Some stick welds

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These are some stick welds done today in class. I'm running 1/8'' 6013 at 75amps.Also what is the absolute minimum shade you can use i am having a very hard time seeing. Attached Images
Reply:I wouldn't go less than a 10 myself, but know some that will run an 8 or 9. For stick I find I need a darker shade usually, 11 or 12. The lens regardless of shade will block the UV. You want a lens dark enough to see, but not be painful or leave an after image.You may also find an additional light or two might help. At the tech school where I took classes years ago, some of the booths were very dark. I found one of those 150 watt clamp on halogen work lights helped a lot to be able to see while welding. Just watch out because they get VERY hot. .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:Shade 10 lens is what you want for stick welding at the currents your using.You should be using more than 75 amps with 1/8 6013.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Shade 10 is average, possibly shade 11 for more sensitive eyes. The 6013 electrode (versatile rod since it can be used on either AC or DC) in 1/8 is recommended being ran from 75 to 125 amps, material dependant. The picture was a little fuzzy, but from what I could tell, the stringers you ran on that plate weren't too bad. Keep at it and good luck.Miller XMT-3502 Lincoln Power Mig 140C (One w/ dedicated spoolgun)Jackson NexGen / Miller Digital EliteMiller S32P SuperWeldcraft 17fv & 9fv Tig TorchVictor & Purox O/ALincoln Ranger 9Fairly Cold Beer!!
Reply:No one here can tell you what shade to run, try them out and use whatever works.I cant run less than a 12 for 7018, regardless of amps or dia it just makes my eyes hurt.  However, I can run 5/32 6010, high amp MIG or selfshielded wire all day long with a 10.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:them welds look a little cold to me. im fussy about  replacing coverplates and use a gold 9 for everything but you gotta try different ones, go lower  one ata time until you can really see some puddle(its a learning thing as well as a visual thing).6013 is very fluid so you need to distinguish  between slag and puddle.
Reply:thanks for the feedback everyone this is olny my second year in welding and since its its a highschool shop my teacher isnt able to give me much feedback so i'm stuck with fiddling around with the welder for hours to find the right setting thanks again
Reply:Since you have the lens thing figured out I will offer you this....Preparation is key, weld on a clean surface to get better results. Grind the scale off. If you are doing open but welds on plate or pipe, this will be extremely important.UA Local 598
Reply:A couple things to think about, which you may already be doing, don't know.Use a slight drag angle, maybe 10 to 20 degrees off of perpendicular.Keep the arc length short.  The front edge of the coating can lightly ride on the plate surface as you pull the rod along at a steady speed.Set your cameral to macro mode for close up photos.
Reply:Don't forget "cheater" magnifying lenses and to start with a CURRENT prescription if you wear glasses.We keep a selection of cheaters for students to try out. Ya can't weld if you can't see, and "seeing" your weld can require a very specific setup.
Reply:Didn't see it mentioned here yet, but less shade is not always the answer.  If you're using a 10, try an 11.  Do you have blue eyes?  I've heard people with blue eyes are more sensitive to the arc light and benefit from a darker lens.Benson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Originally Posted by IngeniumThese are some stick welds done today in class. I'm running 1/8'' 6013 at 75amps.Also what is the absolute minimum shade you can use i am having a very hard time seeing.
Reply:Originally Posted by brent tthat looks like ****.Heres what you do put your purse down run your heat at a minimum 90amps giver take 5 and you will do fine to cold
Reply:Now Samm, you need to stop candy-coating and tell us how you really feel.Ingenium... keep practicing.  As others have said: maintain a short arc, constant angle, constant rate of travel, and don't be afraid to turn up the heat.  Clean your metal with a grinder until it's bright and shiny.  Try running longer beads.  I usually don't use less than a #10 shade for SMAW.  Practice, practice, practice... you'll get it.Work HARDER, not smarter! ------------------------ Miller Bobcat 250Millermatic 251Lincoln Precision TIG 185Hypertherm PM 600Hobart 135 HandlerOxweld 400 FlameMaster
Reply:I like running 6013 1/8 at around 100 amps. Gives a smootheness to the weld.As far as shade, it would be worth the ten bucks to go buy various shades from 9 to 12. Try them out one at a time. Look closely, working backwards from 12, until you can see the puddle well. For me it's a 10. For one of my friends, 11. It just depends on your eye sensitivity. Also know that the higher you set your amps the greater the visible light output.Experimentation will be key here.
Reply:I agree with those that suggest more amps than 75. I usually run 120-140 amps for 1/8" 6013. Now, I'm not a professional welder or nothing, but the welds look pretty darn good to me. Pushed it to 150 Amps for some vertical work a couple of months ago. When I took off the helmet, I couldn't believe how nice the weld looked. Hasn't broke yet, so hopefully it will hold.As for the lense - You're just gonna have to try a few different lenses, different lighting in the shop...find out what works for you.Andrew
Reply:I agree with what everyone else here has said pretty much (I'm just getting back into practice with stick after a pretty long time...so I feel your pain ).  What I would recommend if you can afford it is to get a decent auto-darkening hood as it'll make your life alot easier.  I run an Optrel Satellite...but they're not inexpensive (mine ran about $275).  I'm looking at upgrading to a Speedglas 9100xx which looks to run somewhere around $350-$370 (unless someone can point me to somewhere selling it for less ).--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow