Stick Welding Vertical Up: Technique, Weave Patterns & Rod Selection

Vertical-up stick welding uses a weave pattern to build a shelf of frozen weld metal that supports each new addition of molten filler. You reduce amperage 10-15% below flat settings, angle the rod 5-15 degrees up from perpendicular, and use one of three weave patterns: triangle weave for 7018, J-weave for wider joints, or whip-and-pause for 6010 on pipe.

The key to vertical-up is patience. You’re fighting gravity with every inch of bead. Travel too fast and you lose the shelf. Run too hot and the puddle drips. Get the rhythm right and you’ll lay consistent, full-penetration vertical welds every time.

Why Vertical Up Instead of Vertical Down

Welding codes and most fabrication standards require vertical-up (uphill) for any weld that needs full penetration and structural integrity. Here’s why:

Vertical-up advantages:

• The arc penetrates into base metal ahead of the puddle
• Solidified metal beneath creates a shelf that supports the liquid pool
• Slower travel speed means more heat input per inch, producing better fusion
• Meets AWS D1.1 and most structural code requirements

Vertical-down disadvantages for structural work:

• The puddle rolls ahead of the arc, insulating the base metal from direct heat
• Penetration is shallow because the arc melts into the puddle, not the base metal
• Only appropriate for thin material where burn-through is the bigger risk

Vertical-down has its place on sheet metal and non-structural work, but for anything that needs to hold a load, go up.

Setting Up for Vertical-Up Welding

Amperage

Drop 10-15% from your flat-position setting. The smaller puddle stays on the shelf instead of running down the joint. Too much amperage and the puddle cascades. Too little and it freezes before fusing to the base metal.

Rod Angle

Hold the electrode 5-15 degrees up from perpendicular (pushing the rod slightly upward into the joint). This directs the arc force downward into the base metal and helps the puddle freeze on the shelf below.

If you angle too far up, the arc pushes molten metal down and you lose control. If you angle down (pointing the rod downhill), the puddle runs ahead of the arc and you get poor fusion.

Rod Diameter

Use 1/8" or smaller for vertical-up. Larger rods (5/32", 3/16") produce too much weld metal per second for the shelf to support. The puddle overwhelms gravity control and drips. E7018 at 5/32" is restricted to flat and horizontal positions for this reason.

Arc Length

Keep the arc tight. One rod-core-wire diameter or slightly less. A short arc concentrates heat, reduces the puddle size, and gives you more control. A long arc in vertical position spreads the puddle wide and it runs.

The Three Weave Patterns

Triangle Weave (Best for 7018)

The triangle weave is the standard technique for vertical-up welding with E7018. You trace a triangle shape as you climb the joint.

How it works:

1. Start at the bottom of the joint. Establish the weld pool on one side.
2. Move the rod diagonally up to the opposite side of the joint.
3. Pause briefly at the opposite toe to allow the puddle to wet out and fuse.
4. Move the rod straight across to the starting side, slightly higher than where you began.
5. Pause at this toe.
6. Repeat: diagonal up, pause, across, pause.

Each cycle of the triangle adds about 1/8" to 3/16" of vertical progress. The pauses at each toe are critical. They build up the weld at the edges where undercut typically forms and ensure sidewall fusion.

Timing: About 1-2 seconds at each toe, with the cross-over motion taking another 1-2 seconds. If the puddle starts to drip, shorten your pause time and let it freeze more between movements. If you see lack of fusion at the toes, lengthen the pause.

The center of the triangle stays slightly hollow. That’s fine. As you weave back and forth, the fill builds up. Don’t try to fill the center by pausing there. Focus on the toes.

J-Weave (For Wider Joints)

The J-weave works well for groove welds and wider fillet joints where the triangle weave doesn’t reach both sides effectively.

How it works:

1. Start on one side at the bottom of the joint.
2. Trace a “J” shape: move up slightly, curve across to the opposite toe, and pause.
3. Drop back down slightly to the starting side, then trace another J upward.
4. Alternate the J direction with each cycle.

The hook of the J gives you a longer pause at the toe of each side, which helps fill wider joints and prevents undercut. The downward motion between cycles lets the previous metal freeze, building the shelf.

J-weaves are slower than triangle weaves but produce wider beads with better fill on larger joints. Use this pattern on 3/8" and wider groove welds where a stringer bead won’t fill the joint in a reasonable number of passes.

Whip-and-Pause (Best for 6010/6011)

The whip-and-pause technique is the standard for E6010 and E6011 vertical-up welding, especially on pipe. It takes advantage of these rods’ fast-freeze characteristics.

How it works:

1. Establish the puddle at the bottom of the joint.
2. Whip the rod forward (upward) about 1/2" to 3/4" beyond the puddle.
3. Pause briefly (about 1 second) to let the existing puddle freeze.
4. Return the rod to the puddle and add new metal.
5. Whip forward again and repeat.

The whip motion accomplishes two things: it stretches the heat zone to preheat the metal ahead of the puddle, and it gives the puddle time to solidify on the shelf. The pause after the whip is where the magic happens. Too short a pause and the puddle hasn’t frozen enough. Too long and you lose the heat and get cold lap (lack of fusion).

With 6010, the puddle freezes fast enough that the whip-and-pause rhythm is natural. With 7018, the puddle stays fluid longer, which is why the triangle weave (which keeps the arc in the puddle continuously) works better for that rod.

Building the Shelf

“Shelf building” is the term for creating a ledge of solidified weld metal that supports the liquid puddle above it. It’s the foundation of all vertical-up welding.

The shelf forms each time the puddle freezes between weave cycles. On each pass of the weave, you add new molten metal on top of the solidified shelf. If the shelf is solid, the new metal stays put. If the shelf is still liquid (because you’re running too hot or moving too fast), the whole thing drips.

Signs Your Shelf Is Good

• The puddle stays where you put it
• Each weave cycle adds visible height
• The bead has a consistent, slightly convex profile
• No dripping or sagging

Signs Your Shelf Is Failing

• The puddle sags or drips before you return the arc
• The bead has a ropey, inconsistent profile
• Metal runs down below the weld
• You can see the shelf “melting away” below the arc

If the shelf fails, stop. Let everything cool for a moment. Reduce your amperage by 5-10 amps. Clean the slag. Restart with a shorter weave and more frequent pauses.

Rod Selection for Vertical-Up

E7018 (Structural Vertical)

The default choice for vertical-up on structural steel. At 1/8" and 110-130 amps, it produces a controllable puddle that builds shelves predictably. The smooth arc and medium-freeze characteristics work well with the triangle weave.

For AWS D1.1 code work, 7018 is typically the specified electrode for all-position structural welding. The low-hydrogen deposit prevents cracking in thick, restrained joints.

E6010 (Pipe Vertical)

The standard for pipe welding vertical-up, especially the root pass. At 1/8" and 75-100 amps with a whip-and-pause technique, 6010 produces the fast-freeze puddle that holds position on a pipe joint at any clock position.

The digging arc penetrates into the root, creating the keyhole that ensures full fusion on the backside. No other rod does this as effectively.

E6011 (AC Vertical)

Use E6011 when your machine outputs AC only. It handles vertical-up the same way as 6010 but with a slightly rougher arc on AC. The potassium binder maintains arc stability through AC zero-crossings. Use the whip-and-pause technique.

E6013 (Not Recommended)

E6013 can technically weld vertical-up, but it’s not a good choice. Its fluid, slow-freeze puddle is hard to control against gravity. The shallow penetration limits fusion quality. Use 6013 for vertical-down on thin sheet metal if you must, but choose 7018 or 6010 for vertical-up.

Common Vertical-Up Problems

Puddle Drips Before Freezing

Cause: Amperage too high, arc length too long, or pauses too short.

Fix: Drop amps by 5-10. Tighten the arc to one rod diameter or less. Increase pause time at each toe of the weave. If it’s still dripping, switch to a smaller rod diameter.

Undercut at the Toes

Cause: Not pausing long enough at the edges of the weave, or amperage too high.

Fix: Hold at each toe for 1-2 seconds until you see the puddle fill the edge completely. Reduce amps if the puddle still undercuts despite adequate pause time.

Bead is Ropey and Inconsistent

Cause: Inconsistent weave timing, changing arc length, or varying travel speed.

Fix: Develop a rhythm. Count in your head: “One-one-thousand” at each toe, “cross” during the transition. Keep the same arc length throughout. Practice on scrap until the rhythm becomes automatic.

Slag Trapped in the Weld

Cause: Weave too wide (slag pools in the center), insufficient cleaning between passes, or bead profile too convex.

Fix: Narrow the weave. Clean each pass completely with a chipping hammer and wire brush before the next. If the bead is too convex, slightly increase amps or slow the travel to let the bead flatten.

Cold Lap (Lack of Fusion at Edges)

Cause: Not enough heat at the toes of the weave, moving too fast through the center.

Fix: Spend more time at the edges and less in the center. The center fills itself. The edges need direct arc heat to fuse. If cold lap persists, increase amps by 5.

Practicing Vertical-Up

Set up a piece of 1/4" or 3/8" plate vertically in a welding positioner or clamp it to a bench edge. Use 1/8" E7018 at 115-125 amps, DCEP.

Drill 1: Stringer beads. Run straight up without a weave. Just a steady climb with a slight push angle. This teaches you the basic motion and shelf building.

Drill 2: Triangle weave on a T-joint. Tack two plates at 90 degrees and run a vertical fillet. Focus on consistent pauses at each toe. Run 6-8 inches of bead, then chip slag and inspect. Look for even width, consistent profile, and no undercut.

Drill 3: Multi-pass groove weld. Bevel two plates at 30 degrees each, gap them 1/8", and weld vertical-up. Root pass with a tight stringer (or 6010 if you have a DC machine), then fill and cap with 7018 using the triangle weave. This simulates a real structural groove weld qualification test.

You’ll burn through a lot of rods before vertical-up feels natural. That’s normal. The muscle memory for consistent weave timing takes practice, and there’s no shortcut.