07 Visual inspection practice · 14 min
Look before, during, and after
Visual inspection is a sequence, not a glance at a shiny bead.
- 01Before: drawing, WPS, welder ticket, material ID, joint prep (angle, root face, root opening, cleanliness, fit-up, hi-lo), preheat, consumable condition, environment (wind on GMAW/GTAW).
- 02During: current and voltage in range, travel, interpass temp, slag/grind between passes, no stray arc strikes, sequence against distortion control.
- 03After: profile, size, length, location, discontinuities, spatter, crater fills, dimensional (camber, warpage), identification stamps, NDT access.
Tools on the practical
| Tool | Use |
|---|---|
| Fillet weld gauge | Leg size and throat of fillets; convexity / concavity |
| Bridge cam / welding gauge | Leg, throat, reinforcement, undercut, angle |
| Hi-lo gauge | Root misalignment on pipe and plate |
| V-WAC gauge | Undercut depth |
| Flashlight + mirror | Root of a fillet, back side, inside a box section |
| Magnifier | Hairline cracks, porosity pinheads |
| Ruler / tape / caliper | Length, pitch, spacing, member size |
| Temp sticks / pyrometer | Preheat and interpass (shop more than exam room) |
Lighting: you cannot inspect what you cannot see. Side light shows undercut and overlap better than a lamp straight on. Clean the weld. Slag is not a weld face. Wire-brush, then look.