How often do you rely on blueprints and other symbols when working on welding projects? I’ve come across many welders that rarely (if ever) use blueprints. Many don’t even know the most basic of welding symbols. Now, that’s not a problem if you don’t intend on making a career out of welding. To work in most industries though, such as the auto industry, you will need to know this information.
Pretend that you’re back in welding school. You’re the lucky pupil sitting in the center of the first row.
Pop quiz!
Wipe the sweat off your brow before the others notice. This should be an easy one.
How familiar are you with standard welding symbols? Look at the chart below and see if you can correctly name each symbol. The answers are posted below. No peeking!
How many could you guess? Let us know!
Answer key:
Groove welding is mostly used for joining edges, though it can also be used for corner joints, T joints, and others. With groove welding, the weld is made in a groove between the two pieces being welded. The chart above represents groove welding symbols, how grooves should be used, and how the weld should be applied. Obviously, there are many types of groove welds.
Square
Basically, this a groove weld with square-shaped edges.
V
The V groove weld is when both of the work pieces are beveled to make the groove.
Bevel
One of the work pieces is beveled, but the other one is square shaped.
U
The work pieces are welded in an inward, circular weld form. This creates a sort of u-shaped weld.
J
Like the U groove, but only one of the work pieces is treated and the other is left square-shaped.
Flare-V
Used for round shapes, like when welding two circle-shaped pieces. The weld is formed by placing the pieces side-by-side and welding from the middle to the top. This results in a “flared” v shape.
Flare-Bevel
Only one of the work pieces is round; the other is usually a flat, sometimes rectangular-shaped piece. The bevel is formed by filling the shape between the two shapes, just like with the Flare-V groove weld.
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the highest score you can get), how’d you do on the “pop quiz?” What steps do you plan on taking to understand welding symbols better?
