Please critique the weld quality (photos enclosed)

[Rock Crawler]

plowhog,

If you really want better advice on weld quality, you should post your photos and questions on the following welding dedicated sites. Not knocking TBN's contributors, but we are really a bunch of tractor/ equipment guys who occasionally have to fix some stuff we broke.

A professional welding site run by a master welder with decades of experience.

MIG, Flux Cored, TIP TIG, Manual & robot Welding Processes

MIG, Flux Cored & TIP TIP weld process controls, tips and welding practices. As well as Manual, Robot, MIG - TIG - Flux Cored and TIP TIG welding.

weldreality.com

A sister site ( if memory is correct ) to TBN

Welding Site

The helpful welding community!

www.weldingsite.com

I am a NDE Level III (Non Destructive Examiner) (Level III means I am at the highest achievable level in this field) with 29 years experience in the nuclear industry. I currently am the program owner and level III in a USA nuclear power plant. I think I can speak to those welds as good as anyone alive. I do not even need my Ultrasonic flaw detector to interrogate these welds .
Pure trash.
Farm welds are typically no where near that bad. That said, I have seen some pretty crappy welds hold up to amazing abuse. I would have a real hard time paying for that bad of a job. If it was me doing the welding and that was the best I could muster from my $79 HF flux core MIG welder.... I guess that I would have to accept it. But paying for that would hurt a lot.

 

[DGZRT]

I like the Grease Zert for the Pins ! As a Novice at welding . I'm see no prep at all ... No touchup paint, No wire brush or disc marks . He burned through the paint and his wire feed was to low .

 

[sea2summit]

I am having fencing/gates installed. Steel material that is/was powder coated.

The photos are for hinge welds for heavy gates. 6x6 steel posts and steel gates to cover a 16 foot opening.

Before approving the job, I'd like to make sure the weld quality is sufficient for long term reliable use. Except I do not know how to evaluate the quality of a weld. Does this work look right to you?

The fact that they tried grinding some of them just to get them to look okay says a lot...

I'm not trained but when my welds look like that I cut them off and try again and that's just for me let alone when I do it for someone else.

 

[ruffdog]

I wouldn't call those things a weld for starters. More like hemorrhoids.

The thing is....a good weld would have been MUCH easier to do than those goobers he put on.

 

[ovrszd]

We call guys making these kind of ''weld'' grinders and not welders ...

 

[kevin37b]

You cannot weld MIG in the wind . You need a shield . You can see where it blew tha gas away . Not hot enough , GARBAGE .

 

[Cougsfan]

Today with contractors not being able to find qualified people to hire, this is not in the slightest bit surprising. Why do a job that requires working outside in the elements when you can earn a good living setting behind a computer and create a virtual solution to a virtual problem. Expect work like this to be on the rise.

 

[Teryan7926]

I am having fencing/gates installed. Steel material that is/was powder coated.

The photos are for hinge welds for heavy gates. 6x6 steel posts and steel gates to cover a 16 foot opening.

Before approving the job, I'd like to make sure the weld quality is sufficient for long term reliable use. Except I do not know how to evaluate the quality of a weld. Does this work look right to you?

I am a certified welding inspector/examiner and I also have my own company doing welding, training and procedure consulting along with custom welding and fabrication. I will tell you that it looks like the hinges were welded in the field after the main parts were fabricated and painted. You can tell the welds were cleaned and painted in place which is common, but they used a mig process with not enough heat or penetration. I would not accept these welds for the simple fact that they will not hold over time. The welds will fail causing gate to fall and possible damage or personal injury could happen which makes it a safety issue. I would think if you called a supervisor or manager and politely explained your concern that they would make an effort to fix. Also, if they charged you for powder coating, I would address that too because powder coating can not be "touched up" after welding. So just be sure exactly what you are paying for. Remember, you are the customer paying for a product or service and should be getting quality work. You could also mention hiring a certified welder to fix welds and they should pay for that service.

 

[plowhog]

Can you show us a few examples of the gate construction welds. Are they the same or better quality?

The gate construction welds are visibly different. To me, they look smooth and professional. The owner said he will redo all the hinge welds. The person who did the gate welds will redo the hinge welds.

 

[Doofy]