Vertical Welding Question
 

So in class we did a little vertical fillet welding, bottom to top,
arc welding, 6013 rods, IIRC. Anyhoo, I got pretty good at it, except
that I have hell establishing a puddle at the bottom without it falling
out a time or two. I asked the teacher (well, a sub) and all he did was
tell me to preheat my rod by holding the arc a little long for a bit
after striking it. I'm pretty sure I was doing that anyway, since I
made a habit of it, but I went and tried anyhow, no change.
How to get a puddle established when welding up?
Another question, possibly related: Sitting and thinking, I believe
my technique might have been wrong, after I got a puddle going, even if
I did get a good weld out of it. I had my rod pointed upwards into the
weld just a little, maybe 10 degrees or so. Is that correct, or was I
supposed to lean it the other way? Pointing it down into the weld would
be more consistent with the way I hold it when welding flat. And would
that be the source of my starting problem?
Spring break now, so can't play anymore for a couple of weeks. Damn
vacation!

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net
http://web2.airmail.net/thegoat4/

"B.B." u wrote in message
...
I had my rod pointed upwards into the
weld just a little, maybe 10 degrees or so. Is that correct, or was I
supposed to lean it the other way? Pointing it down into the weld would
be more consistent with the way I hold it when welding flat. And would
that be the source of my starting problem?

My gut feeling is you'd want it pointed slightly into the deposited bead,
but then again I go out of my way to make my joints flat so I'm no exspurt
on this. g

Spring break now, so can't play anymore for a couple of weeks. Damn
vacation!

Bah! Get your own ;)

Which reminds me, we got a 50A circuit put in, now I can weld in style at
maximum amperage... woohoo!
Now I just need to install the rectifier, and HF starter, and argon bottle,
and tungsten rod, and I'm set! ;-D

Tim

--
"California is the breakfast state: fruits, nuts and flakes."
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms