[iLLblazer]

When laying beads (for notches etc) when you are welding vertically, does it matter if you weld up or down. Cuz its a helll of a lot nicer lookin and easier goin down. I'm arc welding if that matters. Thanks.

 

[S-10 Vinnie]

yes it does.... with MIG you always weld up. i'm not to sure about ARC cause i'm not to good at it.

 

[00s-ten00]

actually he's arc welding so you do drag the electrode down hill. what electrode are you using?

 

[iLLblazer]

Box says Fleetweld 37+, 1/8", 11lb. They are lincoln electrodes. I'm just practicing on 1/4" plate at work. One of the mechainics said I need to weld up though..but down seems to work much better.

 

[Novaracer]

If I were you I would get a mig with gas and learn how to weld with that.Mig looks way better unless you are going to grind the welds smooth after?

 

[00s-ten00]

i agree about the mig... that mechanic obviously hasnt ever learned the proper way to weld. there should be a sequence of four numbers on the box. for example. 6010 7018 etc. some weld better and cleaner than others. is it also a lincoln welder?

 

[kys10x]

weld up its stronger if its to ugly for you grind it smooth but if u grind it smooth make sure u bevel the edges of your notch to give the weld something to bite too. but like novaracer said get a mig with gas just make sure its powerful enough to weld up to a 1/4 thick

 

[alteredimage]

Definetly weld uphill with a stick rod. You want to be using a 7018 rod. Point the rod up hill and travel upward moving side to side. With some practice you can make it look as nice or better than a mig weld. Mig is easier to learn because you only have to worry about your travel speed and not travel speed and arc distance like stick welding. You want to have a nice fit or it will blow through preaty easy. If you have some gaps you can use a 6010 or 6011 if you have an ac only machine. I'm not sure if 7018 is ac compatable but I know the 11 is. I'll do alittle reserch and get back to you on that. When welding down hill you trap slag under the weld which creates porosity and you get a weak weld. If you need any tips let me know.

Also an ugly weld is a week weld so practice untill it looks nice and both peices are tied in together. You can always grind down the practice plates to check for porosity.

With 3/32 7018 you will want to run around 80 amps with 3/32 6011 you will need to cut the amprage back some. 7018 would be the wire of choice you just run a continues bead with it keeping the pudle the same diamiter as you travel. With the 6010 or 6011 you whip the rod. Making a stack of dimes.

The 7018 has to have a clean weld area to weld to the 6010 or 11 is a deep penetrating rod and will burn out rust and impurities out of the weld.

 

[lownineyfo]

why would u weld uphill..wouldnt gravity naturally want to pull the puddle down hill and in the opposite way of the way u r going

 

[iLLblazer]

OK, so do i weld uphill or down? The reason I'm ARC welding is that I already have an arc at home, so I want to be able to use it on my truck, since I don't have the $ for a MIG. I also heard arc was a stronger weld for frames and suspensions...

 

[alteredimage]

Is it a AC DC welder or AC only?

You weld uphill because the gravity pulls the flux down and if you weld downhill you end up welding over the flux creating a hollow spot in the weld.

If you practice enough you can get a nice bead with no hangers!

 

[iLLblazer]

Its a Miller AC only welder. Plugs into a 220V. This is the one at work that I'm using till I put an outlet in for my home one. Mine at home is a lincoln. Not sure if its ac or ac/dc. It is 220V as well. # on the electrodes is E6013/E41013.

 

[foedoeblaza]

well I am in a welding calss right now and I learned that it doesnt matter which way you weld just make sure you get good flow-in on both pieces and good penetration

 

[alteredimage]

I wouldn't use either of those rods.

6013Can be used with ac strait polarity. Used for fast travel speed and smaller welds, medium penetratimg rod, Primary use is single pass welding of thin sheet metal in flat, horizontal and vertical down hand positions.

E410 is a stainless electrode for welding stainless steel and is such a pure electrod that it cracks very very easilly.

AND IT DOES MATER YOU SHOULD WELD UPHILL ON ANYTHING STRUCTURAL!

I would go buy a 5lb box of e7018 3/32 and you will have pleanty.

e7018 Sutibale for welding low and medium carbon steels in all positions and type of joints, weld metal quality and mechanical properties highest of all mild steel electrodes; useable with dc reversed polarity or ac power.

 

[Dj Fx]

not to sure about arc but mig u always push the welder the way u are going ya know

dont pull it push it

might help with arc not to sure though

 

[alteredimage]

with arc welding SMAW to be technical you pull the puddle exept when welding vertical you point the rod uppward.

 

[00s-ten00]

When welding down hill you trap slag under the weld which creates porosity and you get a weak weld.

thats actually a false statement. first of all you should point the end of the electrode up and drag down. if you do this all the slag get blown away from the weld pool. it does not trap impurities or and slag underneath the weld. when welding uphill it heats up the top piece of your plate and when you get towards the top of the plate it could either blow out your material you are welding on or you could overheat the plate and it will create fractures in the plate. if you point the electrode downhill and weld downhill it will blow the slag onto the plate in front of you creating imperfections in your weld. like you described. when you start welding for a living and going to welding school at night, and get about 5 years arc welding 6 years mig welding and about a year of tig welding under your belt let me know. or i can have my teacher who is a certified weld inspector and a union pipefitter of 35 years prove you wrong. either way you can decide i just hate to see people give wrong info.

 

[alteredimage]

Try boilermakeing and then you know what welding is. Everything I weld is a structural peice or a preasure vessel or tube. What kind of preasures do fitters deal with 2 pounds! try 1500 then yopu can tell me how to weld.

 

[alteredimage]

If I don't know any thing about welding I better turn in my dot license ,my g8 , and my common arc certifications then huh

Oh and by the way I have been welding since I was around 10 years old. smaw and gmaw and gtaw since I was like 12 or so.

I don't mean to be a dick but why are you going to welding school if you know how to weld.

Next time your at shcool weld up some 3/8 plate with a 37deg bevel open root weld one uphill and the other down then do a bend test and tell me what you find.

 

[00s-ten00]

im going to welding school so after im done with that i can transfer to a four year school to get a engineering degree and or become a cwi.my teacher has done structural and boilermaking he has also worked on numerous nuclear powerplants where all welds are x rayed. i have welded 3/8 plate with an open root... i like to tig the first pass especially when welding pipe. that gives a nice smooth transfer inside the pipe. i can also do it with stick.going downhill just works better for alot of applications.