7018 Tee Joints 2F (horizontal) and
4F ( overhead)

This quick 3 minute video shows that 130 amps works really well on a 2F tee joint using Lincoln Excalibur 1/8" 7018 stick rod.

But the kicker is that 130 amps will also do a great job on an overhead 4F tee joint using the same 7018 1/8" rods.

An old timer once told me that "overhead is just like flat except upside down"

While I dont think thats 100% accurate. Its food for thought.

I really struggled with overhead stick welding while I was in welding school.

I thought I need to turn down the amperage and weld it cold so that it wouldn't sag or fall out on me.

Once I learned to hold a tight arc, I could use the same amperage as I used on a 2F tee and things worked out way better for me.

I think realistically, bumping amperage down to about 120-125 for 7018 overhead works pretty well with less tendency for arc blow toward the end of each rod but I just wanted to show that both 2f and 4f tee joints could be welded at 130 amps with a 1/8" 7018.

7018 electrodes from different companies all have slightly different amperage ranges too.

I used Lincoln Excalibur 7018 for this video. But other 7018 electrodes like Hobart, Esab, and ConArc all require slightly different amperage settings.

Some 7018 1/8" rods run better at higher amps like 135 , some run better at lower amps like around 125.

Stick welding machines can be off a bit too.

I like to start off with around 125 and adjust according to how the rod acts.

If I start seeing some arc blow where the rod starts burning weird as it gets shorter, that is usually an indication that I need to lower amps a bit.