overhead welding

[chippinghammer]

Hello everybody, of course I,m new here. I am currently in the certifying stages at school. Monday I will start certing in overhead mig using an .030 wire with 3/8 thick cold roll. my settings are as follows, wire speed is 47 ipm's and my voltage setting is 21, this is a millermatic welder. Any suggestions on techniques to use?

 

[Peternick]

Just started the same myself though I am probably a bit older than you. Technique that worked for me was to keep the speed of the torch as slow as possible, with the voltage and the wire speed reduced. A slight weave also helps to flatten out the weld bead. A few practice runs will get you going in the right direction.

I am sure that plenty of people on the forum who actually know how to do this will bring you up to speed in far more detail than I have, especially as I only started doing overhead last night on T fillets.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

 

[aametalmaster]

Depending on which hander you are one direction will run better than the other. Try to rest at least your elbow or forearm on something to steady yourself. If you are RH rest your left arm. Then pick a direction and go with it with a little weave and the gun at a 45 to the steel if it is a tee joint upside down. I keep the gun about 5 or 10 degrees back so you are actually pushing the wire rather than drag it. Hope this helps...Bob

 

[chippinghammer]

the test consists of two 3/8" plates 3"wx5"L, with a 1"wx7"L backing plate. Thanks for the advise everybody, it really helps. By the way, how do yah like my avatar? It's a piggy bank I made from some old wood I had laying around the house.