Pass the 3G MIG Welding Certification Test [VIDEO]

If you had the opportunity to pass the 3G MIG certification test in less time than it usually takes, would you take it? Great (I’m assuming there was a silent “Yes!” on your part). Let’s put aside taking the test, because first we need to tackle what material the test actually covers.

For welders interested in manufacturing or fabrication, the 3G MIG welding certification test is one of the most required certifications to have. Earning this certification enables you to weld flat, horizontal, vertical, 1G – 3G, or 1F – 3F positions.

To become qualified to weld in flat, horizontal and vertical positions, you should try to pass the American Welding Society (AWS) D1.1 3G GMAW welding certification test. The people behind GoWelding.org have put together a great guide that details what it takes to pass the 3G MIG welding certification test.

For those of you that need a visual aid, the welding experts over at WeldingTipsandTricks.com are back with a helpful welding video on 3G MIG welding certification. If you want to follow along, grab the materials listed on the side and pay close attention.

*Partial transcript below of the first 5 minutes of the video

Materials used for this video:

• Portable welding table
• Oxyacetylene cart
• Welding Machine
• 3-quarter unbeveled plates
• Beveled plates

CUTTING

Now last week’s video, I did a little setup/shutdown procedure using an oxy-fuel torch and somebody commented and talked about using a straightedge to cut on straight cuts, and so I thought “Well, I don’t hardly ever do that but I might as well kind of play with that a little bit.”

So I’ve got a piece of 1 in. 1/2 square tubing here and I’m taking some dry runs to see how smoothly I can drag it along that thing and it jitters a little bit but we’ll see what happens here. It works better I think if you can take a few dry runs, preheat and then it also burns some of that mill scale off.

Now the 1 in. 1/2 tubing here just so happens to rest on that collar nut. It’s kind of a tight gap; the cones are actually touching the metal kind of tighter than I usually cut, but it works ok.

WELDING

I’ve got some 3/4 inch bar stock lying around and just gaping it and doing an outside corner joint like this – it’s surprising how good a practice it is because I use exactly the same settings with this joint with no bevel. Just set it up at a 90 with 1/8 gap as I did for the plates you see laying on the table that I cut for practice that have a 37 1/2 groove bevel. So, let me show you the root pass on this one.

I’m staying on the front edge of the puddle – that’s very important when you’re doing a butt root pass on a plate test. You’ve got to stay right up there on the front. If you get too far you’ll shoot wire through; if you stay too far back you won’t penetrate. So you’ve got to stay kind of on the ragged edge.

I’m using 19 volts and about 245 inches per minute (ipm) of wire feed speed. I’m wiggling just a little bit side to side, trying to keep a pretty short stick out and keep my gun angle consistent as I go down.

Let us know what your experience has been trying to get your 3G MIG welding certification.