Clean, Inspect, and Finish a Welded Project

A. Finished-Project Specification

Outcome: one previously welded noncritical mild-steel project with slag and spatter removed, approved surfaces blended or flush-ground, every required weld visually inspected and marked accepted/repair/review on the weld map, overall dimensions checked against drawing tolerance, approved defects repaired and reinspected, the surface prepared, a finish applied only where specified, and a completed and signed weld inspection record.

B. Inspection and Finishing Schedule (Component Schedule)

Task	Applies To	Method	Acceptance Reference
Slag/spatter removal	All welds	Chipping hammer, wire brush, scraper/pliers	Bright weld surface, no reinforcement loss
Blending/flush grinding	Only welds identified by drawing/finish spec	Inspected grinder or flap disc	Required weld size and base-metal thickness maintained
Visual weld inspection	Every required weld	Direct visual, gauges, adequate lighting	Chapter 18 criteria; this chapter's Acceptance Standards table
Dimensional check	Whole assembly	Tape measure, straightedge, square, diagonals	Drawing tolerance from the originating chapter
Repair	Approved defects only	Defined removal, reclean, reweld, reinspect	Original weld acceptance criteria
Surface preparation	Whole assembly, excluding uninspected welds	Cleaning, abrasion, or approved conversion process	Free of rust, soot, slag, moisture, solvent
Finish application	Only if specified by chapter project	Primer, paint, oil, or other named finish	Manufacturer instructions for cure, ventilation, and film

C. Material Takeoff

• Cleaning materials: approved solvent or degreaser sufficient to remove oil, dust, and residue from the full project surface.
• Abrasive materials: wire brush wheels, flap discs, or hand-abrasive pads sufficient for blending approved surfaces and preparing the finish surface.
• Finish materials: primer, paint, oil, or other finish, of the type and quantity specified by the chapter project, used only when that project includes a finish.
• Repair consumables: the same electrode, wire, or filler classification, diameter, and polarity originally used for the project, as recorded on the project's original parameter record.
• Fastener and hardware schedule: not applicable. This chapter does not add fasteners; it cleans, inspects, and finishes an existing welded assembly.

D. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Slag and spatter removal	Weld surface and adjacent base metal are clean and bright with no gouging or reinforcement loss
Blended/flush-ground surfaces	Ground only where the drawing or finish specification permits; required weld size and base-metal thickness are maintained
Weld presence and profile	Every required weld is present at the specified location, length, and profile
Tie-in, undercut, overlap	Smooth tie-in at toes; undercut and overlap within the gauge-measured limits used in this book
Porosity, cracks, crater	No visible porosity clusters, no cracks, craters fully filled; any crack triggers qualified evaluation, not grinding-over
Starts, stops, arc strikes	Controlled starts and stops; no unintended arc strikes outside the weld joint
Overall dimensions	Length, width, height, diagonals, angles, and flatness within the originating chapter's drawing tolerance
Distortion	Recorded and compared against tolerance; excessive distortion is a review item, not an automatic pass
Repair	Performed only on approved defects with a documented method; reinspected using the original criteria
Surface preparation	Free of rust, soot, slag, moisture, and solvent before finish; no uninspected weld concealed under coating
Finish (if specified)	Applied per manufacturer ventilation, temperature, humidity, film, and cure requirements
Documentation and signoff	Weld inspection record complete with drawing revision, weld map, dimensions, defects, repairs, finish, and evaluator signature

E. Preparation — Review and Safe Handling

1. Review the drawing, weld symbols, dimensions, tolerances, finish requirement, use limitation, and inspection criteria. Confirm the project in hand matches the drawing identifier and revision.
2. Confirm the project has cooled to a safe handling temperature. Check every welded area, not only the last weld completed.
3. Mark any areas that remain hot. Isolate them from handling until they reach a safe temperature.

F. Slag, Spatter, and Approved Grinding

1. Remove loose slag using approved eye and face protection. Use a chipping hammer or approved tool for SMAW and FCAW welds.
2. Wire-brush welds with a tool compatible with the base metal. Use a dedicated bare-steel brush; do not cross-contaminate with a stainless-only brush.
3. Remove spatter using a scraper, chisel, pliers, or grinder without gouging the base metal. Select the tool by spatter size and location, not by convenience.
4. Do not remove weld reinforcement unless the drawing permits it. Confirm reinforcement is intact after spatter removal.
5. Identify welds designated to remain as-welded. Mark these on the weld map before any grinder is used.
6. Identify welds designated for blending or flush grinding. Mark these separately on the weld map.
7. Inspect the grinder, guard, wheel, speed rating, and spark path. Confirm the wheel or flap disc is rated for the tool and task.
8. Secure the project before grinding. Clamp or fixture the assembly to prevent movement during grinding.
9. Blend only the approved areas. Do not extend grinding to as-welded surfaces.
10. Maintain required weld size and base-metal thickness. Check size frequently during grinding rather than only at the end.
11. Stop grinding for cracks, deep porosity, lack of remaining weld, or excessive heat. Treat any of these as a stop-work condition until evaluated.

G. Visual Weld Inspection

1. Clean all weld toes and starts and stops for visual inspection. Confirm no residual slag or spatter obscures the toe line.
2. Provide adequate lighting and access. Reposition the project or add lighting rather than inspecting a shadowed weld.
3. Inspect every required weld for presence, location, length, continuity, profile, tie-in, undercut, overlap, porosity, cracks, crater, arc strikes, spatter, and finish damage. Work systematically through the weld map rather than inspecting welds at random.
4. Use approved gauges to measure fillet size, length, gap, reinforcement, or undercut as applicable. Record each measurement against its acceptance value.
5. Mark each weld as accepted, repair, or review. Use the same three-way classification for every weld on the map.
6. Do not coat welds that remain uninspected. Complete inspection of the entire weld map before moving to surface preparation.

H. Dimensional Check and Distortion Review

1. Measure overall length, width, height, diagonals, angles, hole centers, level, square, and flatness as applicable. Use the same reference points established when the project was fabricated.
2. Record dimensional deviation. Compare each measurement against the drawing tolerance individually rather than judging the assembly by eye.
3. Determine whether distortion is within the drawing tolerance. Mark the assembly for repair or review if any dimension falls outside tolerance.

I. Repair of Approved Defects

1. Prepare a repair plan for approved defects. Identify the defect type, location, likely cause, and defined removal method before touching the weld.
2. Remove defects using the approved method. Use grinding or gouging methods appropriate to the defect and consistent with the original process.
3. Reclean the repair area. Return the area to bright base metal before rewelding.
4. Reweld with recorded parameters. Use the same electrode or wire classification, polarity, and parameter range recorded on the project's original record unless the evaluator specifies a corrected setting.
5. Reinspect repaired welds. Apply the identical visual and dimensional criteria used in Sections G and H.

J. Finishing Preparation and Handling Safety

1. Remove sharp edges, burrs, and handling hazards. Deburr all edges the assembly presents to bare-hand handling.
2. Clean oil, dust, slag, abrasive residue, and fingerprints from the project. Use an approved cleaner appropriate to the specified finish.
3. Prepare the surface by approved abrasion, blasting, chemical cleaning, or conversion process. Match the method to the finish system specified for this project.
4. Do not trap rust, soot, slag, moisture, or solvent under coating. Confirm the surface is fully dry and clean immediately before coating.
5. Protect machined surfaces, threads, grounding points, labels, and uncoated areas. Mask or cover areas the finish specification excludes.

K. Finish Application (When Specified)

1. Apply primer, paint, oil, or other finish only when the chapter project includes it. Confirm the finish requirement against the original chapter specification before opening any coating material.
2. Observe coating ventilation, ignition, temperature, humidity, film, and cure requirements. Follow the coating manufacturer's instructions exactly.
3. Inspect finish coverage without allowing coating to conceal cracks or unaccepted defects. Confirm every coated weld was marked accepted before this step.

L. Documentation and Handoff

1. Attach the project label or identification. Confirm the label matches the project identifier on the weld inspection record.
2. Complete the weld inspection record with drawing revision, material, process, consumable, parameters, weld map, dimensions, defects, repairs, finish, and result. Fill in every field; leave none blank or marked "N/A" without a stated reason.
3. Obtain evaluator signoff. Do not release the project as complete without the evaluator's signature and date.
4. Store or hand off the project within its documented use limitation. Confirm the receiving party is informed of the stated noncritical use and load limit.
5. Clean the shop, isolate hot metal, shut down equipment, and complete fire watch. Close out the work area per the Chapter 1 standard if any hot work occurred during repair.