How to use Welding Guages
Many types of welding guages can be used to measure welds and defects, including porosity, undercut and under fill, as well as concavity. AWS (Automatic Weld Size Gauge) and the Standard Fillet Weld Gauge are two of the most commonly used types. This article will demonstrate how to properly use both gauges, also available with Max Tools.
Fillet Weld Gauge: This is one of the simplest gauges you can use. It is helpful to check for fillet size, concavity, and weld quality. Our welds should be flat to slightly convex. Fillet Weld Gauge can tell you if your welds are concave. This gauge usually includes 7 or more pieces.
Here are some examples of how to use a 1/2-inch fillet weld.
Slide the gauge over the vertical piece and let the top end rest against it. The end should be exactly at the top edge to make a 1/2" fillet. The weld may be undersized if there is space between the gauge, the toe and the weld. This allows for a larger leg because the bottom edge of your fillet is wider. This is especially useful for large fillet welding jobs where gravity tends to make the bottom leg longer. This will indicate where the bottom toe should lie.
After you've determined that your weld is correctly sized at 1/2", then test for concavity and convexity.
Welds should not be concave. If the protrusion at the center of the gauge touches the weld, it is considered concave. If daylight is visible between the face and the end of the gauge, it is considered concave. This means that the 1/2-inch fillet is unacceptable.
The AWS Gauge is however more versatile than the Standard Fillet Gauge. It can measure many things:
Dimensions of a fillet weldingThe gauge should be placed against the weld's toe and the pointer should be positioned towards the bottom of the structure that is being welded. The gauge will indicate the size of the fillet welding.
Tolerance for convexity is permissible Use the 45-degree angle side of the gauge to bring the gauge up until it touches the welded pieces. Slide the pointer until it touches the weld's face. If there is not enough reinforcement, the meter will tell you.
Tolerance for reinforcement is permissiblesometimes; butt welds will have a maximum amount of reinforcement that can be used. Measure the support of weld by placing the gauge at 45 degrees.
These are just a few examples of the many types of gauges that are available. Other types can be used to measure angles of preparation, undercut, misalignment and porosity.
Conclusion
Max Tools is the best welding Supplier that offers a variety of welding gauges that can be used for different purposes. All of these welding and inspection gauges are high quality and can be used quickly to measure welds. This allows you to get accurate results.
You can measure misalignment, fillet throat size, length of the fillet, angle of preparation, pit depth, and undercut depth with the weld gauges that we have in stock.
Max Tools can provide more information about our weld gauges, so contact us today!