Welding Merit Badge
Seven requirements. Hazards and first aid (1), safety data sheets, safety gear worn and equipment care (2), welding terms (3), cutting methods (4), and two welding processes with one set up and its area approved by your counselor (5). Only after 1 through 5 come the six welds of requirement 6, on the equipment prepared in 5(b), with your counselor inspecting the T and lap joints before they are welded. Then careers and the American Welding Society (7).
The plan behind this
Requirement 6 comes last, and says so
Requirement 6 begins: "After successfully completing requirements 1 through 5, use the equipment you prepared for the welding process in 5(b)". So the order is fixed: the safety, terms and processes first, then the setup your counselor inspects and approves in 5(b), then the welding.
Requirement 6: six welds
| part | what you weld | counselor check |
|---|---|---|
| 6(a) | sketch your initial on a metal plate with a metal scribe or soapstone, and weld a bead following it | |
| 6(b) | cover a small plate (approximately 3" x 3" x 1/4") with weld beads side by side | |
| 6(c) | tack two plates together in a square groove butt joint | |
| 6(d) | weld the two plates from 6(c) together on both sides | |
| 6(e) | tack two plates in a T joint, then weld a T joint with fillet weld on both sides | inspects the tack first |
| 6(f) | tack two plates in a lap joint, then weld a lap joint with fillet weld on both sides | inspects the tack first |
Shown, not only explained
2(b): after describing the safety gear and clothing that must be worn, present yourself properly dressed for welding, in protective equipment, clothing and footwear. 2(c): explain and demonstrate the proper care and storage of welding equipment, tools, and protective clothing and footwear. 1(b): show that you know first aid for, and prevention of, welding injuries and illnesses.
Requirement 5: choose and set up
Select two welding processes and list the components of the equipment each requires, with one advantage and one limitation of each (5(a)). Then choose one process and set it up, including gas regulators, work clamps, cables, filler materials and equipment settings, and have your counselor inspect and approve the area (5(b)).
What this page is
The Welding merit badge, drawn so the welding of requirement 6 is drawn as depending on requirements 1 through 5 and on the setup approved in 5(b), with the counselor's checks marked. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Welding Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2026-01-07 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .