Need advice on butt welding 1" plate steel

[Hamstn]

I would bevel the edge down a bit more so the edges of the two pieces are 1/8" thick or less. You can use a steeper angle so it is just wide enough to get the rod down there. You will be sure to get full penetration this way. Weld the vertical part of the ends with it clamped down to help hold level. Run a root on both sides and clean out. Now take the piece and angle it say 30 degrees and start at the bottom moving up hill. This will allow the slag to flow down and away from puddle helping keep out intrusions. Alternate between the sides as you make each pass. As your bevel gets wider towards the top increase your figure 8 or "C" pattern. You may also have to lower the angle of the piece so your puddle does not want to flow down hill.

I've done this several times with material 1 1/2 to 2" thick like a draw bar on a tractor.

Not sure if it is right or wrong but I use 7018 only. It is just not a deep penetrating rod so the reason to bevel down to a thin edge.

[Kiwimike]

Hamstn is right, bevel your plates to more of an angle.
Weld a root run on both sides after cleaning each run well.
I would use low hydrogen rods without preheating and use as many runs as it takes making sure the last run caps the other welds.
I'm glad the Engineer had some common sense over this project, as so many will over engineer something just to save their butts.

[Ocular Engineer]

I just wanted to thank you guys for the tips and advice. I finished the welding yesterday. The plate is reasonable flat (probably 3/8" cup to it). Flat enough to drive trucks over anyway. I'm confident that it will hold together.

If it doesn't, it has my 50/50 guarentee. If it breaks, they can have both halves.

Thanks again guys.

[SICFabrications]

i have to splice alot of bridge parts together using 1 to 1 1/2 plate grade 50 steel.... the way that i have to do this is this (procedure) make a 22.5 angle on both sides all the way to the bottom. tack a backing bar in place (just like a groove test coupon) and start with 7010 or 71t-1/ t-9 seismic duo-shield wire run a few passes, then switch over to 8018 rods (or still running the same FCAW wire) once the weld is proud, flip the plates over and back gouge the weld until about more than 70 percent through the metal (basically, open the weld up from the other side) and create another bevel and fill er up again, this time using only the 8018 rods (because the root is already done) using a steady preheat to maintain temp and inter-pass temps....

that is bridge code, prolly not needed for something a truck drives over.... wait.... you drive over bridges too...hmmm....

[Ocular Engineer]

My eyes crossed and I actually got dizzy about 1/2 way through your post. laughingicon

I completed this project a not long after I started the thread on it. I happened to take a look at the completed and used welded plate about a week ago. It appears to be holding up, but I don't know how much action it has seen.

My welding procedure was a little simpler: +/- 45 deg bevel on each corner, 6011 root pass on each side followed by 2 or 3 more passes on each side of 7014, alternating sides of the plate to control the warpage.

...and besides, when people talk about me being a "welder" I tell them that I can stick two pieces of metal together that will probably stay that way forever, but I wouldn't call myself a welder.

[SICFabrications]

lol... No worries, was only trying to convey coded procedure for load bearing welded splices... When i get home this weekend, i will try and type out a more discernable procedure and some pics to help...

[Buckcp]

Sicf, I always know if your answering a question I'm going to get great information. Sure glad your on this site and sharing your knowledge with us. Thanks

[SICFabrications]

Sicf, I always know if your answering a question I'm going to get great information. Sure glad your on this site and sharing your knowledge with us. Thanks

thanks for that, buck.... and i forgot to rewrite procedure for this in an understandable manner..... ima try to do that now

---------- Post added at 07:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:04 PM ----------

i'll have to do this without pics, so i apologize.... and i will explain this as if it was being done SMAW only, just for ease and clarity....

if you were to take a skill saw and set the blade angled to 22.5 degrees and cut through the plates, you would end up with two pieces beveled.... flip one over, and you have a 22.5 "v" groove... (i think that explained the bevel)

now, when you set the pieces up to be welded, space them apart where the points of the bevel are 1/4 inch apart from each other, now, take another peice of metal 3/8 thick and slide under the joint (backing bar) and tack it into place on the back side, you dont want tacks inside the groove...

making your first pass (root) with 6p or 7010 rod, make the pass letting the puddle tie in both pieces, knocking the edges off the bevels on both sides and burning into the backing bar...

clean weld with a thin grinder stone, careful to not cut too far into the weld, just to knock the ridges and slag off the root weld..... now comes the hot laps and fill... using a low-hydrogen rod (7018, 8018, 9018 etc...) start making subsequent passes, making sure to melt into the welds underneath, and fill that groove up until almost flush.... make sure to clean in between each pass with a stringer brush on a grinder...

now that you have "flushed" the weld, now comes the cap and stringer passes.... the cap pass(es) should be weaved side to side about the width of the rod, and make subsequent passes until the weld is a little higher than the base metal... now stringers....... no weave pass on both sides of the weld to tie the weave in, (weaves sometimes will leave cold laps)

now comes the fun part...... flip it over.....

using carbon arc gouging (the oxy fuel torch leaves too much oxidized metal, so you cant (shouldnt) use a torch for this.... cut the backing bar off and gouge down into the weld creating a groove into the backside until you are about 70% into the joint..... grind it smooth and bevel again with the grinder...

repeat process, only this time, using only the low hydrogen rods..... once you have filled the welds, and the weld is proud( sitting above the parent metal), the grind it smooth, flip it over and grind it smooth there as well

after all this trouble, what you have ended up with is a perfectly welded joint on some heavy metal, this is what i have to do with each and every bridge part that comes through my shop.....woooooooha!!!

the real fun part is when you have to hand weld nelson studs onto a splicer plate...talk about boring