V-groove weld
A V on the reference line: a V-groove weld, a groove weld made in a V-shaped groove between two members.
This explains what a symbol specifies on a drawing. It isn't welding instruction, and a drawing's own notes and the governing code take precedence.
How to read it
A groove weld is made by depositing filler metal in a groove between two members to be joined. The groove angle is the total angle of the groove between the two parts. The Navy's Steelworker course gives the example of two plates whose edges are each beveled to 30 degrees, which makes a groove angle of 60 degrees. India's IS 813:1986, which draws on ISO 2553, calls this weld a single-V butt weld.
More welding symbols
Sources
- Steelworker, Volume 1, NAVEDTRA 14250, 1996, Naval Education and Training Professional Development and Technology Center, U.S. Navy (Internet Archive), Chapter 3, Drawings and specifications
- Welding Theory and Application, TM 9-237, 1967, Department of the Army (Internet Archive), Glossary
- Scheme of symbols for welding, IS 813:1986, Bureau of Indian Standards (Internet Archive, Public.Resource.Org), Table 1
Last reviewed September 25, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research