*3.4.3 Vertical position*

The vertical position requires traveling uphill or downhill when welding. The vertical welding position is illustrated in **Figure 8**. It can be difficult to perform, due to the downward gravitational pull on the weld material before it cools. This can cause the weld material to build up when traveling uphill, and it can extinguish the arc when traveling downhill. To decrease the occurrence of material build-up, welders typically lower the amperage on the machine slightly. This allows the weld material to cool faster, decreasing its ability to move gravitationally. Traveling uphill is the preferred direction of travel for vertical position welding. This gives the welder more weld pool visibility, without the weld material blocking the welder's view of the arc. The weld pool will cool away from the arc, so the proper speed of travel is critical to executing a proper vertical weld.

*Engineering Challenges Associated with Welding Field Repairs DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104263*

**Figure 8.** *Base material orientation and working location for vertical position fillet weld (3F).*
