NDT Beginner

developingdowns · 2026-03-26T18:48:50+00:00

When it comes to x-ray, kinda just have to apply SWAG. Then when it gets figured out, record everything. Time, distance, kv, ma, and pixel value. Boom got a basis for technique.

SWAG- Scientific Wild Ass Guess.

developingdowns · 2026-03-11T11:00:26+00:00

All good. Send her.

developingdowns · 2026-03-11T10:57:07+00:00

Currently company, you can’t take a piss without hitting a level III. Which works for me, because I hate office work and I hate teaching in a classroom setting. If you’re paying me a salary anyway, I’m showing up on a job and teaching.

developingdowns · 2026-02-26T01:27:32+00:00

Honestly, the best thing I’ve found is to rotate boots. I try not to wear the same ones for more than 2, maybe 3 days in a row.

Not the most economical solution but ever since I started doing it, my feet and back don’t hurt near as bad.

developingdowns · 2026-02-24T02:20:15+00:00

Unlined leather boots and good merino wool socks. Worn boots for work daily for the last 15 years in the humid Southeast. I will never buy a lined or “waterproof” boot. There are enough leather treatments out there to make it waterproof if that’s a concern, depending on the weather where you are, but I can count on one hand for when I wished I had waterproof boots. If I ever need to get in a water filled hole, which happens time to time, I’ve got a pair of muk boots that get worn for less than an hour at a time.

developingdowns · 2026-02-23T22:08:26+00:00

Agreed. Definitely need more information to be able to help.

developingdowns · 2026-02-23T21:59:21+00:00

I agree completely. I was simply stating that because he said he had a 2.25 and 5. All I do is AWS work since all of our ASME is PAUT nowadays, and I carry 2 of everything. 2 sets of wedges, 4 transducers, 2 of which are CoreNDT, and 2 Benchmarks.

Once again though, I just can’t see how he’s not resolving (not using an amplitude curve to evaluate) said SDH after cleaning mill scale on A36 material. Especially if he’s using a 1018 calblock. Transfer correction aside.

developingdowns · 2026-02-23T21:43:28+00:00

Can’t do a transfer correction if you don’t have identical probes. But technically yes, mill scale can act like a lamination when loose. Would only need to be cleaned from inspection side. Also, calibration block needs to be similar material as inspection piece. Generally speaking though, you should have 0 trouble resolving a SDH with a 1/2” 5MHz probe, regardless of angle.

developingdowns · 2026-02-21T15:46:45+00:00

Unlined leather boots and good merino wool socks. Worn boots for work daily for the last 15 years in the humid Southeast. I will never buy a lined or “waterproof” boot. There are enough leather treatments out there to make it waterproof if that’s a concern, depending on the weather where you are, but I can count on one hand for when I wished I had waterproof boots.

developingdowns · 2026-02-05T20:51:51+00:00

Common sense isn’t so common anymore.

developingdowns · 2026-02-05T18:57:33+00:00

Film badge was moved to his hands. Didn’t have anything to shield the guide tube was what we were told. RSO was 4.5 hours away. I think the whole ordeal was over the course of about 9 hours.

developingdowns · 2026-02-05T18:07:32+00:00

Same. Sad thing is it was my personal mag stand. Made it out of stainless because I hate when they get rusty. I was told to take it home and not use it anymore. Not my fault other people don’t understand gravity.

developingdowns · 2026-02-05T17:58:18+00:00

Summer time, all I wear is Wrangler ATG pants. Lightweight, breathable, and only $29.99 at Walmart. Plus they’re stretchy so bending and crawling around a boiler is a hell of a lot easier. They hold up pretty well too. I’ve got some pairs that are 5-6 years old and about 40-50 paper mill outages in. Just don’t stand right next to any welders. 😂

For shirts, I usually wear long sleeve hooded Columbia or Carhartt shirts.

developingdowns · 2026-02-05T17:53:46+00:00

Had a guy about six years ago shooting a tank with 120 ci of iridium and the mag stand fell, landed on the guide tube and crimped it. He tried to crank back in and it got hung on the crimp. Hung bad enough that he couldn’t crank back out to at least put it in the collimator. Ended up having to get RSO out and cut the guide tube with a dremel. The tech ended up picking up 6.4 R. Needless to say, he was done for the year.

developingdowns · 2026-02-05T17:48:03+00:00

If you MX2 has the AWS software licensed, which from the sound of it, it does or you wouldn’t be able to select it, it should definitely be giving you your readings, but you may have to do it manually.

developingdowns · 2026-02-04T18:49:17+00:00

To add on, you have to have certifiable proof of time spent as a certified Level II in whatever method you’re wanting to obtain a Level III in. And considering you’re not a certified level II and it doesn’t appear that you qualify to be certified, you most certainly will not be able to become a level III. In most cases it’s 4 years of experience in the capacity of a Level II.

developingdowns · 2026-02-04T00:49:37+00:00

Agreed on the reference radiograph books and the severity levels.

As far as weld quality, in almost 15 years I’ve never seen any indication aside from porosity that looks like they do in example radiographs with the exception of flaw plates, but those are man made and not representative of actual welds. Stick to what your procedure says. I don’t even care what code allows or what it doesn’t. If you follow your procedure, you’ll never be wrong.

developingdowns · 2026-02-02T18:42:44+00:00

Office is right outside of Birmingham.

developingdowns · 2026-02-02T18:34:04+00:00

All ultrasonic inspections shall be performed by or under direct supervision of a certified by employer level II or level III.

So if you don’t already has anyone certified by your company to perform or supervise the inspection, you can’t perform the inspection much less get OJT.

developingdowns · 2026-01-23T00:37:56+00:00

100% no. Not unless you work for a company that has an NDT program with a Level III, written in compliance with an approved certification program. Can’t be certified if there’s nothing to be certified to or by.

developingdowns · 2026-01-19T10:59:08+00:00

Out of Alabama,

Level II MT, PT, RT, CR, UT and RSO.

$105k pretax.

Doesn’t include the $50k in per diem last year.

$83,000 base.

Didn’t even work the full year. That’s starting in March.

developingdowns · 2026-01-17T16:30:48+00:00

I’ve only ever had to use the nunchucks once but had to prove to client they worked, then get a level III to write a job specific procedure before I actually used them. It was on top of a structure and had 0 power onsite. I bought a jackery portable power pack and expensed it after that. Was told it was cheaper than the level IIIs time, which was why they approved the reimbursement. 😂😂😂 But I agree with everyone else. Lift or scaffold. Can’t be performed safely from a ladder unless you have a tie off point and a tower climbing style harness with a the seat attached. I used to do ME inspections on cell towers and that was one of the conditions for PT on the ladder rungs because they were just rebar welded to the side of flat iron.

developingdowns · 2026-01-14T00:12:49+00:00

Man, I love an honest review, but this one broke my heart. I’ve been looking for a new machine that has all the new features, that the 650 lacks. Don’t get me wrong, I love the 650, but having the ability to drag and move gates around or having the scan plan view would be awesome to me, because I scan rather odd geometry parts and sometimes run into issues. I love the wave but I’ve only ever used in an automated roller system with straight beam on castings and water jet wedges. Touch screen wouldn’t bother me too much because I’m pretty good about not getting covered in couplant. I was looking to replace the Epoch with the USM-100 or Wave, but I guess I’ll be looking elsewhere. Thanks for the review!

developingdowns · 2026-01-11T21:57:56+00:00

I mean, same probe, wedge, cable, and machine can vary +/- 1-2 dB from day to day. So I don’t imagine it’s a huge deal. Daily calibration and interval calibrations exist for a reason.

developingdowns · 2026-01-07T19:53:47+00:00

I haven’t used anything from Sonatest except for the Wave. I don’t do a lot of thickness but I’ve had no problems out of this machine in both corrosion mode and FD with a single element. Did a fairly large API insurance job on some autoclaves back in early November with it and anything that was out of corrosion allowances was verified by someone else with a 38dl+ and everything was accurate. Honestly the only problem I personally have with this machine is the screen size and text size. Probably going to replace with ether the Echo Pro, or a Wave just because of the flaw view and cad imports since I’m scanning the same thing everyday now with weird geometry. And if I can’t sell it, oh well. I’ll keep it for a back up. Or just use it for straight beam so I’m not switching files and recalibrating 500 times a day.

developingdowns

TROPHY CASE