Overhead welding

[turbo466]

I am 17 and use my dad's old AC 225 buzzbox to weld all kinds of stuff on the farm. Everything goes great until I try to weld something above my head, then it turns out like crap.

Am I just a sucky welder or is it a tough job to make strong nice looking overhead welds with AC? I usually us 6011's at 100-120 amp on 3/16 steel.

 

[gerard]

I'm sure someone will post but it's not that you're a "sucky welder." Different rods have different results depending on up welds, down welds, or overhead. 6011 leaves a very fluid puddle so it's going to drip before it cools. Not good for overhead welding. Try a google search on the best ac rod for overhead. I can't recall off the top of my head.

 

[Sandlot]

See if you can get a couple rods of 7018. I haven't tried it in an AC machine, but I have used it in a DC machine overhead. Remember to where ear plugs when welding overhead, or a welding cap large enough to cover your ears. You don't want slag dropping in your ear canal. That is a sizzle you don't want to hear!

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

AC is not the best for overhead. You will want to try to whip the rod, not weave it. If you are not familiar with whipping (not the corporal kind), it is where your drag the rod in front of the weld, out of the puddle slightly and back into it as it begins to cool. Its a fairly fast movement. I don't know what size rods you are using. But on 3/16, try 3/32 rod and maybe about 80 amps. It sounds as if you are running it too hot to start with. Because you are welding overhead, gravity will work against you if you don't control the heat well.

 

[Shield Arc]

Practice, practice, practice, practice, once you get the hang of it overhead is no different than flat!
First thing you need to do is get over the fear of getting burned, trust me you're going to get burned, get use to it!:laughing:
I suggest you practice with some fillet welding first, before moving onto plate. Then I really hate to tell you this, but it will get you welding overhead faster, but it is a very bad habit to get into for more advanced welding latter. For now make your travel direction away from you, stand right under the puddle and let the sparks fall in your face. Once you get the hang of it, and your arms get use to it, stand back. Soon as you can, break this habit of traveling away from you, travel towards you!:thumbsup:

 

[tb525]

Another bad habit that new welders need to break themselves of, while welding overhead, is the tendency to travel too fast. They see material dripping and think it is steel from their weld puddle, so they speed their travel up to try to compensate. What they are seeing dripping is just slag..

 

[JerryK]

Ah.....laying on a big piece of cardboard.....in an old T-shirt....welding a 4" I beam to the bottom of an old commercial wood chipper... Those were good times.......

 

[Shield Arc]

Ah.....laying on a big piece of cardboard.....in an old T-shirt....welding a 4" I beam to the bottom of an old commercial wood chipper... Those were good times.......

Jerry the part I hate about welding in a position like that, my arms, chest, and stomach are all use to being burned. Two burns that will make me jump straight up, a blob down my ear, or on my rib cage!
Well there's another part but we don't need to go into that.:laughing:

 

[JerryK]

Jerry the part I hate about welding in a position like that, my arms, chest, and stomach are all use to being burned. Two burns that will make me jump straight up, a blob down my ear, or on my rib cage!
Well there's another part but we don't need to go into that.:laughing:

And...if you are laying on cardboard that is laying on the grass..your body weight depresses the cardboard so all the slag lands on the cardboard, then quickly rolls towards/under you....as you squirm in agony... [ not a well thought out job, but one you want to get over with fast... ]

 

[jayste]

A lot of good advice here especially the practice, practice, practice! Also, good stories all of which I can relate to!:laughing::thumbsup: Nothing like the smell of burning hair and I don't mean branding calves! Slag and molten steel coming to rest on your belly role is pretty special! BUT it beats it going further if your wearing loose clothing!

Turbo, don't be set back by all of this. You can get it just keep all of this in mind and "button up". Some leather sleeves might be handy as well.:thumbsup: