HD Manual Arc Welders
©2000 CIGWELD All rights reserved
24
c) Vertical
Welds
i) Vertical
Up
Tack weld a three feet length of angle iron to your work bench in an upright
position. Use a 3.2mm Ferrocraft 21 electrode and set the current at 100 amps.
Make yourself comfortable on a seat in front of the job and strike the arc in the
corner of the fillet. The electrode needs to be about 10
°
from the horizontal to
enable a good bead to be deposited. Refer Figure 15. Use a short arc, and do not
attempt to weave on the first run. When the first run has been completed deslag
the weld deposit and begin the second run at the bottom. This time a slight
weaving motion is necessary to cover the first run and obtain good fusion at the
edges. At the completion of each side motion, pause for a moment to allow weld
metal to build up at the edges, otherwise undercut will form and too much metal
will accumulate in the centre of the weld. Figure 16 illustrates multi-run
technique and Figure 17 shows the effects of pausing at the edge of weave and of
weaving too rapidly.
Figure 15 - Single run vertical fillet weld
Figure 16 - Multi run vertical fillet weld
ii) Vertical
Down
The Ferrocraft 21 electrode makes welding in this position particularly easy.
Use a 3.2mm electrode at 100 amps.
The tip of the electrode is held in light
contact with the work and the speed
of downward travel is regulated so
that the tip of the electrode just keeps
ahead of the slag. The electrode
should point upwards at an angle of
about 45
°
.
iii) Overhead
Welds
Apart from the rather awkward
position necessary, overhead welding is not
much more difficult that downhand
welding. Set up a specimen for overhead
welding by first tacking a length of angle
iron at right angles to another piece of
angle iron or a length of waste pipe. Then
tack this to the work bench or hold in a vice
so that the specimen is positioned in the
overhead position as shown in the sketch.
The electrode is held at 45
°
to the horizontal and tilted 10
°
in the line of travel
(Figure 18). The tip of the electrode may be touched lightly on the metal, which
helps to give a steady run. A weave technique is not advisable for overhead fillet
welds. Use a 3.2mm Ferrocraft 12XP electrode at 100 amps, and deposit the first
Figure 17 - Examples of vertical fillet
welds
Figure 18 - Overhead fillet weld
