According to a welding symbol, the included angle of a vee-groove joint is to be 45 degrees. How should the plates be prepared?

• A. Prepare each plate at 22.5 degrees.
• B. Prepare each plate at 45 degrees.
• C. Prepare one plate at 22.5 degrees and the other at 45 degrees.
• D. Prepare both plates flat.

Answer: (A)

To achieve a specific groove angle, bevels are split evenly between the two plates. The included angle is the angle between the bevel faces when the plates are joined. For a 45-degree vee-groove, each plate should be beveled by half of that, 22.5 degrees, so the two bevel faces meet to form the 45-degree groove. If both plates were beveled at 45 degrees, the groove would be 90 degrees; uneven bevels would give a different included angle; leaving the plates flat would not create a vee groove. So bevel each plate at 22.5 degrees.