Hello,
Base on my experiences neither of those options will definitively tell you the materials spec.
The first option is just an estimate (since you cannot directly relate metal hardness with tensile strength) and also take into account that you are only testing the harness of the surface...
What is the guidance we performing a weld metal build up of CS on CS with FCAW. The current thickness is around an inch, however, with the higher heat input of FWCA distortion might be a concern.
