Welding Vertical

[retroblazer]

I'm welding .120 wall tubing to my frame. The tube will intersect the side of the frame at a 45 degree angle. I'm using a mig welder. My question is do I start at the top and weld down or start at the bottom and push up? /forums/images/graemlins/weld.gif

 

[MR4WD]

Vertical up is better, but fairly hard to do a decent job of. Vertical down is easier, but not quite as strong. Try vertical up weaving (figure 8's)

 

[retroblazer]

Thanks for the help. I try out the fig.8's on my mock up.

 

[SkulzNBonz]

As far as .120 tubing is concerned, you can weld downhill without much worry about weld strength. Turn your amperage up slightly and go. To weld vert uphill, you will want to turn the amperage down slightly. For someone other than a pro, vertical down for most applications is the safest bet.

John

 

[retroblazer]

I tried both. The downhill method worked out better.Now, if I only didn't lose track of where I was welding. I've spent too much time grinding away my mistakes.

 

[m j]

what is the best torch angle?

 

[sled_dog]

every pro welder I've vern talked to said weld uphill. If you weld downhill it lets the impurities that are melting down go into your welds. I don't have a problem welding up so I do it.

 

[Zeus33rd]

With a MIG welder on .120 material, weld down hill, with your torch angle pointed slightly up from horizontal. This will keep the puddle from trying to over run the arc. If you run horizontal, or pointed slightly down, the puddle will, in most cases, over run the arc. The arc will be on top of the puddle instead of on the base metal were ya want it for penetration.

 

[highrider_44s]

does this go for a stick welder as well? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[big jimmy 91]

For stronger welds , weld up with a stick /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[Zeus33rd]

[ QUOTE ]
does this go for a stick welder as well? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

No. Hehe, does not apply to stick welding. Stick welding you want to weld a verticle weld going up. This is because there is the "slag puddle" on top of the regular puddle. If you try to weld down while stick welding, the slag will want to run down over the puddle. Just won't work right. THere are different rods that will make it work better...IE- 6010/6011. Those two rods you can weld pretty much anything, clean or dirty, in any position, up or down. Kinda hard to use, and makes an ugly weld. I hate using either one. If I'm stick welding, which is very rare these days, I use any of the XX18 series rods for mild steel. Years ago I was certified with the XX18 rods on plate steel. Actually ran the test with 11018 rod. AWS D1.1- unlimited thickness all positions. /forums/images/graemlins/pimp1.gif

 

[SkulzNBonz]

[ QUOTE ]
Actually ran the test with 11018 rod. AWS D1.1

[/ QUOTE ]
Hey, you speak my language /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif All hail the mighty Code /forums/images/graemlins/woot.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

John

 

[bga]

Heh, finally a post I truly know something about! I'm a welder by trade, so I'll throw my advice out there.

On any type of welding, other than whats called "Triggering", an uphill weld is much, much stronger. You simply don't get the same amount of heat to the steel when running downhill, therefor your weld is not penetrating as much as an uphill weld.

For your tube, I believe GOOD downhill welds would be more than enough however I would suggest uphill or multi downhill passes on the critical joints.

I've given this advise to many people since becoming an AWS Instructor: "I would feel safer with a strong, ugly weld rather than a perfect, weak weld."

If you've got a friend with a TIG or Dry TIG setup, you'd be in heaven when it comes to rollcage welding!

 

[84gmcjimmy]

I didn't have time to read this whole thing over again, but when welding downhill turn up the heat, when welding uphill turn down the heat a bit. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[darkshadow]

[ QUOTE ]
I use any of the XX18 series rods for mild steel

[/ QUOTE ]


i like to use e7018s on anything heavy and critical, and e7014 on smaller stuff. I think for beginers xx18 would be a harder rod to start with do to the glassy coating you get from the coating... but thats my 2 cents. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[bga]

[ QUOTE ]
I think for beginers xx18 would be a harder rod to start with do to the glassy coating you get from the coating... but thats my 2 cents. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. 7018's are by far the easiest rod for beginning welders to learn on.