Welding VIII (Advanced Gas Tungsten Arc and Pipe Welding) and Lab

Course Description

Welding VIII (Advanced Gas Tungsten Arc and Pipe Welding) and Lab emphasises testing criteria for various welding applications. Students refine their advanced TIG welding skills, progressing to pipe welding in preparation for weld test certifications. Students must pass the course with a C or better to graduate from the programme.

Within the SCNS taxonomy, PMT is the Precision Metals prefix, and the 0000-level number marks this as PSAV clock-hour instruction. Daytona State publishes it at 95 clock hours with a $393.12 lab fee, offered fall, spring and summer, with PMT0134C as corequisite. ⚠ It carries no college credit.

This is the capstone of the welding certificate and it aims at the two things that determine a welder's earnings: TIG and pipe. Gas tungsten arc welding is the slowest and most demanding process and it produces the highest-quality welds — which is why it is used on stainless, aluminium, and anything that must be radiographically sound. Pipe welding, and specifically the 6G position, is the qualification that opens the best-paid work in the trade.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

• Apply welding safety practice, including confined space and positional hazards.
• Describe the gas tungsten arc welding process and its characteristics.
• Set up GTAW equipment, including torch, tungsten, gas, and polarity.
• Select and prepare tungsten electrodes appropriately.
• Select shielding gas and set flow correctly.
• Describe AC and DC applications and select for the material.
• Weld carbon steel using GTAW to a quality standard.
• Weld stainless steel using GTAW, including purging where required.
• Weld aluminium using GTAW and describe its particular difficulties.
• Control heat input and prevent burn-through and distortion.
• Add filler consistently while maintaining the puddle.
• Weld in multiple positions using GTAW.
• Describe pipe welding applications, codes, and joint designs.
• Prepare pipe joints, including bevelling and fit-up with correct root gap.
• Perform root passes on pipe with full penetration.
• Perform hot, fill, and cap passes on pipe.
• Weld pipe in the 2G, 5G, and 6G positions.
• Describe purging for stainless and alloy pipe welding.
• Describe welding procedure specifications and their role.
• Describe welder qualification testing and its criteria.
• Prepare and present test coupons to specification.
• Perform visual inspection against code acceptance criteria.
• Describe bend testing and radiographic examination.
• Diagnose and correct defects revealed in testing.

Optional Outcomes

• Describe orbital and automated GTAW.
• Weld exotic alloys and describe their requirements.
• Describe ASME and API code requirements for pipe.
• Describe welding inspection and the CWI pathway.
• Describe socket weld and branch connection procedures.
• Sit a welder qualification test.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Welding safety in position and confined spaces
• The GTAW process
• GTAW equipment setup
• Tungsten selection and preparation
• Shielding gas and flow
• AC and DC applications
• GTAW on carbon steel
• GTAW on stainless and purging
• GTAW on aluminium
• Heat input control
• Filler addition technique
• Multi-position GTAW
• Pipe welding applications and codes
• Pipe joint preparation and fit-up
• Root passes
• Hot, fill, and cap passes
• 2G, 5G, and 6G positions
• Purging for alloy pipe
• Welding procedure specifications
• Welder qualification testing
• Test coupon preparation
• Visual inspection to code
• Bend testing and radiography
• Defect diagnosis and correction

Optional Topics

• Orbital and automated GTAW
• Exotic alloys
• ASME and API pipe codes
• Welding inspection and CWI
• Socket welds and branch connections
• Sitting a qualification test

Resources & Tools

• The programme's shop, machines, and open lab hours — the reason to take this in person, and the single highest-return resource here. These are motor skills; hours on the machine are what build them.
• American Welding Society (aws.org) — codes, certification information, and student membership; the authority for anything in this guide about welder qualification.
• NIMS (nims-skills.org) — free credential standards and performance test specifications; read the standard before you sit the test.
• Machinery's Handbook — the machinist's reference, and worth owning even at its price; speeds, feeds, threads, tolerances, and materials.
• Welding Principles and Applications (Jeffus) — the standard welding text.
• Technology of Machine Tools (Krar) and Machine Shop Practice — the standard machining references.
• GD&T references based on ASME Y14.5 — geometric dimensioning and tolerancing is the language of engineering drawings and it is examinable.
• Manufacturer machine and control manuals — Haas, Fanuc, Mazak and others publish extensive free operator and programming documentation.
• Fusion 360 or Mastercam — Fusion 360 has free personal and educational licensing and is widely used for CAD/CAM; practise toolpaths outside lab hours.
• OSHA machine guarding and welding standards (osha.gov) — free, and directly relevant to the safety content of every course here.
• Your own measuring tools — a decent micrometer, calipers, and a dial indicator. Cheap measuring tools produce confident wrong numbers.
• A welding helmet you can actually see through — an auto-darkening helmet with a good lens is the best money a welding student spends.

Career Pathways

• Welder, cutter, solderer, or brazer — SOC 51-4121.
• Machinist — SOC 51-4041.
• Computer numerically controlled tool operator — SOC 51-9161; CNC tool programmer — SOC 51-9162, the better-paid of the two.
• Structural and construction welding — steel erection and fabrication.
• Pipe welding — process plants, utilities, and shutdown work; among the best-paid work in the trade, and 6G qualification is the gateway.
• Marine and shipyard welding and fabrication — a large Florida sector.
• Aerospace machining and welding — precision work to demanding standards, frequently with certification and clearance requirements.
• Job shop and contract machining — where most newly certified machinists start.
• Tool and die making, and mould making — a highly skilled speciality with long training and strong earnings.
• Quality inspection and metrology — CMM operation and first-article inspection; a route off the machines that uses the same knowledge.
• CNC programming and CAD/CAM — the natural progression from operating, and where the pay increases.
• Maintenance and millwright work in manufacturing, utilities, and theme parks — frequently salaried with benefits.
• Welding inspection — the AWS Certified Welding Inspector credential requires documented experience and is a well-paid career step off the tools.
• Mobile welding and self-employment — real in this trade, and a business as much as a craft.

Special Information

⚠⚠ The root pass is the weld — everything else is filling the groove

• In pipe welding the root pass determines whether the joint passes or fails, and it is where nearly all rejections originate. Everything above it is comparatively straightforward.
• Full penetration without excessive reinforcement is the requirement, and both failures — lack of penetration and excessive protrusion — are rejectable.
• Fit-up governs the root. Correct root gap, land, and bevel angle, consistent all the way round — an inconsistent gap makes a consistent root pass impossible.
• Practise the root far more than the cap. Students spend time on the cosmetic cap because it is visible; the test is decided underneath.
• Purge stainless and alloy pipe properly. Without a backing gas the root oxidises — "sugaring" — and the joint is rejected regardless of how it looks from outside.
• 6G is the position that matters. The fixed 45-degree pipe requires welding in every position within a single joint, which is why a 6G qualification covers so much and why employers ask for it.
• Get comfortable before you start. On pipe you will weld in awkward positions for extended periods; plan your body position for the whole pass, including the part you cannot yet see.
• Cut and bend your own coupons. A weld that looks flawless and fails a bend test is the most useful thing you will produce in this course.
• Practise under test conditions — same time pressure, same coupon preparation, same acceptance criteria. Passing in practice under easier conditions proves little.

⚠ TIG is slow, unforgiving, and worth the effort

• GTAW demands coordination of both hands and a foot, and everyone is bad at it initially. That is expected, not a signal about aptitude.
• Cleanliness is absolute. TIG tolerates no contamination — degrease, remove oxide, use dedicated stainless brushes, and keep filler rod clean and off the floor.
• Touching the tungsten to the puddle contaminates it. Stop, regrind, and continue — welding on with a contaminated tungsten produces a defective weld and wastes the coupon.
• Grind tungsten lengthwise, not across, and keep a dedicated wheel for it.
• Gas coverage must continue after the arc stops. Post-flow protects the cooling weld and the tungsten; lifting the torch away immediately ruins both.
• Control heat deliberately. The pedal or the amperage control is a real variable, and managing heat as the part warms is much of the skill.
• Aluminium is a different discipline — oxide layer, thermal conductivity, and no colour change to warn you before it collapses.
• TIG skill is what gets you into aerospace, food-grade, and pharmaceutical work, all of which pay well and all of which are present in Florida.

⚠⚠ The roman numerals in these titles do not track the sequence — use the prerequisites

Daytona State's welding course titles are numbered I, II, IV, VI, VIII, but the enrolment requirements do not follow that order:

"Welding IV" is taken alongside "Introduction to Welding I", and both come before "Introduction to Welding II". Whatever the titles suggest, the prerequisite and corequisite chain is the authoritative statement of the sequence. Confirm your term-by-term plan with the programme rather than inferring it from the numerals.

⚠⚠ Welding hazards — the ones that injure you now and the ones that injure you later

• Arc flash burns your eyes. The ultraviolet from an arc causes photokeratitis — "arc eye" — and the pain arrives hours later, which is why people learn this the hard way. Correct shade lens every time, including for a tack. Screens protect everyone else in the shop.
• Ultraviolet burns skin like severe sunburn. Cover arms and neck; a leather jacket is not optional in summer.
• ⚠⚠ Welding fume is the hazard that harms you over years, and it is the one students ignore. Manganese exposure is associated with neurological effects, and welding or cutting stainless steel produces hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen. Use local exhaust ventilation, position your head out of the plume, and never weld coated or galvanised metal without proper ventilation — galvanised coating produces zinc fume causing metal fume fever.
• Never weld or cut on a container that held anything flammable, even one that appears empty and clean. Residual vapour explodes and this has killed people repeatedly.
• Hot work needs a fire watch. Sparks travel far, fall through gaps, and smoulder for a long time — the fire frequently starts after the welder has gone home. Clear combustibles, use a permit system where one exists, and watch afterwards.
• Compressed gas cylinders are pressure vessels. Secure them upright, cap them when moved, keep oil and grease away from oxygen fittings, and never exceed 15 psi on acetylene — above that it becomes unstable.
• Electric shock is a real risk, especially in damp conditions or confined spaces. Keep gloves and clothing dry, insulate yourself from the work and ground, and never change electrodes bare-handed.
• Confined spaces concentrate fume and displace oxygen, and shielding gas will do it silently. Permits, ventilation, and an attendant.
• Hot metal looks exactly like cold metal. Assume everything is hot, and never handle work without gloves and pliers.
• Grinding throws sparks and fragments — face shield over safety glasses, correct wheel for the material, and check the wheel for damage before mounting.

⚠⚠ Welder certification is per-process, per-position, per-material — and it lapses

• A welder is not certified in general. Qualification is tied to a specific process (SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW), a position (flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead; 1G through 6G on pipe), a material and thickness range, and a welding procedure specification. Passing one test does not qualify you for another.
• ⚠ Certification lapses if the process is not used. Codes typically require that a qualified welder has used the process within a defined recent period — commonly cited as six months — or requalify. A welder who has been off the tools can find their qualification no longer valid.
• Qualification is generally employer-held and code-specific. Moving to a new employer or a different code frequently means testing again, and that is normal rather than a reflection on you.
• The codes that matter include AWS D1.1 for structural steel and the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for pressure work; API standards govern pipeline welding. Which code applies is determined by the work, not by the welder.
• 6G pipe is the qualification that opens doors — a 6G test covers a wide range of positions and is the credential pipe welders are hired on.
• Weld tests are destructively examined — bend tests, and radiography or ultrasonic inspection on higher-value work. A weld that looks perfect can fail a bend test, which is why practice under test conditions matters.
• Practise in position. Overhead and vertical-up are difficult and they are what tests examine; running beautiful flat beads does not prepare you.
• ⚠ Rule 11 applies. Code editions, qualification periods, and test requirements change — verify with AWS, the applicable code, and the employer rather than relying on a course guide.

⚠ A grade of C or better is a progression gate, not a target

• Daytona State states in these course descriptions that a grade of C or better is required to continue in the programme — and in the final courses, to graduate from it.
• This is a cohort programme. Falling below the gate does not merely cost a grade; it can remove you from the sequence until the course is offered again, which may be a full year.
• Ask early what happens if you fall short — repeat policy, how many attempts are permitted, and whether financial aid covers a repeat.
• Practical skill assessments are frequently pass-or-repeat rather than graded on a percentage, and a failed weld test or setup check is exactly the kind of thing that stalls progression.
• Attendance directly affects the outcome in a clock-hour programme where the skill is built by hours on the machine.
• Ask for help before you are behind, not after. Instructors in trade programmes have far more options at week three than at week twelve.
• Use open lab time. The students who pass practical assessments first are almost always the ones putting in unscheduled hours.

⚠⚠ Budget for the laboratory fees and the tools

• Daytona State publishes a laboratory fee for every course in this programme, and in the welding sequence they are substantial — from roughly $390 to $463 per course. The machining courses run lower, roughly $76 to $190.
• PSAV programmes advertise low tuition; the fees and tools are where the real cost sits. Ask the programme for a complete cost sheet before you enrol — tuition, every course fee, tools, textbooks, certification test fees, and personal protective equipment.
• The fees cover genuinely expensive consumables — filler metal, electrodes, shielding gas, plate and pipe stock, cutting tools and inserts, and wear on machines.
• You will need your own personal protective equipment and hand tools. Get the programme's required list early and buy over time. For welding that means a good helmet, jacket, gloves, and safety boots; for machining, measuring tools you will use daily.
• Buy quality where it protects you or determines accuracy. An auto-darkening helmet with a proper shade range, and a decent micrometer and dial indicator, are worth the money; most other things are not.
• Certification test fees are usually separate — NIMS credentials and welder qualification tests both cost extra.
• Ask about workforce funding. Trade programmes frequently have funding routes degree students do not, including employer sponsorship, apprenticeship arrangements, and Florida workforce grants.

⚠⚠ This is a PSAV clock-hour course — it carries no college credit

• The leading zero in the course number is the signal. Under the Florida Statewide Course Numbering System, a 0000-level number denotes postsecondary adult vocational (PSAV) instruction, measured in clock hours rather than semester credit hours. These courses carry zero college credit.
• ⚠ A catalog may display the clock-hour figure under a heading that reads "credit hours." It is not credits. A 0000-level course showing 280 is 280 hours of instruction, not 280 semester credits.
• PSAV hours do not transfer as college credit to an associate or bachelor's degree, and they do not satisfy general education requirements.
• What they produce is a workforce credential — a career certificate plus, in this programme, industry certifications employers ask for by name. For a skilled trade that is frequently exactly the right outcome, reached far faster and more cheaply than a degree.
• Some institutions offer articulation from a PSAV certificate into a related associate degree. ⚠ These are institution-specific and they change. If you intend to continue to a degree, get the articulation in writing from the receiving institution before you enrol.
• Financial aid rules differ for clock-hour programmes — ask the financial aid office specifically about clock-hour programmes.
• Attendance is the currency. Clock-hour programmes track attendance directly and missed hours generally must be made up.

Why metalworking is durable employment in Florida

• Shipbuilding and marine repair — Jacksonville, Tampa, and Port Everglades all support substantial marine fabrication and repair, and marine welding is skilled, well-paid work.
• Aerospace and space — the Space Coast and the wider aerospace supply chain need precision machining and certified welding, frequently to demanding standards.
• Defence contracting across Florida, ⚠ much of which requires U.S. citizenship and sometimes a security clearance.
• Construction and structural steel — sustained Florida construction activity plus storm repair.
• Manufacturing and job shops — general machining work for local industry, and the sector most likely to hire a newly certified machinist.
• Power generation, utilities, and process plants — pipe welding and maintenance, and among the best-paid work in the trade.
• Theme park and attraction fabrication and maintenance — a distinctively Central Florida employer with year-round demand.
• Mobile and rig welding — higher earnings for those who invest in a truck and equipment, though it is a business as much as a trade.
• The workforce is ageing and replacement demand is real — skilled welders and machinists are genuinely scarce, and employers say so.
• Travel and shutdown work pays a substantial premium for those willing to take it.

PMT0171C is 95 clock hours with a $393.12 lab fee, offered fall, spring and summer, with PMT0134C as corequisite. ⚠ Clock hours carry no college credit, and a C or better is required to graduate.

It prepares for weld test certifications — see the certification note above, and sit the tests while you are enrolled and the equipment and instructors are available.