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Last Updated on May 17, 2022 by Luis Ferency
Table of Contents
How to MIG Weld Upside Down
Do you belong to the welding profession? Are you updating your skills with time? Do you know how to MIG weld upside down?
Actually, it is essential to go with the flow and get updated skills, experience, and understanding about inverted welding.
Anyhow, hold on!
We are here to guide you on MIG welding; it’ll surely help you a lot.
Are you ready? Let’s go ahead!
Why Inverted Welding?
You go to work on MIG welding two pieces of metal together. It’s no different than any other day, except for one thing: you have to weld upside down. This isn’t as crazy a situation as you might think: several jobs such as car repair or making metal art may require you to MIG weld in an upside-down or overhead position. How can this be accomplished?
MIG welding upside down is a tricky task, but a great skill when learned properly. Keep an arc short, and MIG welder heated. When starting the process, remember to avoid puddling which keeps away the bulbous welds. Move slowly towards the welded area by using either cursive” E” or a short “U” pattern.
The Best Way to Weld Upside Down
Another name of this weld is overhead weld and is a big challenge. The reason for this name is that welder is actually above the head of the person doing welding. To line up the body of the welder with a welding machine is vital, as without proper angle tasks cannot be done smoothly. The weld should focus on the front of the forehead.
Firmness is necessary to get a clean, accurate weld. Sometimes on the basis of position, it is important to use one hand on a welder, and keep the body reinforced with the hand. Whether doing MIG welding or stick welding, it will be great to use both hands. One more thing is to keep the focus on the weld pool all the time. Sometimes upside-down welding can be harmful, the situation changes quickly in most cases.
● Stick Welding
When using a Stick welder for the welding project, it is vital to keep the welder down, and straight up. The best possible angle is 90 degrees. Keep the welder slow, and always move from down to up.
This method provides the best possible penetration. When weld gets solid, it is unable to fix up your mistakes. Amperage settings should be kept, with stick welding. Remember that when doing Up-side down welding gravity works against you.
● MIG welding
It is somewhat the same as stick welding in terms of angle, but in this welding, you hold the welder in a tilt position. The best method is to straight up and down, and tilt back slightly toward the person doing welding. Many reviews tell us that MIG welding is way easier than Stick welding as the user has more control over the weld pool, and can be stopped, or started whenever needed to view the weld. At last, keep welding up, and in front but not directly over you, as it may fall sparkles, and slag on you.
Tips to get weld completed without risking a trip
● Protect Yourself from Sparks
When welding, witnessing sparkles is so common. It is a fact that you are melting metal, it produces more heat, so it is important to stay safe. Use simple accessories before start-up any welding task. Wear a helmet for the safety of eyes, and face. During MIG welding sparkles jump here and there and they are very dangerous.
The risk is even more when doing up-side-down welding, in this method sparkles may go left. Right, up, and down also. Wearing gloves, and a helmet is not enough because they will directly hit you. It is suggested to wear a protection jacket as well. Made from natural materials to provide safety from sparkles. Top suggestions are Miller electric or Lincoln electric jackets as they are made for heavy-duty tasks.
● Control Your Flame & Check Your Feed
Keeping the feed regular, and arc short is the key to MIG welding. When the flame is short, it gives you more control over the welding. Not only in moving the arc easily but also improves weld overall. Focus on the main area to be welded, and try to avoid tracing everywhere.
The next thing is feed, which should be slow but not too much, as too much slower feed makes the welding job irritating. Don’t either make it too fast, as it leads to puddling, and chances become high of burning from liquified metal. Make sure to set the right speed.
● Remember Your Techniques
To get a stable weld upside down, always remember simple techniques. Always use a cursive U or E pattern. They will help to avoid excess puddling, especially when dragging the torch with you.
The next option is to stack, start welding from the center of the area. Once initial welding has to be done, go directly below it and weld again. On the initial weld, do weld one more time to finish the job. This will help to complete upside-down welding, and also give a stable joint.
But what if you have to weld on a larger area. In this regard, try opting for the stringer bead technique, instead of going towards cursive patterns. This technique is good for long runs, but it needs some definite layering. Finally, avoid giving the torch too much angle, as it may cause burning and marks which will ruin the whole weld.
Key Take
So, getting knowledge about inverted welding is very essential, if you also want to know the techniques of MIG welding, this article is the sweetest spot for you.
Well, this article contains easy apple techniques that will help you a lot in inverted welding.
So, go ahead and give it a try, just like a pro!
Luis Ferency with experience of 35+ years is a semi-retired welder. Though his passion for welding and learning keeps him going further. He loves sharing his knowledge on his expertise in SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, and FTAW. Hence, this helped the new welders to seek leverage knowledge and improve their welding skills.
