welding a vertical plate

by Dwayne
(New Orleans, la)

when welding a vertical plate test how do you weld the first pass?

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I use a slight motion that traces the front of the puddle just wide enough to make the bead flatten out. It resembles a rainbow arc....back and forth, side to side, pausing on the sides just long enough to fill any undercut that might happen.

torch gun angle as close to 90 degrees as possible.

depending on whether its bare wire or flux core, for bare wire short circuit transfer, a very short stickout less than 1/2" is good.

for flux core wires, (depending on the type) vary the stickout from 1/2 to 3/4 and find the sweet spot.

I am assuming the plate test is for structural code and has a backing plate.

sometimes plate tests are given with an open butt root and it is welded downhill with bare wire.

for downhill roots, just stay on the front of the puddle and keep gun angle consistent as you weld downhill.