Some Pipe Welds From Today

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Did a little pipe work today.  Nothing special, easy stuff.  Here ya go.Root Pass - 1/8" 6010 - 80 ampsCover Pass - 3/32" Fleetweld 7018 H4R - 75 amps
Reply:Why the 6010?  was it requiered?  Just 2 passes with 7018 would have been fine to me.  Looks good. DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Originally Posted by David RWhy the 6010?  was it requiered?  Just 2 passes with 7018 would have been fine to me.  Looks good. David
Reply:those look ugly :Slol just kidding man! Nice work...watertight..that´s nice...I bet you spend more time grinding those than welding :PMy Babies: HF Drill pressHF Pipe Bender3   4.5" Black and Decker angle grindersLincoln Electric PROMIG 175that´s it!
Reply:Originally Posted by elvergonI bet you spend more time grinding those than welding :P
Reply:Originally Posted by WelderBoyDid a little pipe work today.  Nothing special, easy stuff.  Here ya go.Root Pass - 1/8" 6010 - 80 ampsCover Pass - 3/32" Fleetweld 7018 H4R - 75 amps
Reply:That is what I was thinking. WB, how come so low. I looked and the numbers you give are right at the bottom of the amperage range. Are you working under a written procedure?
Reply:Thin material, yes.  They took our 1/16" dual-shield wire away and only let us use .052 wire on this section of the ship.btw, I always run around 75 amps for 3/32 7018 and 80-89amps for 1/8" 6010 on smaller diameter pipe when the pipe is horizontal and I am going up and around the thing, usually a tad hotter when flat, but this was an exception because of material thickness.  Small pipe gets real hot real fast and those amps seem to double very shortly and will undercut.I run 1/8" 7018 at 95-109amps on structural in vert/overhead.  I used to run 110-115+ but when taking my certification test the cert told me to turn the heat down.  So I got in the habit of it, never had any problems since.  Rarely undercut and always get a good weld.  No leaks, x-ray loves me.  Also, a while ago when I was new to pipe I was running in the 80-95 range for 3/32" 7018 on pipe and was dripping and cutting bad.  A veteran pipe welder I work with said turn down to 75 amps.  So I did, it fixed all my problems and my welds went from bad to perfect with the turn of a dial.Last edited by WelderBoy; 09-13-2007 at 11:40 PM.
Reply:I run 1/8" 7018 at 130 + depending on the plate, but as high as 150.  Maybe your machine is different.  DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:David have you had your welder load tested for actual amp output?  I have used several different welders and the amperage always varies for my feel.  Between my bobcat 250 and trailblazer 350D I notice a solid 15 amp swing on the settings.  The smaller gas welders almost always are at or under manufacturer rating and the larger diesels are above.  I am sure that isnt true across the board, but I have noticed it.  1/8 7018 95 uphill, 130 flat.Lots of toys.
Reply:I have tested my own welders.  The ranger 250 if I put it on 90 amps, it puts out 90 amps maybe varies 1 or 2 amps.  These new electronics monitor output and control it. I run 7018 about 105 up 130 flat.    I was working on a log splitter with 1" plate and ran the 7018 at 150 for a beautiful flat bead.  I have an invertec V350.  It has digital meters that you set and reads actual volts and amps for 5 seconds after you stop welding so you can see em.  My arcmaster 185 puts out a little more than the digital amp meter says, but only 5 to 10 amps.I find lincoln rod needs to run hotter than the others.  I prefer the others. Yes, every machine is different.DavidLast edited by David R; 09-14-2007 at 08:08 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Hmmm, I guess I am in the minority.  I generally run 3/32"7018 in the range of 85-100 in any position, and a 1/8" anywhere from 135-150.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by Hammack_WeldingHmmm, I guess I am in the minority.  I generally run 3/32"7018 in the range of 85-100 in any position, and a 1/8" anywhere from 135-150.
Reply:Jeez guys, I was welding some pipe today that was a little over 1/8" wall thickness and about 2.25" diameter.  I was at 75 amps with 3/32" 7018 H4R and I had to fly through that thing an inch at a time and let it cool for 10 minutes because it was making a keyhole that was about 3/16" thick.  That was with a bevel, closed root, 1/16" root landing.Maybe it's the High Flow Rate 7018 I am using??  It's all I weld with.  Fleetweld for life!!!
Reply:Not picking on ya, WB. It is just that the procedure you used is outside what is generally considered the norm. I don't question the amperage now that I know it was 1/8 thick....the double pop has me wondering. I've done watertight before and probably would have opted for a single pass 1/8 6010 or 7018 only, but then that is just what I would choose. If the procedure was dictated or you just made one up to work for you...that is fine as long as it works.....and apparently it does.
Reply:DDA52, the bosses/engineers want 6010 roots on watertight welds.  I personally grind them down before I weld over them so I can inspect for pinholes.  That way it welds like it was never there (just like it was a single pass in the first place).You'd be surprised how often some of the 30 year veteran welders have leaky welds when trying to do one pass 7018/Dual-shield on pipe.  It works sometimes, but you never know when a microscopic pinhole at a hard to spot place like a tie-in point of a weld, or between starts/stops will arise.  And then you never know until the inspectors come and do the soap/pressurized air test, or X-ray tests.  Then it just costs major $$ to fix and have those guys come out and test it AGAIN.I'm NOT a pro on watertight welds, in fact I only started welding watertight stuff for the last 5 months at the shipyard.  And only recently been doing pipe.  Although I did pipe back in college and on occasional jobs.  So I just do the procedures I am told by bosses and tricks/tips taught by the veteran welders.  It's a learning experience for me.  I learn something new every day.
Reply:I don't consider myself a watertight pro either. By questioning you about your procedure, esp if it seems different from the norm, we can all learn something. Seems a waste to do two passes, but if the failure rate is that much lower, two sounds like a much better way. Never stop learning. When you stop learning, hang it up. You have done all you can...which hould really never happen. Really, when you think you've learned it all, it just means you are just going to repeat the same old mistakes.