What Electrode?? Welding critique please :)

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Hi all,I'm only new around here, posted up about my current project in the projects area. Its a Bullbar for my 4wd.Just wondering what kind of rod should I be using? currently running 6013 2.5mm but thinking I should maybe try and get some 7018's or similar to run on my next project, rock sliders. They will be taking a lot of abuse with nearly 3tonne smashing down hard on them.What rod would you use for such a project?I'm getting use to running in the normal position, once I finish my welding table I'm going to start practicing uphills, downhills and overheads. Any tips?Here are some welds I've done tonight on the start of the chassis plates on my winch bar. Uprights edges were beveled leaving 2mm "foot" in the middle.6013 2.5mm6mm plate steelHorizontalSomewhere between 90 - 120 amps. My welder is a bit hit and miss with the adjustments. no dials, just have to turn a handle and hope it stays in the right position :\ Ill upload a pic to show what I mean with the handle.Any pointers on getting them a bit better? I have a hard time getting nice flow once I start a new rod. You can see in the beads where I have had to stop and restart again.John Attached Images
Reply:Pretty good for 6013>  Practice practice.  What kind of welder is that, and is it DC?  Low Hydrogen Works best with LO HY. They make AC low hy but it doesn't work as well as DC In my opinion.
Reply:Looks fair to me - especially with 6013.For that next project, you need impact resistance and 7018 shines at that.Member CEP posted a comparison of the impact resistance of welds made with several different electrodes; as I recall 6013 was the worst and 7018 the best.  You could search out those posts.Rick V 1 Airco Heliwelder 3A/DDR3 CTC 70/90 amp Stick/Tig Inverters in Parallel1 Lincoln MIG PAK 151 Oxy-Acet
Reply:Your in Oz so I'm not sure exactly what rods are available to you all...7018 is the go to rods for most pros on average around here. Down sides are they don't do well if not stored properly in damp areas, and when damp tend to run erratically. Also the point of 7018 is to have a low hydrogen rod, and if they absorb moisture from the air due to poor storage, that sort of defeats the purpose some what. Also 7018 does not like open root joints. Typically they weld up the open roots with another rod like 6010/6011 1st, then do the rest of the welds with 7018. The 6010/11 forms a welded "filler" strip that seals the back of the weld. If it absolutely MUST be right the 1st time, I'd opt for a XX18 rod usually over most others for "general" projects.7014 is a decent rod to learn with. It's a "drag" rod, that means all you have to do is keep the rod flux in contact with the plate as you weld and it will maintain the correct arc length for you. If your amps and travel speed is right, the slag will peal right off behind you or at least flake off with next to no effort. It's not as strong as 7018 and isn't as shock resistant, but you don't need to use fresh rods from a can or keep rods in the oven like 7018 needs to maintain it's maximum strengths.6013 is also a drag rod, but I find many guys have issues with it for some reason. It's not as strong as 7014 is.As far as improving, You need to learn to differentiate between the molten slag and the molten puddle, and then learn how to read the molten puddle and manipulate it to get the results you want. I find most students can do an ok job on flat and some times horizontal joints doing what I refer to as timing patterns. However they can't usually make this work when they try to do vertical or overhead. For those you have to be able to read the puddle. Once you can read the puddle, you can begin to work with different things to get the results you want.Good luck..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by ironwingsPretty good for 6013>  Practice practice.  What kind of welder is that, and is it DC?  Low Hydrogen Works best with LO HY. They make AC low hy but it doesn't work as well as DC In my opinion.
Reply:130 amps AC is some what limiting. 7018 AC may work as will 7014, but you'll probably need to stick to smaller sizes ( 3/32" or what ever that relates to in metric...)As far as DC, yes you can do basic DC tig with a DC stick machine. Most rods tend to run better on DC..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:When I started this project I grabbed two sizes to try them out. 2.5mm (around 3/32") and 3.2mm (little larger then 1/8") I cant use the larger rods as I just don't have the power to burn them