Fzjames82:
We had some really really strange methods of learning and doing things before the advent of Google and the internet. We actually talking with our materials suppliers who were more than willing to help us use their materials and equipment properly and to our best advantage. They had a vested interest in giving us good advice and seeing us succeed. They hoped to continue selling their products, unlike the internet’s everyone is entitled to an opinion. And, we listened to their competitors too. If three out of four of them said the same thing, it was likely to be in the right ballpark. Sometimes we used a thing called a telephone, we actually had to push buttons to dial a number, but we got a real live person who knew what the hell he was talking about. We didn’t have to listen to 15 choices and then try to remember if #7 or #13 best fit our needs for further info. from a recorded non-meaningful message. Sometimes we actually talked with these people face to face, believe it or not, and they took us to lunch to promote their wares, and we actually talked about business, and other things. We developed helpful relationships. Then, we also talked to our clients and customers and they showed us what specs. and welding WPS they preferred. We have become so code and std. dependant that we have lost all sense of actual common knowledge of our professions. If it ain’t covered by an explicit paragraph in one of the hundreds of our codes, for many thousands of dollars, it just can’t be done, no matter how well it works and the quality of our results. We always spec’ed. vanadium alloying, and paid a slight premium for this, but it resulted in better final material properties, weld quality, product, etc. Columbium alloying was a bit less expensive, but dirtier and tougher to deal with. I would have to think a bit longer about all of the details on A572-Gr.50, and maybe this has changed and improved over the years.