March 3, 20179 yr Author My last bit of welding was a vertical up that looked just a hair unprofessional. I've tried to keep my stuff flat when I weld, but every once in awhile life throws you a curveball. Got a big job in and needed to do some more vertical welding just because, well, I figured it'd be easier to weld and grind than to clean off my table. The framework is going to be covered in expanded metal so grinding the welds is necessary and I wasn't too worried about ugliness. With 1/8" 7018, the vertical ups sucked every bit as bad as I was thinking they'd be. On the last two braces, though, I used a 1/8" 7014 rod that I found in the pile. No idea how old it was or why it was with the 7018 rods, but I figured I'd give it a go. And instead of doing a vertical up, I did a vertical down. Seemed to me that biggest problem with the vertical ups was the hot puddle drooping. With the vertical down, I dragged the rod, keeping it pointed slightly uphill. Made all the difference in the world! My machine was set at 131 amps and the sound was as perfectly beautiful as I've ever heard. Bacon sizzling in the pan doesn't begin to describe how smooth it was. Of the 8 short vertical down beads I had to run, these were the two worst. Couldn't be more happy, and now I'm wondering if I need to use 7014 more often. It's cheaper than the 7018 at Tractor supply, so.... Got just a little thumbprint at the end of this one!
March 4, 20179 yr pause and back track slightly at the end of your bead and give it enough time to plump up a little and the thumbprints will disappear
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