Free reference
Guides
The questions that don't fit on a reference page: what the path to certification actually looks like, how the examination is put together, how experienced people read a drawing quickly, and what the job is really like once you have it.
9 min readHow to Become a Welding InspectorWhat the job actually involves, the experience that gets you hired, and how to build the knowledge base while still working full shifts.9 min readWelding Inspector Exam Structure ExplainedThe general shape of the welding inspector examination: its parts, what each one asks of you, prerequisites, and the recertification cycle.9 min readReading Weld Symbols FastA repeatable reading order for welding symbols: reference line, arrow side, dimensions, tail, and supplementaries, plus the misreads that cause rework.9 min readPractical Weld Examination: What It TestsThe hands-on inspection skills a practical weld examination measures: gauge handling, applying an unfamiliar specification, and recording findings under a clock.7 min readWhat a Welding Inspector Actually Does All DayAn honest picture of the job: the pre-weld checks, the surveillance, the paperwork, the conversations, and how shop and field work differ.7 min readDiscontinuity vs Defect: The Distinction Inspectors Are Tested OnEvery defect is a discontinuity; most discontinuities are not defects. What separates them, why acceptance criteria decide it, and how to word a finding.7 min readVisual Weld Inspection: The Basics That Decide Most FindingsHow visual weld inspection really works: before, during and after welding, the lighting and access it needs, what to look at, and how to record it.8 min readFillet Weld Size vs Throat ExplainedLeg size, theoretical throat, actual throat and effective throat: what each one measures, how the geometry links them, and how to read the right one.8 min readWelding Positions Explained: 1G Through 6GWhat the number and letter in a position designation mean, how plate and pipe positions differ, and why position drives qualification range.8 min readFiller Metal Classification DecodedWhat E7018, ER70S-6 and E71T-1 actually say: strength, position, coating, current, shielding and the suffixes, read one character at a time.8 min readHeat Input and Why It MattersHow heat input is calculated, why travel speed dominates it, the difference from arc energy, and what too much or too little does to a weld.8 min readPreheat and Interpass Temperature ExplainedWhy preheat exists, what interpass limits control, how both are measured and verified, and what an inspector checks before and during welding.