Unpopular opinion: I think the new weld test rules are making things worse

I saw a big change in our shop's pass rate over the last year. We went from about 90% of guys passing their 6G pipe test on the first try down to maybe 60%. The main cause is the new rule from the hall that says you have to use a specific brand of low-hydrogen rod for the test, even on carbon steel. It's a lot less forgiving if your arc gets a little long. I've watched three good hands fail in the last month because of it. Has your local seen a drop in test passes since they changed the rod spec?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylan70816d ago

Maybe the old rod was just too forgiving, hiding some bad habits.

baker.riley16d ago

I get what dylan708 is saying about bad habits, but I mean, a rod that's less forgiving doesn't mean the skill isn't there. It just changes the game on a basic test. Watching guys who have run miles of good bead suddenly fail because the new rod specs are so touchy feels like we're testing the rod, not the welder. Maybe the old one was more forgiving, but it also let a good hand show what they could do without fighting the equipment.