Class appears to be paying off...

dstig1 · Mar 18, 2011

Last night, we started into overhead position. Laps, butts, Tees. Mostly 6010, but then when I was doing fine on all of those, I grabbed some 7018 and did that in overhead too. Looks better in person than in the pic, IMHO... Only one tiny little spot of undercut where I slipped. It was done inverted from how it is pictured (the short leg was upside down). 115A, DC+

Mark @ Everlast · Mar 19, 2011

Its not bad at all. You must be using 1/8?

I'd slow down the forward travel a little more, not stepping so much forward at one time.

dstig1 · Mar 19, 2011

Yep, 1/8". I do tend to step too large, but can't seem to get that tighter for some mental block reason. I'm not rock steady, and that is a lot of where it shows, I think. I was pleased as punch that I had no undercut. That's been what has been killing me the most.

Chilly807 · Mar 25, 2011

dstig1 said:
Yep, 1/8". I do tend to step too large, but can't seem to get that tighter for some mental block reason. I'm not rock steady, and that is a lot of where it shows, I think. I was pleased as punch that I had no undercut. That's been what has been killing me the most.

I'm far from an expert welder, but I'll share my experiences with undercut. I usually get it under two conditions, first being that I spend too long on the "turn" at the end of a weave. That allows the arc more time to burn into the base metal. Second is simply too high an amperage setting.

I find if I'm welding two different thickness pieces, I have to spend less time on the thin piece side, otherwise it'll start to undercut.

Nice looking weld by the way :thumbsup:

Sean

JB4310 · Mar 26, 2011

So you are saying you did that out of position/ overhead? if so I would say it is very good.

JB

dstig1 · Mar 26, 2011

Yep - overhead. Basically flip it over from how it is sitting, and that is the orientation it was welded in. That's one of the big things I was looking to get out of class - out of position work, and we've been doing a lot of it.

Ridgewalker · Mar 26, 2011

Very nice weld! That's a skill I am wanting to get better at myself.

dstig1 · Mar 26, 2011

Thanks! I can't recommend strongly enough taking a class. $300 at the tech/community college, and I bet I'm burning half money that in rods and steel. Plus not on my electric bill. And having a good instructor to guide you along really helps.

Mark @ Everlast · Mar 27, 2011

Its amazing how daunting and frustrating out of position welding is, until, you have just a little guidance, and time to practice. It comes quickly, and is not as difficult as you thought. Of course, hot spark shower you get is not any fun, unless you get joy out of pain. Wait until you do some stainless overhead.

Overhead gets my back now, since I have some serious with arthritis and some bad disks. But I can still manage it for a little while. I am not all that old, but having several injuries to my back since I was a teenager and early onset of arthritis in my family, it looks as it is only going to get harder to get my hands over my head for any length of time. Of course, if I can lay on the floor and weld overhead, I ought to be able to do it all day. Being comfortable as you can be is key to a good weld in or out of position.

JB4310 · Mar 27, 2011

Where do I sign up? I've been welding over 30 years, mig, stick, gas, portable, in shop etc. I have 3 welders now. But I've never had an overhead weld look that good. I have gotten very good at flipping things over to weld horizontal though :laughing:

Of course I never had a single lesson either, I have done some of the most unorthodox welding you could imagine, but so far nothing has failed

Keep up the good work,

JB.