Flat vs Horizontal

dragoneggs · Jul 9, 2014

Shield Arc said:
With welding it's all about rod, torch, and gun angle. Don't believe me? Try welding pipe in the 5-G or 6-G positions. The angle changes all the time:confused2:. That's why it is so important to learn how to read the puddle. Once you learn to read the puddle then you can anticipate what you need to do ahead of time. Reading the puddle is so important to getting good / strong welds!

Yes SA... I am doing better reading the puddle and thanks to your hands on training. Still wondering of there is a preferred orientation? I would guess that the vertical piece ideally should rest on the bottom piece vs vertical resting on ground and bottom piece butting up. Maybe it just doesn't matter? Anyways... Off on a business trip so I can't play myself.

Arc weld · Jul 9, 2014

dragoneggs said:
Yes SA... I am doing better reading the puddle and thanks to your hands on training. Still wondering of there is a preferred orientation? I would guess that the vertical piece ideally should rest on the bottom piece vs vertical resting on ground and bottom piece butting up. Maybe it just doesn't matter? Anyways... Off on a business trip so I can't play myself.

Inside corner to inside corner is the best. The only time you might use something different is if the weldment you're working on doesn't allow it. :thumbsup: I worked in a shop with a second year apprentice who figured he was the lead hand, even though I was hired to be the shop supervisor (that's another story). He was building 4' square fire boxes and cutting a bunch of the plates smaller to fit inside the other plates and then getting other guys to go inside a manway to weld the inside. I tried to explain he could cut all the plates the same size and he wouldn't have to weld the inside but he thought he knew everything. Even worse was that the boxes had an angle iron frame around the outside as well. Not only was there a lot of wasted time and weld, the outside welds had to be ground flat to fit the angle iron frame on the outside. With inside corner to inside corner, there'd be very little grinding required to fit the angle iron. More time was spent just on the extra welding and grinding than what the entire boxes should have taken to complete. Anywhere else a guy like that would probably be run off for taking 3 times longer to a job because he "knew it all".

Shield Arc · Jul 10, 2014

dragoneggs said:
Still wondering of there is a preferred orientation?

dragon just like Arc welds is saying. When ever you can set them up corner to corner! Nest best is to bevel the the top plate.

dragoneggs · Jul 10, 2014

Arc weld said:
Inside corner to inside corner is the best. The only time you might use something different is if the weldment you're working on doesn't allow it. :thumbsup: I worked in a shop with a second year apprentice who figured he was the lead hand, even though I was hired to be the shop supervisor (that's another story). He was building 4' square fire boxes and cutting a bunch of the plates smaller to fit inside the other plates and then getting other guys to go inside a manway to weld the inside. I tried to explain he could cut all the plates the same size and he wouldn't have to weld the inside but he thought he knew everything. Even worse was that the boxes had an angle iron frame around the outside as well. Not only was there a lot of wasted time and weld, the outside welds had to be ground flat to fit the angle iron frame on the outside. With inside corner to inside corner, there'd be very little grinding required to fit the angle iron. More time was spent just on the extra welding and grinding than what the entire boxes should have taken to complete. Anywhere else a guy like that would probably be run off for taking 3 times longer to a job because he "knew it all".

Well okay then... I will stop overlapping and start doing it right!