HELP! Having a lot of trouble with vertical up MIG.

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For some god damned reason I had no problem learning vertical up stick but this vertical up MIG is a real bitch. I can't seem to get the cap pass nice and consistent. Does anyone else have a problem with the weight of the gun and cable of MIG? It's making it hard to weave smoothly and consistently. Is vertical up MIG supposed to be this hard? Is it just a matter of practicing more? What can I do to quickly overcome this s hi t? Thanks in advance.
Reply:What kind of wire and settings are you using?  I often find myself doing vert up welds in what I work on.  We use 1/16" Duel Shield and generally running 200A, 23-24v, 210-220 WFS, for vertical up, of course we are using material generally 1/4" and thicker.
Reply:I find most students have the opposite issue. They have an easier time with gas mig since they don't have the slag to hide the puddle. It just takes a bit to get used to the gun.Picts would help..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 DSWI find most students have the opposite issue. They have an easier time with gas mig since they don't have the slag to hide the puddle. It just takes a bit to get used to the gun.Picts would help.
Reply:If the weight of the gun is giving you fits, try slinging the lead over your shoulder.
Reply:If the weight of the gun is giving you trouble, what are you going to do when you have to wrestle steel all day? Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Try this video Chad - it's a good clear video:Mig guns are heavy? Yeah, you'll likely get made fun of if you say that very often Good luck Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:I ran .120 NS3M uphill about a 45° in stringer beads (+-) 1/2". I had no problem with weight or fighting the gun. It was 4" plate and I didnt want to make a lifetime project out of it.
Reply:Thanks for posting the vid, Dave........... very clear and very helpful ! ( but I still like to clean my metal first )
Reply:Originally Posted by DetailerDaveI ran .120 NS3M uphill about a 45° in stringer beads (+-) 1/2". I had no problem with weight or fighting the gun. It was 4" plate and I didnt want to make a lifetime project out of it.
Reply:No one else thinks the MIG gun and cable  constricts the movement?
Reply:Nope! Wait until you have to use a water cooled Mig gun for over head welding.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:No. I wish I could see how you weld. My guess is your issue is pretty basic and simple to fix..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:Stop standing on the cable...Miller Dynasty 200DXMiller 252 Miller 250xMiller Syncrowave 250Miller AEAD200 LegendMiller 375 Xtreme plasmaLincoln WeldPak 100Victor O/A
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWNo. I wish I could see how you weld. My guess is your issue is pretty basic and simple to fix.
Reply:Ok. I usually hold the gun in my right hand and guide the gun with my left. My left hand is usually braced against the work if possible and I have my hand against the neck of the gun.  By doing so I have two different point of contact on the gun and can pivot the gun off my left hand to make motions if this makes sense. I almost never have both hands around the gun handle..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 ChadWardenWhen I MIG vertical up, I make a fist with two hands around the gun handle and as I weave upwards, I move my arms side to side. How should I be doing it?
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWOk. I usually hold the gun in my right hand and guide the gun with my left. My left hand is usually braced against the work if possible and I have my hand against the neck of the gun.  By doing so I have two different point of contact on the gun and can pivot the gun off my left hand to make motions if this makes sense. I almost never have both hands around the gun handle.
Reply:Originally Posted by akmudstop standing on the cable...
Reply:If I can brace my arm on the work I may do so. In the booths at the tech school I often show the "kids" to put their back against the wall and put their legs out in front of them spread like a V so they have three points of support like  a tripod. They then just have to position the work stand so they can weld this way. In some cases I'll lean on the wall with my left shoulder, or against the vertical upright of the coupon stand. If nothing else, I pull my elbows in tight against my chest and almost "hug" the gun to brace against myself. It limits the length of weld I can make before I have to shift my body though. In overhead occasionally we'll clamp a chunk of angle iron to the column so the guys can brace on that as they weld.I see a lot of students who want to stand away from everything and try to weld with their arms almost out straight in front of them. They wave  like a flag in the breeze and a drunken sailor can walk a straighter line than they can weld. Make use of what ever it takes to support yourself. Also be sure and get as comfortable as possible. I see way too many guys trying to weld at eye height. I prefer the coupon a bit lower, say from just below mid chest and up so I'm not trying to hold my arms above my head if I can avoid it doing vertical.On setting things up to be comfortable, I see a lot of guys try to tack the coupon to the middle of the "table" vs an edge. That means to run the full coupon, they have to start with the gun pointed down, then swing the gun around as they go and end up pointed up by pivoting. They invariably have issues with their stick out changing if they try this. I tack the coupon to the side of the "table" and set it up so I can keep the gun at one angle as I run the whole joint top to bottom, if this makes sense. As far as my hand getting hot, yes some times it does, especially if the kids don't cool the metal between beads.  However on new plate, or cooled plate, I usually don't have any issues welding 1/8" material. Part of the reason is I use medium weight gloves for mig, not my super thin tig gloves. I've been known to use a heavier left handed glove if need be as well. Part of it is you just man up and deal with it. You'd better get used to hot metal and small burns if you want to weld for a living. I've never gotten even 1st degree burns thru my glove though before it got to uncomfortable and I had to stop. A tig finger or one of those kevlar spark plug boots can help to insulate you from the heat of the plate as well. Most of the time doing lap and T joints, it's just my little finger on my left hand that is really riding on the plate, possibly the base of my hand below that finger.As far as the gun getting hot, almost never with solid wire and gas at the settings we run on 1/8" and the 3/8" bevel plates. Again good medium weight gloves. I think mine are Tilman 42M's that I mostly use for mig/tig. They give me enough dexterity I can still do tig, but enough protection I can "ride" the material as a support. In some positions I'm even holding the nozzle of the gun instead of the neck, usually in vertical on roots for bevel buts.Guys I see who often have issues with the material getting too hot are usually going way too slow. They tend to want to creep a long and do circles. I go a lot faster on vertical and even overhead than they do. It's seems "wrong" but cranking up the heat and going faster usually means you put less heat into the base material and the plates stay cooler..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 DSWOk. I usually hold the gun in my right hand and guide the gun with my left. My left hand is usually braced against the work if possible and I have my hand against the neck of the gun.  By doing so I have two different point of contact on the gun and can pivot the gun off my left hand to make motions if this makes sense. I almost never have both hands around the gun handle.