe high and low condition of the inside of the pipe. Internal undercut can be repaired
the pipe ends exists. Refer to Table 16-3, page 478. Joint only from inside the pipe which is either nearly impossible
preparation determines the welding heat. A small root or a costly procedure.
face and large root opening require a low heat setting. A If a tendency to undercut is observed while welding, it
large root face and minimum root opening require a high can be overcome by tilting the electrode just a few degrees
heat setting. toward the undercut side. Excess melt-through, metal de-
Start the pass at the 11 oclock or 1 oclock position. posits on the inside of the pipe, and external and inter-
Weld across the top of the pipe and downward past the nal undercut are usually caused by too high a current, too
6 oclock position to the 7 oclock or 5 oclock position, wide a root opening, or too little root face. Holes and slag
depending upon the side you are welding from. Make the pockets are common faults that can be avoided only by
stringer bead with a drag technique. Rest the electrode the correct heat setting and complete control of electrode
coating on the bevel as you drag the electrode downhill manipulation. When inspecting the root pass, look for the
around the pipe. Sufficient pressure should be applied to same satisfactory characteristics discussed previously and
the electrode to force the arc to the inside of the pipe. refer to Fig. 16-74.
When observing a welder using this technique, it is com-
mon to see the electrode actually bowing as a result of the Hot Pass Be sure to remove all slag before making the hot
pressure being applied to it. pass (second pass). Undercut along the edges of the root
The electrode angle should be about 30 to 45 from the pass makes slag removal difficult. An old power hacksaw
horizontal center line (drag travel angle), and it must vary blade, taped on one end to serve as a handle, is a good
little as you travel around the pipe. Maintain a close arc cleaning tool. The bead should be thoroughly brushed,
but be careful that you do not push the electrode through preferably with a power brush. Any surface defects or ex-
the back side of the pipe. cessive spatter should be removed by chipping or grinding.

506Chapter 16Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe)
 The second pass not only helps to fill up the groove, the concave portions of the weld flush with the stripper
but it also reinforces the root pass. The hot pass is welded passes. Concavity usually occurs in the 2 to 4 oclock and 8
with a current setting similar to that used for the root pass: to 10 oclock positions on the pipe.
about 160 to 190 amperes. Make the second pass with a The cover pass is made with a 532-inch electrode and
5
32-inch electrode or a 316-inch electrode if you can han- a current setting of 130 to 160 amperes. A 316-inch elec-
dle the larger size. The hot pass should be started within trode may be used with a heat setting of about 160 to
5 minutes of the completion of the root pass. 180 amperes. Be sure to start and stop in an area outside
Welding should start at the top of the joint outside the of the starting and stopping points of the previous weld
area of the previous starting point, proceed downhill, and bead. A weave motion with some hesitation at each side
stop at the bottom outside the area of the previous stop- is used to prevent undercut. Take great care and main-
ping point. tain the same electrode angle, arc gap, and speed of travel
The angle of the electrode should be about 30 to 45 practiced previously. The finished weld should be from 132
down (drag travel angle) from the horizontal position. to 116 inch higher than the pipe wall and should overlap
A slight electrode movement is necessary, e specially in the groove by 116 to 18 inch on each side. Better stress dis-
the 4 to 8 oclock sections of the pipe. A close arc gap, tribution is obtained by keeping the cover pass as flat and
uniform speed of travel, and a steady electrode angle are narrow as possible. A narrow bead is also less susceptible
extremely important. Failure to do so causes holes and to surface porosity. If the bead is wider than 34 inch, use
permits the slag to run ahead and extinguish the arc. two weave beads around the pipe.
The hot pass must be applied with enough heat to en-
Inspection and TestingAfter you have completed this
sure good penetration into the root pass. This is necessary
to burn out wagon tracks and to float any remaining slag weld, use the visual inspection procedures described
to the surface. Too fast a rate of travel results in surface previously. The root pass should look like that shown in
pinholes. Fig. 16-74, and the cover pass should look like that in
Make sure that the weld is started and finished away Fig. 16-73. After you have made a number of these joints
from previous starting and stopping points and outside the and they are visually satisfactory, cut a few test coupons
area from which the test coupons are going to be cut. from the joint and subject them to the usual face- and
root-bend tests.
Stripper Pass Welds made with the downhill welding tech-
nique may be thin at the 2 to 4 oclock and the 8 to 10
Butt Joint V-Groove Weld on Pipe Axis with Backing in
oclock positions. A weld pass known as a stripper pass is
the 45 from Horizontal Fixed Position (6G) (Arkansas
used to build these sections up to the same height as the
Bell-Hole) (Travel Up): Job Qualification Test 1 This is
rest of the weld bead. Use a welding technique similar to
that used in making the hot pass and a slightly longer arc. a popular test position since the welder who can qualify
in this position will generally be qualified in all positions
Filler Passes Since the beads applied when welding down- and on groove and fillet welds on plate or pipe. This is
hill are thinner than beads welded in the v ertical-up direc- a versatile test that can qualify the welder for many job
tion, additional passes are necessary to complete the pipe applications. The applicable code should be consulted to
joint. The tendency for these beads to be concave in the see what the actual limits are with the 6G test, Fig.16-75,
center may cause problems for the other passes. This can page 508, detail B. See AWS WPS ANSI/AWS B2.1-1-208
be overcome by reducing the heat used, by slowing the for additional information. The techniques used for the 6G
rate of travel, or by a slower weave motion. position are a combination of the 2G and 5G techniques.
The filler passes should be made with a 316-inch elec- Fit the joint with the appropriate backing ring. Tack in
trode and a current setting of 170 to 210 amperes. Pay place, and remove root opening spacer nubs.
close attention to the angle of the electrode and the length
of the arc gap. Use a slight side-to-side weave and make Root Pass Practice welding from the bottom to the top
sure that the weld deposit fills the groove and fuses into using a combination of the fill and cover pass techniques
the side walls. Improper electrode manipulation or too used on Jobs 16-J3 and J5. Since this joint has a backing
high a rate of travel can cause porosity, undercut, and a ring in place, the first pass is more like a fill pass than a
concave face. Travel that is too slow causes the weld de- root pass on an open root butt joint. Use E7018 electrodes
posit to pile up and run ahead of the slag. for all passes, 332-inch diameter at 70 to 110 amperes or
1
8-inch diameter at 90 to 150amperes. The root pass should
Cover Pass This pass is also referred to as a cap pass. B
efore fuse the edges of both pipes to the backing ring. Clean the
applying the cover pass, it is sometimes necessary to make crater area before restarting the next bead. Begin the next

Pipe Welding and Shielded Metal Arc Welding Practice: Jobs 16-J1J17 (Pipe) Chapter 16507