Opinion on these welds

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3/32" Hobart 6013, 5/64" metal, 70-75 amp range by the scale on the welder, practicing a lap joint for a snowblower repair.First weld, not a lot of bead where it's supposed to be!Backside of the weld to judge weld penetrationWorst looking weldThe web site stopped working, so I didn't post the picture of what looked like the best weld to me.  I know, practice, practice, practice, but where should I be focusing my attention?  I know, watch the puddle, not the pretty light!
Reply:Originally Posted by jarheaddoc, but where should I be focusing my attention?  I know, watch the puddle, not the pretty light!
Reply:Did I at least get the amps right?!  I know, this is like any other skill, it's a matter of practice, practice, practice.  The problem I'm having right now is trying to coordinate proper angle, travel speed, and puddle watching all into a good weld.  I am having fun with this, though, and I greatly appreciate you input.  With any luck those welds will be the worst ones I ever post....
Reply:HOLEY MOLEY!!!that's pretty rough, and all that rust certainly ain't helping.Last edited by TimmyTIG; 01-14-2013 at 04:25 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by TimmyTIGHOLEY MOLEY!!!that's pretty rough, and all that rust certainly ain't helping.
Reply:You guys laugh it up, but I am serious when I say that I am trying to add welding to my list of things that will hold anything together.  I think it's a good addition to epoxy, duct tape, and bailing wire!
Reply:We all have to start somewhere Jarhead, just keep practicing and try changing the amperage/arc length/travel speed to see how it changes the way it welds. If you know anyone that welds you might have them show you how a few times, that seems to be one of the best ways to learn to weld.Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:just messin with ya, don't take it too hard.  You get rid of that rust and you'll have a much easier time of it, I guarantee.
Reply:Jarhead...Practice a lot, listen, learn, tweak your technique...you'll get there.  A lot of us started out with beads that looked like we blew our nose on the workpiece.
Reply:we need more pics!!!
Reply:Originally Posted by SquirmyPugWe all have to start somewhere Jarhead, just keep practicing and try changing the amperage/arc length/travel speed to see how it changes the way it welds. If you know anyone that welds you might have them show you how a few times, that seems to be one of the best ways to learn to weld.
Reply:the first one looks too cold, I can't really get a reading on the second one.
Reply:Originally Posted by jarheaddocBut seriously, did I at least get the amps right?  I figured mid-range was a good place to start.
Reply:I punched the numbers into the Miller stick welding calculator, which gave me the 40-90 amp range.  The amp scale on the welder is approximate, I know.   The Hobart rods don't have anything printed on the package that I can find to suggest a range for the rods, but it does have the polarity to use.  This is in contrast to the Lincoln rods that I have used, which have both  the suggested amperage range and polarity printed on the outside.  I am finally taking up what for me is a hobby and having fun doing it.  I have my list of projects to do once I can get stuff to stick together without it looking like I couldn't find my epoxy/duct tape/bailing wire and used bubble gum instead....
Reply:As a novice weldor myself, I defer to what the other folks here have said, but I would suggest that you may get better use out of running some beads on a flat piece of metal. It's not the same as welding a joint, but you can at least work on keeping travel speed, rod angle, and arc length consistent. You can get a lot of beads onto a piece of plate.You will benefit greatly from paying attention to proper joint preparation. Actually welding the metal together is only the last 15% of the job. Cutting the metal to length, cleaning it, beveling the joint if necessary, aligning the pieces and tacking or clamping them together... that's the other 85%. If your metal is dirty or your pieces aren't lined up right, your welds are going to look bad even if you are mostly doing things right. On the other hand, if you have clean metal with good tight fitup, you are setting yourself up for success. Since fitup is nonexistent when making beads on flat plate, that's another reason why that's an okay place to start getting a feel for things.You are also not really helping yourself by starting out on thin material. Now, on top of everything else you have to worry about, you have to think about burning through. I also find 3/32" rods to require more finesse than 1/8" rods. The puddle is smaller and every little wiggle of my hand makes the bead skip and jig all over the place. I got better results practicing while burning 1/8" rods on thicker metal. I could run as hot as I needed to without burning through, and the thicker rod created a bigger puddle that made it easier to see what was going on.My suggestion: get a piece of 1/4" flat plate or bar stock and practice making beads on that. When you get some good looking beads, maybe start thinking about doing joints.
Reply:Jarhead, wanted to let you know I posted a chart for electrode amperages in the Mig Tig Stick and Oxyfuel section. As you found on the Miller calc. the numbers are only there to get you in the operating range for the electrode. You will need to fine tune the amperage untill you get the results you are looking for.Airco Ac/Dc 300 HeliwelderMillerMatic 200 (stolen)Miller Maxstar 150STLMiller AEAD200LE (welding and generating power) Hobart MIG
Reply:What joshuabardwell said is important; if you are setting your amps low and rushing to avoid burning through the thin metal, you are not doing yourself any favors.To expand on DSW's advice, 6013s seem to work best toward the high end of the current range. Also, it is important to let the puddle form and make sure it is touching both pieces before you start moving. High-speed welding of sheet metal is one of the primary uses of 6013 rods, but it requires a bit of practice. If you are a relative beginner, you will find it much easier to practice your technique on thicker metal and then move on to thinner sheet as you gain experience.JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps
Reply:Jarhead, the cleanup is very important because the arc has to burn any rust,paint, etc off before the filler can join w/ the parent metal(s) which can make the arc do crazy things further frustrating you. A small disc grinder works best and on the thin metal just take enough off to remove all foreign matter. Too much and you'll burn thru in the thin spots.                                                MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Clean up your material. I think your too cold. Also it looks like you are having trouble seeing you work. A lot of novice welders seem to have this problem. Is your shade too dark? Ambient light coming in the back of your hood? If you cannot see properly to distinguish the weld puddle from the slag you will never be able to get the right travel speed etc. No-one learns this stuff over night. Don't be afraid to try different machine settings to see which works better or worse. Practice.
Reply:To add to this what are the proper angles to have the rod at when welding a T or lap joint?  It looks to me as if the rod was being held at a 90 to the top material.  When I am using MIG I tend to hold the gun at a 45 degree angle to the joint to get the best penetration and basically aim the arc towards the deepest part of the joing(not sure thats correct but what I do), would the same hold true for SMAW?  I read a lot on here but have yet to really see anything mentioned regarding the angle in reference to the joint.  Thanks.
Reply:Jarheaddoc.It takes months kids to learn to write straight.They finally develop and improve.=====Judging from the photos, major improvement needs to be made on: Welding straight, to avoid wandering.Aiming the electrode at the bottom sheet in the lap joint, will help ensure you make good fusion to the bottom piece, remembering that it will take more heat to penetrate the surface of the bottom piece than the edge of the top piece.Welding continuously without skipping ahead of the puddle, will help close those gaps between along the weld and reduce slag.Closing that gap of air between the top and bottom pieces, will help reduce the slag.Also important are the comments from the other bloggers:Removing the rust from the base metal previous to welding, you will probably avoid the the porosity.Using a 10 or 11 shade of lense and making sure it is clean.===== The first photos indicates that your amps are in the ballpark.=====You are still learning how to how the pencil ... in a few months you will be welding poetry.
Reply:Hold the stinger in one hand and the rod about 1/2 way down with the other hand, tweek you settings and drag the rod down the joint, forget any weaving until you can run a decent looking stringer bead.REAL TRUCKS DON'T HAVE SPARK PLUGS
Reply:I agree run flat beads on plate. Once you are ready for those lap joints, clean it up with a grinder a bit. Make rectangular coupons and over lap them about halfway, and stagger  the ends. This way you get 2 long and 2 short seams to weld per pair, then keep them for running beads or use the unused ends for joints on other pieces or other pairs from above.6013 puddle is not real defined as far as shape behind the rod, just focus on arc length and move as fast as the puddle melts to about twice the rod thickness, or about 3/16"DSW, do you have a link to that arc length post? Edit: I'm guess the 125a on 7018 is 1/8" rod, the op is using 3/32" I believe.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 and WP17. 75A AC is for pipe thawing!HH 140 - new addtion 9/2012.I didn't agree, but hoped for Hope and Change.I got change for myself and my family: for the worse.This is the reality of: Barackalypse Now. Again.
Reply:Originally Posted by jtcnjDSW, do you have a link to that arc length post? Edit: I'm guess the 125a on 7018 is 1/8" rod, the op is using 3/32" I believe.
Reply:Thank you all for your input.  Tomorrow's weather forecast is looking favorable for at least being able to get some metal pieces cleaned up and sized for practicing.My other serious interests are woodworking and classic era OMC outboards motors from about 3 to 10 hp.  I am self-taught for both and can comfortably state that I can build a canoe that will float and get me where I want to go with a motor I revived, but I need the trailer to haul it all to the lake.Originally Posted by jarheaddocThank you all for your input.  Tomorrow's weather forecast is looking favorable for at least being able to get some metal pieces cleaned up and sized for practicing.My other serious interests are woodworking and classic era OMC outboards motors from about 3 to 10 hp.  I am self-taught for both and can comfortably state that I can build a canoe that will float and get me where I want to go with a motor I revived, but I need the trailer to haul it all to the lake.