Which welding joint to pick when is a monumental and controversial topic in welding. What was a simple topic is becoming complex with the advancement of engineering? To make things simple for you here’s a categorized and briefly discussed list of various types welding joints for you.

Types of Welding Joints
Welding joints are basically classified into 6 different types and each of these types is categorized into multiple categories.
Butt Joint
This one’s by far the most popular and most used welding joint. Here the workpieces are placed by touching each other in places where they are to be welded. Looking at the picture will give you a clearer idea of what I am saying.

Square Grove Butt Weld
Unlike the general butt weld, I mentioned earlier, here the workpieces are placed by keeping a distance between them. And this interspace is filled by welding.

Bevel Grove Butt Weld
A portion of one of the workpieces is cut off in a crooked manner to create a gap. The fillings of the weld are placed in here.

V Grove Butt Weld
Similar to the bevel groove butt weld, the workpieces are cut off in a crooked manner. But here both of the workpieces are cut off creating a “V” shape, thus the name V grove butt weld.

J Grove Butt Weld
Similar to the bevel groove butt weld here one of the joining workpieces is cut off but in a more circular fashion. This creates a gap for the weld fillings.

U Grove Butt Weld
Just like the V groove butt weld both of the workpieces is cut off but in a circular way creating a U shape. This gives more space for the filler metal and a sturdier weld.

Flare V Grove Butt Weld
This particular type of welding is used when two cylindrical objects are welded. The filler metals take the shape of “V” from both sides giving it the name flare V grove butt weld.

Flare Bevel Grove Butt Weld
You will find welders doing this weld while they are joining a cylindrical object with a plane one. This creates a bevel on both sides for filler metal.

T Joint
T joint is used when a workpiece is welded on another perpendicularly. This creates a T shape and the welding is done from both sides or one depending on the wish of the designer.

Fillet Weld
Fillet welding is the basic T joint. The process is somewhat similar to a filleting a fish that’s why it is known as fillet welding.

Plug Weld T Joint
Plug welding gained its popularity from the fact that none will be able to notice this weld. To do this one of the workpieces is drilled to create a hole and this hole is filled by welding.

Slot Welding
A slot is created by cutting a workpiece then the other workpieces are placed on top of the slot. Filler metal due to welding is placed inside the slot.

Bevel Grove Weld
The workpiece which is placed on top of the horizontal ones is cut in a half V manner and this space is filled with filler metal to ensure proper joint.

J Grove Weld
Similar to bevel groove weld but this one is cut in a half u shape leaving some portions intact on one side. You’ll get a proper idea if you look at the picture.

Flare Bevel Grove Weld
It’s completely the same as the flare bevel grove butt weld I spoke of earlier. But it’s also a category of flare bevel groove weld.

Lap Joint
Lap joints are basically putting one metal slab on top of another and joining them. You’ll get a clearer idea by looking at the different categories and their pictures.

Fillet Lap Joint
This is as simple as it gets. Place the metal slabs on top of each other and just like filleting a fish weld them..

Plug Weld Lap Joint
A hole is bored through the top metal and the welding is done through the hole. This way no one can see the weld and the joints will be strong too.

Slot Weld Lap Joint
Much the plug weld but instead of a whole a long slot is to be created and the slot’s to be welded. This gives the joint a more natural look.

Spot Weld Lap Joint
Takes very little weld to get this joint done. Not the most good looking joint bit it’s easy and handy.
You’ll just have to place one metal sheet on top of the other and weld at multiple spots from the sides the sheets are aligned.

Bevel Grove Weld Lap Joint
A bevel is created from the side of the smaller sheet and on that side where the sheets are not aligned. Welding is done in the grove. This process gives a more finished look and durable joint.

J Grove Weld Lap Joint
The groove created here looks a lot more like “J” and thus the name J grove weld.

Corner Joint
This type of joint is typically used when the two metal slabs are placed at 90 degrees to each other.

Fillet Weld – Corner Joint
This might not be the most used corner joint as in other cases of a fillet weld. Here the slabs are to be kept at 90 degrees in the following way and the space created is to be filled with filler metal by welding.

Spot Weld Corner Joint
The metal slabs are positioned perpendicularly by keeping one on top of the other. The weld is done as if the end results will look like spots.

Butt Weld Corner Joint
The slabs are to be positioned as in the picture and the whole joint is to be welded from the sides.

V Grove Weld – Corner Joint
The bevel is to be created in both slabs such that the two of the slabs create a V-shaped groove. The weld is to be done in the V.

J Grove Weld – Corner Joint
A grove has to be created from one of the slabs from the joining portions that the grove somewhat looks like that of a quarter of a circle. You’ll be welding in the grove and fill it up and later grind it to give it a finished look.

U Grove Weld – Corner Joint
This one is just like the J grove weld but the grove is to be created from both of the slabs and make the grove look like a semi-circle. This gives more space for the filler metal and creates a firm corner joint.

Flare V Grove Weld Corner Joint
Metals slabs are to be bent at 90 degrees and kept side by side in the following manner and welded in the grove. Proper grinding will vanish the grove and make it plain.

Edge Weld in Corner Joint
Metal slabs are to be kept one on top of the other and welded from the edges.

Corner Flange Weld
One of the sheets is to be bent and the other is to be kept as it is and welded from the sides.

Edge Joint
In this case, the welding is done from the edges of the slabs.

Square Grove Weld or Butt Weld
This is the simplest form of edge weld. The slabs are to be placed one on top of the other and welded.

Bevel Grove Weld
A bevel is made on one of the slabs and placed on top of the other. This makes the interspace look a lot like half V.

V Grove Weld
The bevel is to be created from both sides, thus making a “V” shaped interspace. A lot more space is created for the filler metals this way.

J Grove Weld
Creating a rounded groove on one of the joining slabs and placing it on top of the other you’ll find a grove which looks like a quarter of a circle.

U Grove Weld
You’ll have to be creating a circular grove from both sides and the semicircle that’ll arise from this is to be welded.

Edge Flange Joint
Here both of the metal sheets are to be bent at 90 degrees and the edges are to be welded.

Corner Flange Joint
One of the metal sheets is to be bent at right angles and the other as it is. Now you’ll weld the edges and get the corner joint you want.

Conclusion
By this time, you are already starting to think that you should have used that particular type of joint for your project. All of these types of welding joints will indeed get you through any sort of welding projects that you will be facing.
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