Welding Tips and Tricks

I have a question about my filling technique for structural steel when I am doing my overhead horizontal my stringer beads seem to let gravity over take them and they seem to wanna just run down instead of filling in the top is this normal for a beginning overhead welder? And what could I do to overcome this problem? Any help is a plus thanks for your guys help

Trapperdude464 wrote:I have a question about my filling technique for structural steel when I am doing my overhead horizontal my stringer beads seem to let gravity over take them and they seem to wanna just run down instead of filling in the top is this normal for a beginning overhead welder? And what could I do to overcome this problem? Any help is a plus thanks for your guys help

This is pretty normal at first.

What works for me is to run hot enough to keep a very tight arc, and push the puddle just a bit. This lets arc-force spread the puddle out more, puts more of the heat ahead of the rod (and with higher heat you can move faster), which lets the puddle chill quicker.

Steve S

Thanks I will try this is there anything else that would help me with overhead? Thanks

Wax on, wax off, wax on, wax off. The very best thing you can do is burn rod, burn more rod, keep on burning rod and it will all come to you with experience. There just ain't no easy way - burn rod.

Otto Nobedder wrote:

Trapperdude464 wrote:I have a question about my filling technique for structural steel when I am doing my overhead horizontal my stringer beads seem to let gravity over take them and they seem to wanna just run down instead of filling in the top is this normal for a beginning overhead welder? And what could I do to overcome this problem? Any help is a plus thanks for your guys help

This is pretty normal at first.

What works for me is to run hot enough to keep a very tight arc, and push the puddle just a bit. This lets arc-force spread the puddle out more, puts more of the heat ahead of the rod (and with higher heat you can move faster), which lets the puddle chill quicker.

Steve S

This is the method I use as well, took me awhile to run fast and consistent. What rod are you running, I assume 7018?

Otto Nobedder wrote:

Trapperdude464 wrote:I have a question about my filling technique for structural steel when I am doing my overhead horizontal my stringer beads seem to let gravity over take them and they seem to wanna just run down instead of filling in the top is this normal for a beginning overhead welder? And what could I do to overcome this problem? Any help is a plus thanks for your guys help

This is pretty normal at first.

What works for me is to run hot enough to keep a very tight arc, and push the puddle just a bit. This lets arc-force spread the puddle out more, puts more of the heat ahead of the rod (and with higher heat you can move faster), which lets the puddle chill quicker.

Steve S

This is the method I use as well, took me awhile to run fast and consistent. What rod are you running, I assume 7018 or 8018?

Thank you all of you and yes its a 6010 root w/7018 fill

Trapperdude464 wrote:Thank you all of you and yes its a 6010 root w/7018 fill

It sounds, from your original question, that the 6010 root is not giving you trouble, just the 7018 passes. That's good, because you have half this cat skinned when you can do 6010 overhead.

Steve S

Yes its the filling I'm havingbtrouble with and it almost always starts giving me trouble half way through the filling process and I'll try burning the rod a little bit hotter.

The last time i went for it I didn't get to finish it because my wife went into labor halfway threw but I was burning at 135 with a 7018 on half inch plate and it seemed when I tried to push the rod up to get it to fill the upside it looked as ifnit was making the grove wider like I had to fill more ofnit in.

O yea the root is 1\8 inch 6010 with a 1\8 7018 fill thanknyou for all your help and any advice is appreciated I am new to overhead welding so any input is a plus

135 is plenty hot on an overhead with a 1/8". 140 is the top suggested rating of the rod. I think I'd focus more on arc length, rod angle, and travel speed before going hotter. You "should" be able to find the sweet spot within the recommendations, and on a weld test for a job, you may have no choice (specific WPS for a job test...).

Steve S

I'd fill at 130 or so and cap at 120.
Slight push angle.
You can move faster then you think....

AKweldshop wrote:I'd fill at 130 or so and cap at 120.
Slight push angle.
You can move faster then you think....

Agreed.

I've only been teaching students since last October, but I noticed they all made the same mistake every time when they first started out, and that was they had too long an arc. All my students were used to feeding a rod downward, going with the flow of gravity, and once they had to go against gravity and feed upward they all went too slow and this caused them to long arc. They'd start out good, and then long arc, get back in the groove, and then long arc again. Keep a tight arc and move as quick as your amps and puddle will allow.

Thank you everyone I finally got some plate test pieces that I can practice on at the house. I will let you know how it goes thank you for everyone's advice

Thanks all for your info and advice I have went on to pass my second structural steel test today!! I passed this one today for a job doing small-medium size steel structures around my house thanks for everyone's advice

Glad we could help.

Rock on bro

Congrats its a great feeling defeating those tests....

Congrats! There is nothing like the feeling the first time you pass these tests!