The primary objectives this investigation are: 1. To present a discussion of known submerged arc welding variables and their general affect on weld bead appearance 2. To design an experiment to investigate the affect on weld joint strength and hardness distribution across the weldment by using (1) Four different welding currents (450, 500, 550, and 650 amps). (2) Three different steels (M 1020, SAE 1045 and SAE 1095) and (3) Two different electrodes (Hobart type C-10 and C-20) as variables in the experiment. 3. To establish the welding technique and procedure to control welding variables. 4. To collect unavailable data about the submerged arc process by experimentation and statistically interpret this data. After the preliminary investigation, the author statistically designed the testing procedure for the randomized test specimens for hardness of weld zone and hear-affected zone and applied statistical technique to determine significant effects on weld quality due to the variables. The conclusions are given in chapter I. / Master of Science