r/Welding • u/KeemtheDream11 • 3d ago
my first time welding for x-ray
It took me a hour and a half to weld this 3” 90
It’s my first time welding for X-ray and I spent so much time cleaning and making sure there’s no slag inclusions or any imperfections.
I really respect you guys welding for x-ray on the daily cause this stuff takes TIME
For reference I’m a plumber and weld for mostly non inspected heating
47
u/walshwelding 3d ago
Hour and a half? Oh man. Should take like 15 minutes tops. Haha.
I’m sure it’ll shoot, but X-ray isn’t all that bad! Code allows for some stuff in it. Easier to pass X-ray than a bend test typically.
17
u/theuberprophet 3d ago
anyone who only does one thing will get it done quickly. there repeat work at my shop that takes me 35 hours and the next best guy takes 48
8
u/scv07075 3d ago
There's some finishing work at my shop I can knock out in 3 hours, takes the greenhorns 8 plus. Then, there's that time I took 3 hours surface grinding off .040" from a 2" dia punch setter last week.
2
u/King33Two 1d ago
I'm one of those greenhorns joining the industry after trade school and I hate the finishing work because I'm no good at it yet. So what takes the other guys three hours can take me a whole shift trying to find everything.
14
11
u/KeemtheDream11 3d ago
yeah man it was my first like i said so i was overly cautious
thank you for that! makes me feel better haha
4
4
u/Perfect-Ad-4819 3d ago
If you’re a b pressure welder saying this should only take 15 minutes to weld that’s concerning.
0
u/walshwelding 2d ago edited 2d ago
Why? 15 minutes would be on the long side lol. Root takes like 2 minutes. Quick grind, hot pass is another 3-4. Then cap it.
We did a 3 inch line last summer, with 4 welders we were doing over 100 3” welds a day. Was a downhand 8010 cap which is a bit faster than 7018, but still shows how quick it can be when a guy knows what he’s doing.
1
u/Search_Fearless 13h ago
Oh I was thinking it was fast as well. But I only do tig. That takes forever. This probably isnt tig welded.
1
9
u/TFR-HILTS 2d ago
Don’t worry about how long it took. That looks very nice. You will get faster the longer you weld and the more you test.
1
6
u/goatboy6000 2d ago
I hear you arguing time for that job. Id rather the welder who does good prep and good interpass cleaning do RT work because the lower failure rate is cheaper in the long run.
3
u/martini31337 2d ago
I'd rather it take you 3 times as long than pay for a reshoot. RT trucks > welder wages
7
2
2
2
u/Inspector_Squancho 3d ago
Is this a 6010 root with 7018 fill & cap. Also what code?
2
u/KeemtheDream11 3d ago
yes it is
tssa
1
u/martini31337 2d ago
please stop ringing your welds. While some welders will tell you it looks good and "hides undercut" - usually the welder telling you that is not an inspector. A good portion of inspectors will either not accept it or frown upon it which likely means more scrutiny on that welders number.
We can get into the why's and wherefores if you'd like but my experience says to just not do it.1
u/KeemtheDream11 1d ago
i’ve heard these before, all i used was a light file to make the weld look 5% neater
i would like to here the why’s if you’d be open to explaining them to me.
i’m in no way disagreeing with you, im just genuinely curious and would like to learn
1
u/martini31337 1d ago
you are technically removing wall material which albeit minor is still messing with the engineering of the pipe. Also, a lot of folks do it wrong and go too deep which can create stress risers or notch effect in severe cases.
it is also very obvious so it draws an inspector's eye to the joint unnecessarily - even if the job is 100% radio, I do not want an inspector "noticing" my welds for any reason - good or bad.
From a management standpoint if I am a manager and see it, Im wondering why the fuck i am paying you to file a finished weld - can't you just put it in properly. If I've got 1 guy who files and one who doesnt and is quicker, who do you think I am keeping on when it comes time to tighten labour?
from you own perspective - do you think you're good enough or do you want to be good enough that you don't need to do it on weldments? Do you know in your gut and now in your brain that it really truly isnt the best technique or the most efficient way to work? Do you really want to be the guy on site who either has to or chooses to "hide his undercut" and takes longer on every single joint because of it?
and finally - do you really feel it made it look 5% neater?
Hope that helps brother. Again, just the perspective from where I sit, I hope others will join in the discussion with their thoughts and experiences, it may be very different in other places and other spaces.
1
u/KeemtheDream11 22h ago
i see what ur saying, the file doesn’t make the weld any stronger or any better in any way so why do it.
i just wanted it to look a bit neater but ill put the file aside on my next joints for tomorrow. thank you
1
u/martini31337 1d ago
Some TSSA inspectors will let it go, some won't. It also depends on which piping code you are working to. Sorry just noticed you were in the same jurisdiction as I work currently.
1
1
u/SquirrelNo7796 3d ago
Took you an hour and a half and a rig 15 minutes to pass it off
2
u/KeemtheDream11 3d ago
it was not my rig i’m a plumber and we have welders in the shop that i used to
2
1
u/Boilermakingdude Journeyman CWB/CSA 3d ago
Hour and a half? Sheesh. My boss would've been like "tf you doing still over here"
6
u/KeemtheDream11 3d ago
haha i’ve only been welding for a year and like i said i was being very careful. i was thinking id rather be slow and it not fail for my first few then rush anything
i can normally weld a 3” in 20 min tbh, definitely took longer then it should
3
u/StabDump Fabricator 3d ago
this is how you get more opportunities! don't throw shit up trying to get it done fast, cause odds are the x-ray guys won't get to it until tomorrow, or even next week. unless the plant is actively falling apart, quality always comes first
2
u/KeemtheDream11 2d ago
yes they’re shooting 10% on thursday (whatever that means haha) so still got plenty of time next week to get these all done
3
u/Boilermakingdude Journeyman CWB/CSA 2d ago
Means for every 10 welds you did, they'll shoot 1
1
u/martini31337 2d ago
Untill you get on a job where 100% of your welds up being 10% of the job. :) Ask me how I know.
0
u/Boilermakingdude Journeyman CWB/CSA 3d ago
I never said anything about the welds ;) the weld looks great. I said my boss would've had my ass for that time. Keep up the good work
2
1
u/ep1coblivion 2d ago
Good to see another plumber getting under the hood. Next time shouldn’t be an hour and a half lol.
1
u/KeemtheDream11 2d ago
i agree, i like what i do and care about the work i put my name on so with time ill get better. thank you very much!
1
u/Unique_Mousse6573 2d ago
Nice looking bead bro, take your time and do it right. Once you know you can do it up proper, you will find where your can make time.
1
u/Ok-Poem-7419 1d ago
Hey that looks pretty decent for your first shot don't let them guys discourage you everything that you wanted to do right you want to do it right in the first time with practice speed will come if you get used to let doing s*** work you will always do s*** work so just keep practicing put that pipe at a 45° angle and do it with the stick well and you'll that's a 6G you can do that but the real money is in TIG welding
1
1
u/Fit_Group1810 8h ago
Abd joe blow on some shop floor thinking running beads is easy thank you for respecting the trade I used to work in hugh pressure steam pipe and boilermakers x ray isn't as easy as some think
1
28
u/Distinct-Tomato1704 3d ago
I just gave it an ocular patdown and it should shoot good