Name the four primary welding positions and a typical situation for each.

• A. Flat (downhand) for simple groove welds on a horizontal plate; Horizontal (perpendicular to gravity) for fillet welds in a vertical joint; Vertical (up or down) for overhead joints; Overhead (above the worker) for joints on a sloped surface
• B. Overhead, Horizontal, Flat, Vertical
• C. Vertical, Flat, Overhead, Horizontal
• D. Horizontal, Vertical, Overhead, Flat

Answer: (A)

Welding positions describe how the work is oriented relative to gravity, which affects how the molten metal behaves and how easy it is to control the weld. The four primary ones are Flat, Horizontal, Vertical, and Overhead.

Flat is used when the plate is horizontal and you weld from the top surface. This setup is ideal for simple groove welds on a flat plate because gravity helps keep the molten metal in the groove and the bead is easy to control.

Horizontal is used for fillet welds in a vertical joint. In this orientation, the joint runs along a plane that’s effectively horizontal to the welder, so gravity helps shape and steady the bead as you build the fillet along the vertical seam.

Vertical is used for overhead joints. Here the weld is on a vertical surface, and you’re forming beads up or down the joint, which requires careful technique to manage the flow of molten metal against gravity.

Overhead is used for joints on a sloped surface. Welding from below the joint on a slope helps keep the molten metal in place and prevents uncontrolled dripping when the surface isn’t level.