Well, I'm just an 'ol junk iron weldor, but from what I have been taught, running a "stringer" is running a continuous bead in a straight line, NO weaving. It can be called many things, but a stringer, for all intents & purposes, is a single bead, laid with no weaving motion of the electrode. This can be done in any position, but the best example for explanation purposes would be in a 2G pipe weld.(Pipe vertical, horizontal weld plane)The beads are run in single stringers, or single straight weld beads, on a parallel plane within the included bevel groove joining the two pieces of pipe. This is to minimize excessive deposition, weakness & bead sagging that would surely be caused if one tried to weave on that position. Another example would be a 4F weld. (Fillet or tee weld, overhead pos.) You would run stringers in a buildup sequence, rather than attempt to weave back & forth. This would make a mess & the quality of the weld would most likely, be poor. I hope that gives you an idea. You can apply this to any type of manual welding process using consumable electrodes or wire.  Good luck. S.W.

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." (Dr. Emmett Brown, Back To The Future.)

I was hoping "stringer" would answer this one.

A stringer is a type of bead. i.e. stringer bead. It is made without a weaving motion. It is not process specific. It can be made with SMAW, FCAW, GMAW even GTAW. Not too common with GTAW but it is common to use stringer beads on 2 G pipe weld joints as weaving is not very practical. Stringers are common on multipass fillet welds in all positions except vertical welds. But they can be made on vertical welds also. You will deposit more metal weaving on vertical than with stringers. Sometimes you are required to run stringers as opposed to weaves to control the heat imput. Weaving is a slower travel speed therefore putting more heat imput in the metal. In some environments your heat imput will be monitored to insure that you stay in the acceptable range. Slang- So you don't put a gorilla weave and scorch the metal.

The short answer to "How would you explain to me how to run stringers?" is DON'T WEAVE. Run the root, then stack two stringers on the second layer, then three ann chen four.

Stringer beads are multiple beads that overlap the previous bead by about 50%. Position of the weld does not matter(i.e. overhead, vert., horz.). Stringers are used on all pipe welds and fillet welds that require more than one pass.