It's been, well, since 1998 since I run a 6011. When I was in school the second time, to finish, I didn't stay on one thing til completion. I'd bounce around. Tired of stick or need a break, go tig for a few weeks then get back on stick. For me the welding has been more soothing, sometimes I'll stick a rod and let out a cuss word but it usually stems from some other a-hole that put me in a bad mood in the first place. When I would get frustrated or was having a hard time figuring something out I'd go outside with the smokers and have a few, chat with the teacher while running ideas thru my head with my inner voice. Then go back at it. It came easier to me than a lot of the others I was with in school though so it's different for everybody.
As far as running a 6011 uphill in a filet, never had a need to do it myself, if I did it was for a root that would be covered with a 7018 cap. The only way for me to explain or figure it out would be to go out in the shop and try it. Thinking about it 60redface said run a U shape, sounds like that might work if your trying to carry that much heat. I've played around and tried a weave on a 6010 and can't really remember the last time I saw anything so ugly. Thing that comes to mind is if you doing a U shape though will you get full penetration on the root? I have a weave that I do on pipe with a 7018, something I do but wondering if it would work doing this. Even then I'd still be wondering about the root on the joint.
If it were me I'd be playing around with my settings, try and get it to where it was low enough to run, penetrate and get the puddle where you can work it to make it 3/8. Stacking it your also gonna have to get the ripples tight, still going to look ugly as a mud fence but that's the nature of the rod. Your just gonna have to move the knob, wiggle the rod til you figure it out and leave the 5 year old with the temper tantrums at home cause he ain't helping you weld any better.
I get asked about certs on occasion, not by customers but in general conversation. I really have about 3 answers for that depending on the context. Yes, not currently and about 20 times over the years. Other welders never ask, neither do customers for the most part, they see my truck and just know what the score is. A guy from the county garage asked me this at a local festival,, says,, you are a welder,,, certified etc and I know he has n concept of what this means so I answer yes to this general question, its a concept that they understand, that one can get a yes , its just easier than going in to detail and not important.
If I had to answer this on employment app which is unlikely or some kind of interview it would be no with explanation, about 20 times in the past, lots of highly inspected work, maybe 600 joints in a row at one point,, and thidoesn'tnt consider the production numbers either.
I took a repair the other day where the customer expectingcing a quality level somewhere around the last repair to the same piece, his but,, a laid off welder had done it. It might have worked longer or bpermanentnant had the guy been a better welder and fabricator in general, tried to do something in awkward position that was way over his head. I can tell when we left we will get a call back when this guy is in a jamb again. This is something that just cannot be faked, I could tell by the old work the first guy just pldidn'tidnt have the skill set to do vert and oh and certaicouldn'tldnt roll his hands up around as he went, the azzhole sdidn'tidnt help either, the guy tried to compensate by adding a gusset butdidn'tidnt help much, it was misaligned and not welded well on top of that.
