Stick welding overhead is the same as flat...just upside down!  
Old Timer Said it....Must be True!

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I once heard an old timer say "Stick welding overhead is the same as flat...just upside down"

But is that really true?  Well it kinda is.

It's true that you can use almost the same amperage for overhead as you use for flat stick welding.

The big mistake I made when I was in welding school was trying to use a lower amperage on overhead stick welding.

I thought that if I welded overhead with the same amperage I used on a 2f tee joint, that the puddle would sag and fall out on me.

What I finally learned was that if I held a good tight arc length on overhead, then I could use enough amperage where the rod would not stick and to take advantage of the arc force that can help a weld flatten out.

So here is my #1 piece of advice for stick welding an overhead tee joint.

Set the amperage hot enough where the rod wont stick even when you hold a tight arc....then hold a tight arc.