Arc (Stick) Welding Tips

[Paychk]

Anyone have any suggestions for the welding-equivalent of TDR?

www.shopfloortalk.com

http://www.millermotorsports.com/mboard/index.php

http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/

 

[cojhl2]

Hey Ryan,, keep the rod stored in you shop beer refrig. Works great!!



John

 

[nickleinonen]

Optrel (I think)... . that one looks like a space helmet

i got that one at work... i like it very much, but it is an $$$ one



at work we have an oven to keep the 7018/28 rods in if you don't start a new box up... i have used an old toaster oven to do the same. . stick the rods in there for 30-45min at ~250f and that will dry up the rods nicely. when i get my next machine, my current toaster oven will get a new duty cycle [and gives me an excuse to get a new toaster oven too ]

 

[JTruelove]

Sounds like you have got some good advice... just need to practice. If you ever decide to buy a different machine look into getting a dc one. You will be able to use a 6010 (5P for the pipe welders). Excellent rod for welding rusty, dirty metals and it doesn't splatter like a 6011 will. An old wise man told me "you'll learn how to weld good, when you get tired of grinding" Good luck.

 

[rbattelle]

i have used an old toaster oven to do the same

Brilliant!! I was going to use the full-size oven when necessary, but I've got an old toaster oven sitting around unused!



-Ryan

 

[rbattelle]

I need some help identifying a problem with my welding. This is 10ga (0. 134") thick steel. I'm welding it using 3/32" 6013 rods (Lincoln Fleetweld). Amperage is between 60 and 75. On this particular run it was about 70 amp. This is a lap joint, and I know it's pretty nasty welding overall, but in particular I want to focus on the "inclusions".



What causes those things I have labeled "inclusions"? I don't know if that's what they're called. I thought I read somewhere that they can be caused by moisture in the electrode. Can they also be caused by something in my novice technique? The part I labeled as "not bad" is where this bead was started, so the weld direction runs right-to-left in the photo.



-Ryan

 

[cojhl2]

It'l be interesting to wee what everyone thinks Ryan, but for me it looks like you just ran past the fusion point of the base metal. This rod should be held at 90deg to the weld and then you gotta make sure you have the puddle built from both pieces. It does not look like an inclusion but just ran past the puddle point.



Looking fwd to others responding. .

 

[sstefanini]

6013's are notoriously bad for doing this. You have to pay close attention to the leading edge of the puddle to prevent the slag inclusions (try slowing down your travel speed ), your amps might be a little high judging by the BB's on the plate. I wouldn't spend too much time with this rod. Use a 7018 for your visible fab work and a 6010 for welding through dirt and filling gaps. I've used 6013 years ago on jobs I'd rather forget about.

 

[rbattelle]

6013's are notoriously bad for doing this. You have to pay close attention to the leading edge of the puddle to prevent the slag inclusions (try slowing down your travel speed ), your amps might be a little high judging by the BB's on the plate. I wouldn't spend too much time with this rod. Use a 7018 for your visible fab work and a 6010 for welding through dirt and filling gaps. I've used 6013 years ago on jobs I'd rather forget about.

Just yesterday I made my first trip to the local welding shop. I bought 10 lb. of Lincoln Excalibur 7018MR (Moisture Resisting). But I haven't cracked open the can yet. I thought 6013 was fairly smooth? I guess not, if slag inclusions are such a problem.



One thing I discovered tonight was my arc length with the new Miller was way too long. I was using 2-4 times the diameter of the electrode as an arc length. I didn't even realize I was doing it, though, until I "mistakenly" pressed in closer and voila - the noise quieted WAY down, and so did the splatter. I think what I tend to do is go to a HUGE arc length when the arc strike system activates (recall this system boosts output current at the start of a weld) because I tend to jump a bit and pull back in an effort to ease the arc (which is really the opposite of what you should do).



The beads I made at the end of this evening's session were, for the most part, light years better than the earlier beads (as pictured). I also found better success on this metal at 60-65 amp instead of 70.



I'll try going slower with the 6013 on tee and lap joints...



-Ryan

 

[Joe G.]

I've used UTP612 for years with my buzz box. That was the advice I got from a pro when I was at the welding shop to get some stuff. I don't weld that much, but when I do I do a pretty good job with this stuff. Do you more experienced guys have any opinion about UTP612?

 

[Nate]

I'm surprised so many of you guys are fans of stick welders!



I orginally learned how to weld when I was 12 or 13 on my Dad's Lincoln 225 AC/DC box. I tried MIG just a few years ago and never went back to stick. Well ok, I've used stick on some stuff, but IMO a MIG welder is the best for the home hobbiest. I run a Lincoln 175, have welded sheetmetal, exhaust, steel place 1/4, 3/8" etc. The whole suspension on my Jeep was built with that welder, motor mounts, crossmembers, etc on an FJ40, lots of projects. I've had it for less than a year and I've put about 30lbs of wire though it.



Only time I "needed" a stick was when I welded cast iron.

 

[cojhl2]

Stick Shift Stick welders,, they both have their place. I think it is good to know how to use them!!!

 

[rbattelle]

I'm surprised so many of you guys are fans of stick welders!

Personally, I like the challenge of stick welding and the flexibility (in terms of welding varying materials with no machinery changes). I also like the lower cost than MIG or TIG (no gasses, low machine cost).



I've burned a ton of rod the last couple days. I'm gradually getting better. Mostly now I'm concentrating on getting good arc length. I tend to judge proper length based on sound and quantity of spatter. I also discovered that with this new Miller I can weld a 3/32 6013 rod as low as ~25 amp for thin sheet metal. Tiny little arc at such a low current.



With regard to slag removal, when is generally considered the appropriate time to chip away the slag. It seems like if I let the weld cool for awhile the slag comes off easier (sometimes it even removes itself if the weld cools quickly).



-Ryan

 

[Paychk]

Leave the slag in place until the red glow is gone, this protects the weld from atmospheric contamination.

 

[sstefanini]

Just let the slag roll up and fall off every time! Otherwise by the time you break the arc and pick up a file it's ready to come off. Patience and practice pays off Ryan (but slinging your hood across the room feels better).

 

[nickleinonen]

Just let the slag roll up and fall off every time!

i can do that with 7014 [curls up and comes off by its self] but 7018 that slag is a sob for me to get off, sometimes it comes off easy, other times i can't get it off. . i've gotten to the point with most of the welding i do at work, if it doesn't need a second pass, that slag stays where it is. .

 

[rbattelle]

Finally tried some 7018 tonight after having an absolutely miserable time trying to make tee and lap joints with the 6013. The 6013 just made slag inclusions like that was it's purpose in life, and had an extremely poor filling characteristic.



The 7018 is a completely different rod. I tried it in DCEP and DCEN, and found DCEP to be much smoother with this rod (after trying both I discovered it's meant for DCEP). I can make nice beads on flat surfaces - just as good as I got with 6013. But on lap and tee joints the 7018 is far superior, just as sstefanini suggested. I was able to achieve very nice fill coverage, although my bead stunk because I've got to get used to the way the 7018 runs. The down side is that the higher tensile strength of the 70-series rods makes it harder to strike an arc without sticking, and for some reason I had trouble keeping an arc going. To compensate I was running a tiny arc, which resulted in several sticks in mid-bead. I've only burned 2 7018 rods so far, though, so I have a long way to go before I get good. Of course, the parts where it was going out were so rusty you couldn't even see any metal - just rust. That may have contributed to the problem.



As Nick points out the slag is harder with the 7018.



I figure 10-15 hours practice per week and I'll be a "decent" welder by early fall! I'm rapidly running out of suitable scrap to make joints with. Got plenty of metal fpr making beads on, but not much to make joints with.



-Ryan

 

[rbattelle]

Great welding site for those of us too cheap to buy a book:



Welding Guru



-Ryan

 

[DValentine]

Try 75 amps, ryan. It shouldn't stick mid rod. It's hard to explain arc length on here... . but if your amps (current) are to high, then you will see splatter and BB's out side of the weld area... . this will also happen if your arc length is too much. You also can hear it when you are holding your rod to far out of the puddle... . it will splatter, and crackle. When you have it at the correct lenght... it will sound like bacon frying... . smoothly.



Your rod angle will affect the sticking of rod. If it is wrong you might sick mid weld. Remember to drag the rod.



Dave

 

[rbattelle]

Yeah, I've got to get LOTS more practice in with the 7018s. I can weld pretty consistent with the 6013 on flat metal, but can't make joints worth a darn (slag inclusions everywhere). The 7018 makes for better joints, but is harder to use... just takes some getting used to.



The slag inclusions I get with the 6013s are really frustrating. Gotta work on that too. No welding tonight - I'm prepping some old rusty pieces of scrap fence post ("tee" cross section) that I got from a friend.



-Ryan