Welding Tips and Tricks

i recently completed a 45 hour welding course, at the end of which i tested 3G stick.
failed!
i wrote the senior instructor to see if i could pay a fee and re test.
seems like i read somewhere that cert tests could be givin at "accredited" schools ( with or without the individual being directly involved in that school or company) as long as there were qualified inspectors( or access to )available and since i was allowed to take the test in the first place also seems they must BE qualified and/or have access.
maybe there is a time limit/requirement? no mention of that.
they also happen to be on the AWS national list of schools.
this is what the instructor wrote back...

"Michael, the only way you can re-do the SMAW certification test is to take the class again. I was the one who bent your test samples. The face, which the side you welded one looked really good. No holes or voids what so ever. The root or penetration side had lack of fusion on both sides of the weld joint. Either your work angle was off or you could have turned your amps up a little more.
Sorry you didn't pass but it looks like you're close and on the right track."

kinda bummed out about it.
on the bright side, this 45 hour course was just to get my feet wet.
only that i was hoping for wet feet and a cert in my pocket
now i'm enrolled at the local community college for welding, starting in january.
ive only been welding 2 years and i was bound to hit a few bumps in the road.
onward and upward!

sorry no pics. cover pass looked good!
WW aka michael

I can't speak to the policies at any school other than my own, but the probable reason that your root bend failed is neither of the things that the instructor said. The most likely reason is that you didn't hold the edges long enough. You should pause on both edges of your motion. The second most likely reason would be slag inclusions on the toes of your root pass. In most cases pausing at the edges takes care of both of these problems.

i do remember the root pass. it was a little irregular. as in, not as smooth looking of a bead as my other passes.
seemed like i had trouble keeping my pattern consistent. i had hoped that the hot pass would burn through enough to take care of it.

Your instructor is full of it.

You can take this test at any testing facility/school under any properly qualified examiner at any time, if you have the fee.

That said, any job you go to that requires you to be qualified in this weld WILL test you on site, regardless of the certs you carry.

Steve "taken more tests than I care to remember" S

If this school is an AWS accredited testing facility then you should be able to pay the fee and take the test. If they are not set up that way it may be a liability issue. For instance I was going to let a former student who graduated from my school come back a few days to brush up before taking a test for a company he was wanting to work for. That was a no-go because he would not be covered by the schools insurance since he was not enrolled.

It is good to practice and know if your welds would pass but most companies are going to give you their own test.

lazerbeam wrote: I was going to let a former student who graduated from my school come back a few days to brush up before taking a test for a company he was wanting to work for. That was a no-go because he would not be covered by the schools insurance since he was not enrolled.

That may be why your "instructor" said to take the course again... Liability issues.

Joe Blow, who's only welded daddy's tractor with 6013 can schedule a test at a testing facility, though.

I would ask why, though. Go apply for the job, and take the test they give you.

I have a pocket full of certs that never once excused me from having to test on site for the job.

(That's not entirely true, but that's a long story.)

Steve S

winston; failing that test may seem like the end of the world now but in future there will be many tests on many jobs. use this as a learning experience and move on. you can re-test at an accredited aws test lab without taking any kind of prep class. that said you may want to brush up on your technique before you break the bank paying for another test. for argument's sake you do in fact pass and get your license/cert most any reputable company will look at that cert and make you test anyway to whatever spec their working to.

i really appreciate you guys for weighing in on this topic.

i knew from reading various posts on this forum plus asking questions that when getting a job, one has to certify again according to the prospective employers standards, so any certification/s gained before doesn't automatically apply and most likely WILL not.
however, had i passed or been givin the chance to retest this time, it could have been an edge to get a little crap starter welding job to gain skills while getting paid.
i hear ya about the liability, but it sounds like the situation you describe was going to be an individual not only not attending class, but not a "paying customer" (cert test) either and therefore not considered in any insurance policy.
i know ill look back on this and its not gona be a big deal. im going to keep welding and learning ... only, i felt it worth it to attempt to get a retest and was willing to pay for it.


michael

jwmacawful youre absolutely right... "you may want to brush up on your technique before you break the bank paying for another test"
i thought of this a little earlier..
i was so eager to get a shot at the retake but im honestly not ready to, at this point. its a crap shoot even at 50/50 chance i think ill keep practicing and test again later.
im moving on and it has been a learning experience.
thanks again guys!

michael