Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be reproduced or posted to a publicly accessible website. 54 Welding Fundamentals Lab Workbook 6. Set the amperage on the welding machine for the middle of the correct amperage range and set the correct polarity on the machine. 7. See Figure 12-9 in the text for suggested angles to use when running weld beads with SMAW. 8. Make a few practice stringer beads to set the amperage for the best results. 9. Use a chipping hammer and wire brush to clean each weld bead before the next weld bead is made. Always wear approved chipping goggles when chipping or wire brushing a weld bead. CAUTION 10. Draw lines on the metal with a soapstone to help keep the weld beads straight. Make two stringer beads along the 6″ (150 mm) length of the practice plate. These weld beads should be about 1/2″ (13 mm) apart. Watch the weld bead at all times with every electrode used. If the weld bead does not look right, stop immediately. Read the weld bead, make required changes, and restart the weld bead. 11. Make two stringer beads with each of the other three electrode types and diameters. Use the other side of the base metal, if necessary. The drag welding method may be used with the E7018 electrode. 12. Make a few practice weave beads. 13. Make one weave bead with each of the four electrode types and diameters for a grade. 14. Use chalk or soapstone to identify the electrode used for each weld bead. Inspection Each weld bead should be straight and even in width and height. The ripples must be even. Restarts should be smooth, with no low spots or unfilled areas. Stringer beads and weave beads should be of the correct width. Complete penetration is not required. Practice This initial job should be practiced for hours. The skills learned here will be used in all other SMAW welding jobs. Practice holding a constant arc length. Practice to develop and maintain the correct travel speed and electrode travel angle. Practice your ability to observe the weld pool and make changes in your technique as necessary to produce a quality weld bead.