Hi I want to find out two things . What is a good weld rod for vertical weld and what is the proper way to vertical weld top to bottom or bottom up thanks ray

 

7018 Is a good all purpose rod , works well in most applications... I would weld vertical down , not knowing what your level of experience,,, You may want to practice a bit on some scrap....

 

It is recommended that with a 7018 rod you need to weld from bottom to top (upward). It produces a better quality weld. If you weld downward the slag can get into the weld and cause imperfections. A 6011 is easier to weld top to bottom (downward) because of less slag, but for me a 7018 looks better. With a 6011 you can use less heat (for smaller metals), which may be an advantage for your application. A 6011 will also "burn" through more rust or oil, etc if you don't want to do as much prep work.

stephen

 

6011 and 6013 rod is a "drag stick" rod so there can be contact and you can drag it in all positions. Its pretty good stuff especially for dirty metals. 7018 is more particular about maintaining a slight gap.

Welding from the bottom up is generally better because you aren't fight gravity with the molten puddle running down onto the new area you are welding. Welding up helps you stack the molten puddle on top of the previous area.

 

60 series rods are what we call rust rods(5P),good for burning through junk but they are a real brittle and weaker weld.
E7018 is the most popular because of the stength value in the rod.
60 means 60,000 pounds per square inch,70 meaning 70,000 pounds per square inch.
So it all depends on what your welding is being used for.
Welding "downhill" in any rod is really not recommended even though AWS(American Welding Society) has in the past few years say its "OK" to do so but thats with an expereinced welder doing it and knows how to "hold the puddle".
Welding downhill creates porosity and slag pockets in the weld because the slag is running in front of the weld,it also causes the weld to get poor penetration because of this, also because the heat of the puddle is not clearly penetrating into the metal itself through the slag like as if your welding uphill with the slag running behind the weld.
The only time i use the downhill method is when im welding something that is to be ground level and look like its not even there,i'll weld downhill over scars and such AFTER it has been welded good on an uphill correctly and ground flush.

 

No disrespect intended.....As I said ...depends on your experience....I have never seen a real nice looking vertical up weld ...That is whay I said .....Practice on some scrap,, he can decide for himself.....

Rick....

 

If ur a novice welder start out welding vertical w/ a 6011 or 6010 their much easier to control the weld puddle with.

And then after u practice a bit go to a 7018,its a good rod but takes practice to learn w/ because the rod melts slightly faster than the flux coating.

An easy way to learn vertical welds quick is get some scrap plate together and start welding uphill w/ the plate at a 45 degree angle and then as u get better stand the plate up a little bit until its vertical.

U may have to turn ur heat down when welding vertical and hold a closer arc.

Dan

 

Wpe of rod and direction depend on application. 6013 is farmers rod, if the weld is for looks this is rod for you. If you need strength go with 7018. Also consider what type of welder you are using. It will be tought to weld 6010 or 7018 vertically with an old buzz box. (ac welder)