Technical Welding upside down-ish

tilt your nozzle at a bit of an angle, extend the wire out about a quarter inch, quick trigger, and skip around. big gaps, weld on side then the other, following the first suggestions. bit more heat and wire speed.

 

Gaps like that, I might even consider 030 wire. Put a little more meat into that gap, and itll run a little more heat too.
CLEAN OUT THAT RUST. Then a spot (half inch) and move to another area. Let it cool to where you can touch it with your bare hand before welding there again. Id take most of a morning welding that in. Spotting and cooling will minimize warpage

 

It's a tight squeeze for the grinder

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You should clean both sides of the weld. Garbage in, garbage out.

 

I've used a piece of coathanger (uncoated) to fill long sections where the gap was too wide.
When fitting panels with multiple sides there is usually at least one side that ends up with a compromised gap, fitting takes a lot of patience.

 

Doug, is that a metal or plastic hanger, do you mean, one that doesn't have a coat hanging on it ?

 

Ha!
Now I know you've heard of plastic welders Marty!
Luckily I'm a better grinder than a weldor or it would look like I used a plastic rod.

 

Overhead is a tough go. I've got a Hobart Handler 140 that I use for sheet metal (and I use .023 wire) and I run that on either 3 or 4 and 50 or 60 (note that the Hobart's max settings are 4 and 100 just like the Miller) even with .030 wire--- I'd try running a little hotter.
I am no great welder. Period. I cheat when I can/have too when I need to insure a structurally strong weld. As others have suggested you need to prep your metal a little better. I sandblast all of my metal before I attempt to fix the rust. If that isn't an option a flapper disc on a grinder or 80 grit (or so) on a Roloc (sp?) works OK. I've also added a strip as a backer or flange welded using plug welds to hold the strip/flange first and then welding up the gap. This isn't the best picture but installing new floor and getting it all to line up wasn't in my wheelhouse so I got it "close", punched a bunch of holes to plug weld the strip in, then welded the seam up later, I used lot's of seam sealer under the car later. A real bodyman/craftsman would butt weld it after fitting it "just right", the rest of us have to do it "good enough".

 

That's why they make those cute little welders caps. Turn the bill and cover whichever ear is up. Wait until you're wearing bib overalls and one of those hot BBs rolls right down your belly and lands in your skivvies. Just try explaining to the wife how you got a blister on your pecker.

 

I was going to mention that! I have used an additional rod, while welding large gaps, to help it fill in. Kinda like TIGing with a stick welder! Might try that with your wire feed? Maybe?








Bones

 

That metal is not remotely ready to weld. Where you want the metal to join, it needs to be shiny. Otherwise you are literally pushing shit uphill.

The other helpful points about a little faster wire speed, coat hanger wire etc. are also good.

 

Stitch it. Pull the trigger, let it go ...pull the trigger, let it go....try pulling and holding just a LITTLE bit longer.... if you blow a hole, let the part where you do have some Weld cool to black then hit the Weld again, NOT the gap...repeat and move a LITTLE BIT towards your hole with every short stitch.

 

You say when you were cleaning the metal that it just smeared around, what are you using to clean it with?

 

I tried a grinding wheel, a flap wheel, wire brush. Everything else on the damn car cleaned up to bare metal with no issues. It seemed to load up the flap disk pretty good.

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Do you have something like this to work with?

 

A wise man told me a couple of things about welding successfully: Be comfortable and PRACTICE.

 

If it 'smears' there may be more than rust. Clean it with wax/grease remover or lacquer thinner first. Maybe your abrasives are not abrasive enough?

 

That's the one I don't have

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Good suggestion.

 

What do you have to work with tool wise? I'm sure we can find something that will work for you.

 

Another trip to harbor freight

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On the other note of welding overhead with a mig, having a gun that has an adjustable gas shield helps. You have to play with how far the wire tip sticks out or in for the job.

 

I wonder what it's like to weld upside down, down under ?

 

If you're using a plastic flap wheel and it's very used,you are probably just heating melting the plastic backing and glue,,that's really tough to get off,and it smears...I used a DA sander with 80 grit...it won't take a lot of material off

 

You need to keep the arc at the leading edge of the puddle.

 

I'm a bench welder, and only break out the welder every few weeks when I need to, I don't weld all day long. I'm best at welding things on the bench when I can be in a good comfortable position and welding more-or-less flat. Any time I need to weld upside down or up hill or around roll cage tubing, or whatever, it definitely helps to take the time and some scrap metal and run some tests right before welding up the part, get the machine (and your technique) dialed in.

I believe it was mentioned, but speeding up the wire while welding upside down seems to help. As does grinding away to fresh metal on the edges, good gas flow with little wind, and maintaining your short gun stick-out length. When under a vehicle, it's easy to let the stick-out length get way to long when you're not in a comfortable position, or can't see well.

If plugging holes, or dealing with large gaps, place a piece of copper sheet or bar behind the holes or gaps, if you can. makes it impossible to blow through.

I'm no Pro, but I do what I can.

 

Gravity is universal

 

Downunder when you pull the trigger the wire gets sucked back into the torch

 

Dont you have to wear these? When I was in Tazzy anyone doing industrial work had these awesome 2 tone coveralls. I shoulda bought some.