Vertical up 7018 question

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For a corner joint uphill, I've seen some videos of everyone welding with the 7018 rod tip pointed slightly "up".  Because of work right now, I don't have the time at the moment to go out and literally practice with it.  But wouldn't it be better to let gravity help you by pointing the electrode slightly downward toward the ground while dragging the puddle uphill?   Everything I've seen with 7018's on the internet (that's my only available resource for the time being) shows the weld puddle being "pushed" uphill and the corners held etc... etc....  The few times I've tried 7018 uphill, I just make a miserable mess, even when "holding the corners."Thanx for the input A Liberal is someone who lives in a gated community with private security,  but says that a boarder fence won't work and people don't need guns for self protection.
Reply:The upward angle of the rods helps hold the puddle up and helps you fight gravity.Biggest thing I've noticed with students trying to learn vertical is almost none of them have yet learned how to read the puddle. they get thru flat and horizontal just fine with timing patterns, but that just doesn't work in vertical or overhead. Trick is to watch the puddle follow the arc and pause at the sides long enough for the arc to catch up to the puddle before starting back across. Guys who do timing patterns tend to spend as much time in teh middle going one way as they do on one side. That means they either end up with too much material in the center since they spend 2x the amount of time there, or if they get the center right, the sides have undercut since they didn't hang out long enough to fill.Picts would certainly help to spot what issues you are having, just be sure to post all the settings as well so we aren't guessing..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by MoonshineMetalsBut wouldn't it be better to let gravity help you by pointing the electrode slightly downward toward the ground while dragging the puddle uphill?
Reply:Running up with stick you have to have the end of the rod angled slightly upwards. You have to stack 7018 on itself as you weld up. As DSW said, you have to be able to watch the puddle, understand what it's doing and how to react to make it do what you need.It takes skill and a lot of practice to do this with good results.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:I don't get it. We weld EP with 7018 to deliver more heat to the electrode melting it off. What force moves the molten metal to the joint in vertical and overhead? The flow of electrons is down how do the heavy drops of liquid steel overcome gravity?
Reply:Surface tension, slag formers in the flux, arc stabilizers in the flux. That's the quick and dirty answer. Best regards, Allanaevald