Tips for welding upside-down?

[drich394]

just as the title says.... any tips? - im not a pro at this by any means, but i am able to lay down a desent bead... but currently im using fluxcore and im expecting my bud to have some argon by this weekend,

 

[kid rok]

Wear a leather jacket, and don't let it drop on you. It's hard to do, but you jsut have to get used to the idea your upside down and move the weld accordingly. I really have no idea, I suck at it.

 

[drich394]

yeah, i was wearing a fleece yesterday, not was not my smartest move of the morning., the feeling of the wire pushing me back is really f'ning me up though.

 

[techtafab]

turn your heat down and try short welds like 1/2 inch long
do you have a stick welder ? i have welded 3 different tranny pans under dozers before with a pipeliner
only had to drain one and touch it up !

 

[wontwork]

Man up on that is what you gotta do.


If its wire turn your wire speed up a little. Wire can only burn so cold so dont turn down the heat.
If its stick leave it alone.
If you where tig welding you would not be asking this question.

Really hard to help without you telling us what your welding with, on, and what type of process you are using.

Also hard to tell you what your doing wrong or correct without seeing the welds.

 

[drich394]

im useing a mig, but i do have a stick, guess i could jsut botch it up on the bottom, this is a shity pic of what im working, sorry no direct bottom shot, ,,

THIS WAS THE BEFORE

 

[InDaShop]

I usually run 75-80% of the wire of what I'd run in flat position. Practice. Lock a piece of tube in the vice thats long enough to weld a piece of plate to the top of from a standing position reaching up, then use some scrap strips and weld "T-fillets" upside down until you like the results from your machine.

It so much easier to practice that way, than "out of position" under a car, arm around the exhaust, and trying to dial it in.


Also throw in a set of earplugs. It will keep hot slag from dropping and getting super highway'd through your eardrums. I now a guy here in Houston that has brain damage from overhead welding and catching slag through the eardrums and into his brain. He's also deaf in that ear now.



Before Bonneville this year I had to do some random overhead, and I was way out of practice. One thing I lacked was all of the "weights" for the car, 4" tubing filled with lead shotgun shot BB's. I had to weld a cap an end, then fill full of shot, then weld the other end. I did all of my cap welding in overhead for practice. A couple of my dads buddies came over and saw and were like WTF. I said I was just eeping up on practice and dialing my welder in for these other pieces. Then they saw my welds they couldnt believe I did it overhead they were so good. Practice!!!

 

[drich394]

thanks ill have to start trying it more often, , and as far as slag in the ear- , never thought about that

 

[RobbyBobby]

don't weld upside down, hell i set my fawking balls on fire doin that ****.....next time you need to weld somethin on the bottom of yer rig, just take it out in the yard and do donuts till it flips over, then you can weld in the normal position

 

[InDaShop]

Haley "Wont Work" is a welding teacher if he says turn the wire up a bit try that as well. I cant weld that way, I end up balling up and dropping weld, or going to fast and it gets no heat. Find what works for you, has the heat and looks right.

 

[drich394]

i had the heat down at 1 due to the sheet metel on top, but this is a pinchweld on the bottom, may just need to turn up the heat since to wire is hitting a pushing me back on speed 2 - thanks WontWork

 

[techtafab]

a little practice goes a long way
from welding like you would any other time, for me just turn the heat down a click and jump in there
but then again i was self taught in 1978 at a muffler shop so overhead welding was what we did

 

[drich394]

don't weld upside down, hell i set my fawking balls on fire doin that ****.....next time you need to weld somethin on the bottom of yer rig, just take it out in the yard and do donuts till it flips over, then you can weld in the normal position

yeah, been there,

 

[wontwork]

Overhead sheetmetal will require tacks. You will never get a welder turned low enough to weld a beed.

 

[B Gillespie]

just take it out in the yard and do donuts till it flips over, then you can weld in the normal position

RB with the best advice! Watch Aetna vids for inspiration.

On the farm I have flopped equipment to make repairs easier. Just make sure its stable and you have bigger equipment to flop it back. I detest welding upside down. More manageable with a TIG.

 

[drich394]

good to know, but im really needing some strenth in it..... should i knick some flat stock and weld over the seam? this area is going to see some hard hits

 

[B Gillespie]

BTW, it's spelled welder-ing or weldered-ing, depending on geographical location.

 

[drich394]

 

[wontwork]

good to know, but im really needing some strenth in it..... should i knick some flat stock and weld over the seam? this area is going to see some hard hits

A weld can be very strong, but the material that you are welding to is still sheetmetal. Your weld is gona be stronger than the metal you are welidng to in your case. Adding flat stock to it will only move the shear point from one piece of sheetmetal to another.

 

[drich394]

good piont, i just hope that the 2x6 tubing will not shift the impact through and too the subframe, ive seen this on pirate and NAXJA without too mant issues.