Techniques For Vertical Up On Various Joints

[traineewelder]

Hey all new member here. Firstly maybe a bit of background information, I am a fitter for Tata Steel in Port Talbot and for the last year I have been going back to college retraining as a welder (serious shortage and an unwillingness to take any on)

After one year I have completed my ABC Fab Welding Level II (flat) MAGS, TIG, MMA and related studies with a distinction and have completed the Level III MMA. This term I am starting my level III proper and it is is all vertically upwards.

The question I have is this; What are the required techniques for vertically up on the MAGS? I have 2 weeks before I start my new term and I plan on doing a decent bit of practice on each of the joints so I can get a bit of a head start. I am not sure about this process 100% on the different techniques required for each of the joints.

The joints we have to complete are;

Bead on a plate 6mm plate
Beads on a plate with weaving 6mm plate
Built up pad 10mm plate
Open outside corner joint 6mm plate
lap fillet 6mm plate
lap fillet 3mm plate
Tee fillet 10mm plate
Vee butt fillet 6mm plate

Tee Fillet (test) 10mm plate
Vee But Fillet (test) 10mm plate

Any information and advice would be gratefully received

P.S. Excuse the waffling in this post

 

[justin]

i have still got my level 3 certificate course paperwork if that's any help to you.
if you are studying in neath college i have probably seen you there. i'm about to start the second year of the level 3 diploma course overhead pipe welding

 

[traineewelder]

Bridgend College mate. Thanks anyway but its not really the paperwork I need its more information regarding the actual techniques required so I can practice vertical up on the mig

 

[Jester]

Hi - Unfortunately I'm no help to you ........ I too am in Tata Port Talbot - HRP Rollshop. Fitter/Turner by trade, Roll Grinder by fate.
I only weld as a 'hobby' ..... normaly, when something non-loadbearing breaks

 

[backpurge]

To be honest it is a technique that is far easier to show someone than try to explain in text. Your settings are critical, a good start point would be to set your machine in a fairly low dip transfer setting as if you were welding sheet metal, you need a fairly short arc length that is producing minimal spatter and a nice "crisp" sound. Just start by trying vertical up stringer beads to give yourself a feel for speeds, angle etc. Once you are comfortable with this try a small weave but do not forget to pause for a couple of seconds at least at each side of the weave and travel as quickly as you can across the middle of the weld without breaking the arc.
You would be far better off getting someone to show you how or try on find an online video first as bad habits are very hard to break and vertical up takes no prisoners

 

[justin]

as backpurge says it is easier to show than to explain, if i was you i would wait untill you start the course so that your tutor can show you the way that he expects you to do it.
when i was doing my level two, we had two instructors teaching us on seperate nights, they had quite different methods to get the same results it could get very confusing trying to remember who taught you what and not mixing things up.
when i did my level three it was much easier as we only had the one tutor showing us one method. you could spend the next 2 weeks learning a method that your tutor considers to be bad practice