Passing the 3G Vertical-Up Flux-Cored Arc Welding Certification

The 3G FCAW vertical-up weld test separates welders who can run uphill plate joints under AWS D1.1 from those limited to shop-position work. Structural contractors regularly require D1.1 flux-cored certification for column and stiffener welding jobs, where vertical grooves are unavoidable.

The practical tension is time versus proof: a single 1 in V-groove coupon can take four to six uphill passes, not counting prep and guided bend coupons, and one buried slag line can force a retest.

What decides pass or fail is rarely puddle control alone. It is whether the machine settings, joint fit-up, and pre-cleaning matched the specific FCAW-S or FCAW-G process being tested.

3G FCAW Certification Overview: Positions, Codes, and Who Should Take It

The 3G position is a vertical groove weld on plate: the plate stands upright and the weld runs straight up (or down) its face rather than flat, horizontal, or overhead. It's one of the toughest structural positions to master because gravity is fighting the molten puddle the entire time, which is exactly why it's used to prove a welder can control a flux cored arc welding (FCAW) puddle in the most demanding orientation a shop is likely to assign.

Three Different Kinds of "Certified"

Not every welding test carries the same weight, and confusing them causes real problems on job sites.

• Employer performance test: A shop-specific check that a welder meets that employer's job requirements. The employer holds the record, and unless it's run and documented to a recognized code, it typically doesn't establish AWS D1.1 qualification anywhere else.
• AWS D1.1 welder qualification (3G FCAW): A welder qualification test run under Structural Welding Code Steel rules, covering process, position, and material thickness. It produces a Welder, Welding Operator, or Tack Welder Performance Qualification Test Record (the J-4 form), which the employer or fabricator maintains. This qualification generally is not portable between employers unless the receiving company reviews and accepts the record.²
• WPS/PQR (procedure qualification): This proves the welding procedure itself produces sound welds. It qualifies the process, not the person. Being covered by an approved WPS does not automatically qualify an individual welder. That welder still needs a separate performance test.³

Who This Test Is For

This certification targets welders pursuing structural qualification on plate in the 3/8 inch to 1 inch thickness range, the sweet spot for most fabrication, bridge, and building work. A 3/8 inch test plate typically qualifies production groove welds from 1/8 inch up to 3/4 inch. Plates from 3/8 inch through 1 inch generally extend that range up to twice the test-plate thickness, and a 1 inch or thicker test plate can qualify a welder for unlimited production thickness within the applicable groove-weld range. These ranges apply to welder qualification, not automatically to a WPS thickness range, which comes from separate procedure-qualification data.⁴

The governing document for all of this is AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code Steel, currently the D1.1/D1.1M:2025-AMD1 edition. Always confirm which edition your contract or inspector requires before testing, since qualification tables can shift between revisions.

AWS D1.1 FCAW Procedure Specifications and Machine Settings

Self-shielded FCAW-S and gas-shielded FCAW-G demand different machine setups, and confusing the two is one of the fastest ways to fail a 3G weld test. AWS D1.1 governs how you qualify (joint design, positions, acceptance criteria) and requires that you weld to an approved WPS, but it does not hand you a single voltage or wire feed number. Those come from the electrode manufacturer's literature and the specific WPS your test uses, then get adjusted for vertical-up travel.

FCAW-S Starting Ranges

FCAW-S typically runs DCEN¹ and needs no shielding gas, which is why it is favored for field and out-of-position work, much like Stick Welding. Typical ranges by wire diameter:

• 0.035 in: 18-22 V, 140-220 A, 150-300 IPM, 0.75-1.00 in stickout
• 0.045 in: 20-24 V, 160-240 A, 180-350 IPM, 0.75-1.00 in stickout
• 1/16 in: 21-25 V, 190-280 A, 180-350 IPM, 0.75-1.00 in stickout

FCAW-G Starting Ranges

FCAW-G almost always runs DCEP¹ with shielding gas flowing around 35-45 CFH.² Ranges tend to run a few volts hotter than FCAW-S at comparable diameters, with a tighter stickout:²

• 0.035 in: 20-24 V, 140-220 A, 180-320 IPM, 0.50-0.75 in stickout
• 0.045 in: 23-27 V, 180-240 A, 250-360 IPM, 0.50-0.75 in stickout
• 0.052 in: 24-28 V, 200-280 A, 250-400 IPM, 0.50-0.75 in stickout
• 1/16 in: 24-28 V, 220-300 A, 250-400 IPM, 0.75 in stickout

Adjusting for Vertical-Up

Whichever process you run, flat-position numbers are just a starting point. For vertical-up progression, dial wire feed speed and voltage down roughly 10-20 percent from flat settings to control the puddle against gravity. A 3/8-inch test plate qualifies you through 3/4-inch production work; a 1-inch plate qualifies unlimited thickness, but plate thickness alone should never justify cranking amperage past your WPS. Root, hot pass, and cap each carry their own settings; treat them as separate adjustments, not one fixed number for the whole joint.

Joint Preparation and Pre-Inspection of the Test Coupon

A 3G FCAW coupon that fails inspection almost always fails at fit-up, not at the arc. The joint geometry, plate cleanliness, and backing setup you build before striking an arc determine whether your welds have a fighting chance of passing the bend test.

Plate and Joint Geometry

The standard AWS D1.1 3G plate test uses a single-V groove joint. Common references describe a 45-degree included bevel, a 1/4 in root opening, and no root face (land), with a steel backing bar left in place through qualification. Plate thickness drives the rest of the dimensions:

• 3/8 in coupon: roughly 3/8 in x 3 in x 7 in.
• 1 in coupon: roughly 1 in x 3 in x 5 in.
• Backing bar: steel, commonly listed around 3/8 in x 1-1/4 in, with backing width in the neighborhood of 1 in for Destructive Weld Testing coupons.

Treat these as typical figures. Exact dimensions vary by qualification setup and edition, so your coupon must match the WPS or procedure sheet you are testing to, not a generic table. If the numbers on your paperwork differ, the paperwork wins.

Preheat and Interpass Temperature

On A36 and A572 thin plate, carbon steel welding is forgiving, but preheat and interpass limits still apply. One FCAW 3G WPS template lists a minimum preheat of 50 degrees F and a maximum interpass temperature of 450 degrees F. Those are example values, not universal code text, so confirm the requirement for your specific steel grade and thickness against the governing procedure. On heavier or higher-strength plate, preheat requirements climb, and letting the coupon run too hot between passes invites cracking and distortion.

Cleaning and Pre-Weld Checklist

Grind the bevel faces and root edges to bright metal, and clean the backing bar to bare steel before welding. Remove mill scale, rust, oil, paint, and moisture from the joint and adjacent surfaces.

Before striking the arc, verify:

• Bevel angle, root opening, and alignment match the WPS.
• Backing bar is tight against the plate with no gaps.
• All faces are clean, dry, and free of scale.
• Tack welds are sound and within the joint.

Once testing begins, do not move or remove the coupon from the test station without the inspector's approval.

Safety and PPE Requirements for FCAW Test Environments

Testing booths have gotten stricter about fume exposure as evaluators face more scrutiny under OSHA's general welding standard, 1910.252¹, and that shift shows up directly in what you'll need to wear and breathe before the first arc on your 3G coupon.

Baseline PPE for the Booth

At minimum, welder safety requires a welding helmet with a shade 7 lens² (FCAW's lower amperage range still throws serious UV and infrared), flame-resistant clothing or leathers, insulated welding gloves, and steel-toe boots.³ Safety glasses under the helmet are standard practice⁴, since flux cored welding throws more spatter and slag than solid-wire welding processes. None of this is optional in a certification setting; test facilities enforce it as strictly as the weld itself.

Ventilation and Fume Extraction

Local exhaust ventilation, hoods, extractor guns, or vacuum nozzles positioned near the plume, is the first line of defense against welding fume.⁸ Some facilities size mechanical ventilation around a rule of thumb: roughly 2,000 CFM per welder in spaces under 10,000 cubic feet per welder, or with ceilings below 16 feet⁵, though exact figures vary by shop. Ventilation and work practices are expected to keep exposures safe; respirators come into play only when that's not achieved, or when oxygen levels drop.

Flux Core's Specific Hazards

FCAW wires can generate manganese and hexavalent chromium fumes, both regulated at very low exposure limits (0.02 mg/m³ and 0.01 mg/m³ respectively)⁵, plus zinc fumes on coated steel. Outdoor or well-ventilated booths may only need a half-face P100 respirator; enclosed or smoky test cells often call for full-face combination cartridges, and heavy-fume setups may require a PAPR⁶. Any respirator use should sit inside a written program with medical evaluation, fit testing, and training.⁷

Check with your test facility beforehand. Requirements do vary.

How the 3G FCAW Vertical-Up Test Flows From Root to Bend

The 3G flux-cored vertical-up test follows a fixed sequence. All passes are welded uphill, and no inspection starts until the entire weld is complete. Here is the flow from joint preparation to the guided bend test.

Pass-By-Pass Welding Technique: Root, Hot Pass, and Cap

Vertical-up progression on the 3G plate demands a slow, controlled approach because gravity is fighting your puddle the entire way. Keep the wire in the leading third of the puddle, hold a short stickout of about 1/2 to 3/4 inch for 0.045 to 0.052 inch wire¹, and clean thoroughly between every pass. Trapped flux core slag is the single most common between-pass defect, so chip and wire-brush aggressively, paying attention to the toes and tie-ins where slag likes to hide.

Root Pass

Set the electrode at roughly 5 to 15 degrees push from perpendicular; many instructors prefer the steeper end (10 to 15 degrees) to help see the joint and drive the arc into the root. Travel speed is deliberately slow, in the neighborhood of 4 to 7 IPM for 0.045 inch wire, to keep a small, controlled puddle that fuses both bevel faces without sagging. A triangle, J, or chevron weave works well³: the small excursion into each sidewall guarantees fusion, and the return through the center lets the puddle catch up.

For 0.045 inch E71T-1 on thinner practice coupons, a starting envelope of 23 to 25 volts and 200 to 250 IPM wire feed³ is a reasonable reference point, but the actual WPS numbers for 3/8 inch or 1 inch plate come from the qualified procedure, not a generic table.

Hot Pass

After the root is fully deslagged, run the hot pass, Hot Pass Pipe Welding Techniques, with essentially the same 5 to 15 degree push angle. Use a straight bead or a very small weave: the goal is to burn out any remaining slag pockets along the root toes and tie firmly into both sidewalls. If the puddle starts to overheat and droop, pick up travel speed slightly, but not so much that you undercut the toes.

Cap

Clean everything again, then apply Cap Welding Techniques with a controlled weave or triangle pattern³ that fully covers the bevel faces. Pause briefly at each toe to wet in and prevent undercut, then move steadily through the center without dwelling, which would pile up crown. Travel is slightly faster than the fill passes to hold the reinforcement low and uniform. Overall vertical-up travel typically lands in the 8 to 12 IPM range, adjusted by bead appearance.

Bend Test Preparation and Acceptance Criteria

The bend test is where a 3G FCAW certification is actually decided, much like a 3G MIG Welding Certification, and many avoidable failures come from rushed coupon preparation rather than poor welding. The welder's job is not over when the cap pass cools; it extends through cutting, grinding, and evaluating the bent specimen against AWS D1.1 acceptance limits.

Backing bar removal and specimen cutting

Some D1.1-based test setups leave the steel backing in place, while others require backing removal before coupon preparation. If the backing must come off, grind it flush with the plate and leave at least 1/8 in of its thickness to be removed by grinding, so the weld metal is not gouged. Cut bend coupons from the weld zone with a saw or track burner and keep the weld centered in each specimen. A common training layout calls for two root bends and two face bends cut across the weld, but some procedures require a minimum specimen width of 1 1/2 in, so do not rely on memory. Typical guided-bend coupons are around 3/8 in thick and 1 3/8 to 1 1/2 in wide, but follow the WPS dimensions because die geometry can change by D1.1 edition and material group. Do not bend coupons greater than 3/8 in thick, and radius the specimen corners to no more than 1/8 in to avoid corner stress cracks.

Positioning and bending the specimens

Face bends are loaded with the face of the weld toward the die gap, root bends with the root toward the gap, and side bends with the side showing the greater discontinuity toward the gap. The specimen is bent 180 degrees around the specified die or mandrel, with the weld centered. The die radius is not a universal number; it is tied to the D1.1 edition, coupon thickness, and material group used in the qualification. Confirm specimen orientation before bending, because loading a face or root bend backward can create a corner crack that has nothing to do with weld quality.

Acceptance criteria on the bent surface

Read the convex side of the bend. No crack or open discontinuity may exceed 1/8 in. Smaller discontinuities between 1/32 and 1/8 in are allowed only if their combined length stays at or below 3/8 in. Corner cracks may run up to 1/4 in unless they are clearly associated with slag or fusion-type discontinuities, in which case the tighter 1/8 in limit applies. Incomplete fusion and porosity that open on the bent surface are not treated more leniently; they count against the same 1/8 in and 3/8 in limits.

Related Articles

FCAW-S vs FCAW-G: Choosing the Right Process for Your 3G Test

For a 3G vertical-up weld test, the first process decision is whether to run self-shielded flux-cored wire or gas-shielded flux-cored wire. Both can qualify on a 1 in V-groove plate in AWS D1.1, but the two processes are treated separately for qualification and use different polarity, shielding, and electrode options.

Frequently Asked Questions About 3G FCAW Certification

These questions cover the decision points that matter before, during, and after a 3G FCAW certification test. Answers reflect AWS D1.1 structural welding guidance, but the test facility's procedure specification or instructor instructions are the final authority on machine settings, consumables, and acceptance limits.

What machine settings should I use for a 3G FCAW weld test?

Machine settings are governed by the test facility or employer procedure, not by a single AWS-wide table. A common gas-shielded FCAW setup for a 3G plate test uses about 23 volts, 218 inches per minute wire feed speed, 75% argon/25% CO2 at 40 to 50 cubic feet per hour, and a contact tip to work distance of 5/8 to 3/4 inch with a 5/8 inch gas cup.¹ Confirm the exact WPS before striking an arc.

Should I weld vertical-up or vertical-down for a 3G FCAW certification?

Weld vertical-up for a 3G structural FCAW qualification unless the test administrator or WPS specifically allows vertical-down. Vertical-down is primarily intended for sheet metal up to 5/32 inch, while vertical-up provides the penetration and control expected for structural plate.² Do not switch progression without authorization because it can change the qualification.

What wire classification should I use for a 3G flux core test?

There is no single wire classification accepted for every AWS D1.1 3G test. For gas-shielded FCAW, E71T-1-type electrodes with 75% argon/25% CO2 are common. For self-shielded FCAW, E71T-11 or E71T-8-type electrodes are typical.¹ Confirm the exact classification, diameter, polarity, gas, and trade name from the procedure or qualification record before the test.

What bend test results are acceptable for AWS D1.1 3G FCAW?

Guided-bend acceptance under AWS D1.1 allows no single crack exceeding 1/8 inch. The total of discontinuities greater than 1/32 inch but not over 1/8 inch must not exceed 3/8 inch. Corner cracks up to 1/4 inch may be acceptable, except when slag or fusion-type defects are present, the 1/8 inch limit applies. Plate under 3/8 inch uses two root and two face bends; plate 3/8 inch and over uses four side bends.

How do I remove a backing bar from a welding certification test?

Remove the backing bar only after the required visual examination accepts the weld.⁵ Cut or grind the weld reinforcement and backing flush, then grind the reverse side to the base metal interface. If the facility permits, clamp the test plate and use controlled leverage. Final preparation must follow AWS D1.1 because backing condition is a qualification variable; an open-root joint requires separate qualification.⁵

What is the difference between FCAW-S and FCAW-G for the 3G test?

FCAW-S is self-shielded and produces its own shielding, so it tolerates wind and outdoor work and typically runs DCEN.³ FCAW-G uses external gas, usually 75% argon/25% CO2 for E71T-1-type electrodes, and commonly runs DCEP with a gas cup and draft protection.¹ They are not interchangeable for a 3G test because the electrode classification and procedure must identify the process and consumable.