Fillet gauge vs grind check on a 3G test, I picked wrong

Last month I had to choose between trusting my fillet gauge or just grinding 16 inches of bad cap on a 3G plate test up in Toledo. I went with the gauge, kept the weld profile looking pretty, but the inspector pointed out I had a cold lap hiding under the toes. Cost me a re-test on Thursday and a whole afternoon of gouging. Anyone else ever skip the visual scratch test on overhead and pay for it later?

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abby_palmer17d ago

Gotta say, that cold lap under the toes makes my stomach drop just reading it. You did everything right by the book, kept the profile clean as a whistle, and still got burned by something you couldn't see. That's the part that gets me, how a little hidden flaw can trash a whole afternoon and force a re-test. I've been in that spot where the gauge says one thing but your gut is whispering to hit it with the file or scratch awl first. Grinding 16 inches of cap sounds way less painful than paying for that mistake twice, honestly. Super frustrating when the pretty weld hides the real problem underneath.

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