Contrary welding situations entail altered techniques, to be decided. A slow, steady speed will produce a fat weld with a lot of penetration, which is Perfect for thick materials such as quarter-inch plate. Moving the rod faster will create thinner welds with less penetration, and should be used when welding thin metals such as auto body panels.Flat vs. Vertical
The means you place the rod into the undeniable welding guidance clamp can compose a commodious change in the way your welds turn out. Mostly, it is personal preference, learned through trial and error. There are ridges in the electrode clamp that are there to help hold the rod in place. Some welders like To possess the rod come out of the clamp at a 90-degree angle and tilt their wrists accordingly. Others like To possess the rod in the clamp at a 45-degree angle from the side. Experiment with different clamping positions to see which ways the rod is steadiest in the clamp, and also what is most comfortable to your welding style.
Electrode Movement
Each welder has a preference in this area. Some prefer a simple, straight-line drag at a slow and steady pace to receive the job done. Others will make a "C" shape with the tip of the rod as they weld for better coverage and a slick-looking end product. You also can use a zig-zag technique, pausing for a second or two on each side before moving diagonally to the next and pausing there. Most beginning welders simply use the straight drag technique. Whichever technique you choose, the goal is to receive strong, complete coverage over the entire weld area.
Travel Speed
Depending on the material and thickness, the electrode can be moved at different speeds. Some materials and positions want dragging, others entail pushing, and sometimes the stick needs to be moved faster or slower. Bright the fair action to stick weld in any locality is a great habitude to avoid creation costly mistakes. Bewitching a welding group or two at the resident limited school is further toward, besides.
Clamping the Electrode
Flat welding should always be done with the electrode at a 45-degree angle off the surface of the steel. The rod should be dragged toward you instead of pushed, as is done in some MIG wire feed welding. When welding vertically up and down, the rod should be held at about a 15-degree angle and pushed upward toward the ceiling. Vertical welding takes a lot of practice to receive down pat, but is a technique needed in areas such as pipe welding.
