jetrod tips

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Hey guys, relativley new welder here. Been welding with stick for about 2 years now doing structural steel. We've only been using 7018 until recently, a job came up with a ****load of welding so they tell me to use some 5/32 Jetrod. My amps are at about 200 which it says on the box that it's the optimal setting, but my puddle doesn't look right, maybe it's just because it's 7024, but there is a lot of slag, like I can barely see my puddle, it doesn't sound like it's interfering with it, and after I've chipped it the bead looks fine. What do you think? Also any tips for welding with 7024 please. Thanks
Reply:It's been years since I ran any 7024. When wire feeders came out, that pretty much did in 7024 for us.I always used more angle on the rod when running 7024, than with 7018. Another trick, if you can switch to AC, for some reason 7024 really likes AC.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:It does seem to run smoother on ac, but does that affect my penatration? I know it's a fast fill rod, but I'd like to get the most penatraion I can. Thanks for the quick response
Reply:along with what CEP has already said, try to run it on the high side of the amp scale, use more drag angle than you normally would with say E7018. Don't hold too short of an arc length, 1/16" to 1/8" max. Also, bead orientation is key with this stuff: if you have any sort of incline always start on the low end and work to the high end, downhill with this rod is a recipe for trouble, it has a "lot" of iron powder in the flux which contributes mass to the finished weld bead and also makes it a very "fluid" and somewhat runny deposition. So long as the welding is in the flat position this can be a very enjoyable rod to run. Good luck and best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:Originally Posted by zachary6996does that affect my penatration?
Reply:Is it normal though to not be able to see most of my puddle? If do then what's a good strategy to make sure my beads in good shape while welding if I can't see my puddle? Right now I notice a spot here or there that I could have fixed while welding, but I couldn't see them, only after I chip do I notice it
Reply:If I remember correctly, I only watched the puddle right at the front, and sides of the rod. Anything behind the rod it's to late to do anything about. Anything that produces that much slag, a lot of times you go on faith, and the sound of the weld.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Okay great, that helped alot, thanks
Reply:The 5/32 7024's I've been running lately are so smooth and stupid-easy, by design apparently.  It takes a moment to get used to the "lava flow."   As CEP and other said, increase the drag angle a bit more.  Also, literally "drag" that rod tip.  Do NOT raise the tip like you would a 6010/6011.  The 7024 creates it's own perfect arc gap with the thick flux coating, that's why it's called a "drag" rod.   Your 200 amps is fine, but you might up it.  I'll usually start at 225 AC and once the base metal gets really hot, I'll turn the amps down on subsequent weld beads.  Just remember, 7024 is NOT a deep penetrator.  But what it lacks in penetration, it gains in surface "area" coverage of the weld metal.   I just wouldn't use it for critical weld joints that produce a lot of stress and flexing.  That's what the low-hy rods are for.  Ive had 7024's used on 1/4"-3/8" thick steel, squared or rectangular chemical tanks that are lined and used to hold thousands of gallons of liquid.  The 7024's produced nice BIG weld beads along the bottom four side of the steel tanks.  It's some neat stuff.Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:Everything CEP said.I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Yeah with 7024 you dont really watch the puddle so much. Mainly just watch the slag pool and make sure you have a good fast swirling whirlpool of lava that cools evenly and let the 7024 system work its magic.If it seems too easy, or like you are missing something, dont worry thats normal. Originally Posted by zachary6996It does seem to run smoother on ac, but does that affect my penatration? I know it's a fast fill rod, but I'd like to get the most penatraion I can. Thanks for the quick response
Reply:Ran a bunch on 5/32" Lincoln 7024s @ 155A DC on a Miller XMT 450.  Material was a 3/8" plate.  The fattest, shiniest, widest bead ever laid down.  No drama.  All slag self pealed for 75-90% of bead length.  Attack angle lower than 7018s.  DRAG these jet rods and eyes-on the puddle sides to aid in maintaining constant bead width and overall weld profile.  Puddle mimics an advancing rogue wave of orange/black hued lava.Will def incorporate these 'jets' into a future steel build for aesthetics. "Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:Try them DCEN.Run way better than DCEP, as in the slag is way more controlable....~John
Reply:Originally Posted by ManoKaiRan a bunch on 5/32" Lincoln 7024s @ 155A DC on a Miller XMT 450.  Material was a 3/8" plate.  The fattest, shiniest, widest bead ever laid down.  No drama.  All slag self pealed for 75-90% of bead length.  Attack angle lower than 7018s.  DRAG these jet rods and eyes-on the puddle sides to aid in maintaining constant bead width and overall weld profile.  Puddle mimics an advancing rogue wave of orange/black hued lava.Will def incorporate these 'jets' into a future steel build for aesthetics.
Reply:@ SuperArc - check.  The dude who handed me the electrodes suggested a baseline of 150A.  Questioned him, as setting seemed way low. Your recommendation makes sense, especially since an 1/8" 7018 sings to me at 135A.  The bead line appeared to have a flat to slight concave profile.  Wide and shallow depth.  That should have been my tell to increase amperage.Will up the juice next time run'n the 7024s and burn 'em in at 200-230A on 1/4" ~ 3/8" HRS.  Mahalo!Last edited by ManoKai; 06-05-2014 at 07:03 AM.Reason: Math"Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:Agreed, 155 amps souuds too cold for 5/32 inch 7024 especially on 3/8 base metal.Only time I would try that little power is if it were being ran on 1/4 inch steel with a fillet grove and gap and the normal 180 amp minimum settings were burning through.For normal 3/8 welding with that rod I would put the machine on at least 190 amps DCEP or start at 200 or 210 amps AC.Whats your max amps you can get with your machine?old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder