Unit 5 Welding Symbols 27 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be reproduced or posted to a publicly accessible website. away from the shop. Typical welding symbols and their meanings are shown in Figure 5-8 and Figure 5-9. Study them carefully. Welding Positions Shielded metal arc welding may be performed in four common positions — fl at, horizontal, ver- tical, and overhead. However, welding symbols do not indicate the welding position. The job, part, or fi xture will determine the position for each weld. A fi xture is a device for holding work in position or alignment while it is being welded. Learn the techniques for each welding position as described in later units. Symbol Desired weld Figure 5-4. Having the welding symbol below the reference line indicates that the weld is to be made on the arrow side of the joint. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Symbol Desired weld Figure 5-5. Having the welding symbol on top of the reference line indicates that the weld is to be made on the other side of the joint. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Symbol Desired weld Figure 5-6. Symbol indicating size of weld. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 5-7. Field weld symbol. Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Weld size is indicated as shown in Figure 5-6. The fi eld weld symbol, Figure 5-7, means the weld is to be made when the parts are assembled