Craftsman Shielded Metal Arc Welding study guide
Craftsman Shielded Metal Arc Welding · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Craftsman-level Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) certification is a trade credential that demonstrates a welder can set up a stick welding station, run sound welds in the flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead positions, and finish a joint that meets a written acceptance standard with little supervision. It is aimed at working welders, maintenance technicians, fabricators and career-changers who already have basic arc time and want their skill judged against a recognised benchmark rather than an employer's in-house opinion. The Craftsman Shielded Metal Arc Welding study guide has 10 sections and about 3,473 words.
01Safety, Health and Environment for Arc Welding
SMAW concentrates electric shock, arc radiation, fume, fire and noise in one operation. Open-circuit voltage is commonly 50-80 V - low by industrial standards but lethal in wet conditions.
383 words, about 2 min02Welding Fundamentals
The power source sets current; your arc length sets voltage. SMAW arc voltage typically runs 20-30 V and rises as the arc lengthens.
365 words, about 2 min03Power Sources and Equipment
SMAW needs a drooping, constant-current output so that arc-length changes produce small current changes. A constant-voltage machine built for GMAW will not hold a stable manual arc.
350 words, about 2 min04Base Metal Identification
Carbon steels (A36, 1018) weld readily. Low-alloy and high-strength steels (4140, AR plate, HY-series) demand preheat and low-hydrogen practice.
331 words, about 2 min05Base Metal Preparation and Cleaning
Oil, grease, paint, mill scale, rust and moisture are the main sources of porosity and hydrogen-assisted cracking. Clean at least 25 mm on each side of the joint, including the root face and, on open-root work, the inside of the pipe or plate.
349 words, about 2 min06Joint Preparation, Fit-Up and Assembly
Five basic joint types: butt, lap, T, corner and edge. Groove shapes include square, single or double V, bevel, U and J.
359 words, about 2 min07Electrode Classification, Handling and Storage
Under AWS A5.1 (carbon steel), E7018 reads: E = electrode; 70 = 70,000 psi minimum tensile strength; 1 = usable in all positions (2 means flat and horizontal fillets only); 8 = coating and current type. Coating digits you must know: 0 = cellulosic sodium, DCEP only, deep penetration (E6010); 1 = cellulosic potassium, AC or DC (E6011); 3 = rutile, easy arc, shallow penetration, sheet metal (E6013); 4 = iron-powder rutile, high deposition, flat and horizontal only (E7024); 8 = low-hydrogen iron powder, AC or DCEP (E7018).
343 words, about 2 min08SMAW Technique and Welding in All Positions
Strike by scratching or tapping. On restart, strike slightly ahead of the crater and come back into it to prevent a cold lap and porosity at the joint.
326 words, about 2 min09Weld Inspection, Testing and Defect Analysis
Visual inspection (VT) runs before, during and after welding and catches most defects. Penetrant testing (PT) and magnetic particle testing (MT) find surface and near-surface discontinuities.
297 words, about 1 min10Drawing Reading, Welding Symbols and Code Requirements
The AWS A2.4 symbol has a reference line, an arrow, a tail and the weld symbol placed above (other side) or below (arrow side) the line. For a fillet, the leg size goes to the left of the symbol, and the length and pitch to the right.
370 words, about 2 min