more stick practice

admin

Starting to like this crazy stick welding. Bought a 6 foot length of 2" x 1/8" steel, cut up into 4 inch length pieces (love that HF bandsaw).After 2 nights of running beads ended up with this crazy plate.6013 rod again.So what, besides flat pieces, should I practice on to improve my skills? I did a couple of 90 degree coupons as well, but didn't post them. - John Attached Images
Reply:looks good, especially for 6013.  have you used 7018 yet?  it allows even amateurs to make pretty welds.
Reply:Nope, haven't tried it. I tried some 7014, but seemed like I had to go kinda fast for my liking. I'll have to give 7018 a shot.- John
Reply:You are getting the hang of it.  Just for the record the 6013 IS the rod to go to when bead appearance matters.  When it is run right few will rival it.  Are you using 1/8th or 3/32 rods?  Looks like all you need to concentrate on is keeping the rod steady.  Keep up the good work you are getting there.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Originally Posted by celllooks good, especially for 6013.  have you used 7018 yet?  it allows even amateurs to make pretty welds.
Reply:I was using 3/32 rod. I have a box of 1/8 also, should I be using the 1/8 rod for 1/8 material?I really like the way the slag just drops right off the 6013 with minimal chipping effort. Much different than the 6011 beasties. - John
Reply:I does look good. When you get it you will know.  You will have no problem reaching for the stick welder for general repair.  I use stick much more than mig or tig.  I use mig for rails because it would be insane to chip so much slag.  keep practicing.  Play with your amps, travel speed and arc length.  Watch the edges of the puddle to see how wide the bead is and how it is wetting the metal. To me it looks like you have too much heat(amount of spatter), but are traveling too fast (narrow bead width).  ...got to see the puddle...
Reply:I generally use 3/32 for 1/8" material or less and a 1/8th rod for larger.   Its good you have both that was where I was headed with the point.  Try them both.  I agree with what 69chavey said.  No need for Low Hydrogen rods, to use them when its not needed is just a waste, and the weld isn't going to look any better than the 6013 when run correctly.   Keep up the practice.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:It looks good,try slowing down a bit more, maybe about only 2/3 as fast. What motion are you using? Maybe try small circles, they help you keep your rythem and speed constant. How long is you arc length and at what angle? You need a very short arc lenght ( keep the end of the rod very close to the weldament) and try a slight trailing angle (___/___).  Hope this helps.  You'll be welding like a pro in no time.  On 6013 you can tell you made a good weld when the slag starts peeling off by itself.Sorry if i overwelmed you with info. Just try one new thing at a time and see what kind of difference it makes.  Then you can move on to the next.My suggestions is to still stay on the flat position for now though.Good luck
Reply:Originally Posted by tapwelderI does look good. To me it looks like you have too much heat(amount of spatter), but are traveling too fast (narrow bead width).  ...got to see the puddle...
Reply:Originally Posted by fordtrucksIt looks good,try slowing down a bit more, maybe about only 2/3 as fast. What motion are you using? Maybe try small circles, they help you keep your rythem and speed constant. How long is you arc length and at what angle? Good luck
Reply:As far as amperage goes you will learn that.  We can give you guidelines, but you will have to decided what is to hot and to cold when welding.  amperage is dependent on material thickness and rod size.  on 1/8" material with a 1/8" rod I would think you could do fine with 100 amps.  if using a 3/32" rod then 80-90 range would be ok.  Keep in mind as I said earlier these are just guidelines.  You can give the same setup to five different guys on the forum who are professionals and I would bet you would have atleast three different amperages out of the five, but all would yield a quality weld.  As you said consistency is the key.  You are getting the hang of it.  Practice is the key.  ~JacksonI'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:john looking good,if you did them with 80 amps then thats the way to go look at the tail ends where you have come to the end of each plate they haven,t blown into any large holes,if you up the amps the will.thing is you are in control, you can feel if it seems right or not watch the pool and angle your hand to push slag back if it starts to overtake you.any welder will find it hard to do 1/8 plate so you have really set yourself a challenge.again ,your enjoying it. pipefitter.
Reply:Burn some more rod and you will have it.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:The welds look pretty good to me. Like someone already said, hold it steady, and maybe slow your drag down some. I think 3/32 rods are easier to learn with, especially vertical beads and overhead. That's just my opinion. Your arc length is always important too. I try to hold my arc length close enough to the metal that it is almost going to stop the arc all together. It seems the closer the better for me. You wil have tighter "ripples" in the weld, which means a more dense weld. Keep it up, those welds are looking good.
Reply:the more stick time the better the only way to get better is to burn more rods  looks good so far keep it up.63' Lincoln SA200 2008 miller trailblazer 302fibre-metal pipelinermiller camo BWEand all the guns and ammo a growin boy needs
Reply:All the talk about rods, I am familiar with 6011 and 6013, for sure. What is the "Low hydrogen 70 series?" Can you use it with any stick welder? Or do you need gas for it? Also what is MG500? I had some in my garage, Have no clue where I aquired it,,  But my son and I laid down some VERY PRETTY welds on my trailer last weekend. (Had to add some height to my "Flipouts" On the front, (Ramps to extend the length of the trailer) One dinged my roof on my 03 Dually Powerstroke while entering a gas station drive,,Ohh I was So adding about 2" at the 18" point raised the end of the ramp about 5-6 more inches.. plenty of clearance now...sorry if this is "Hijacking the thread"Last edited by JimTjr; 06-28-2007 at 08:00 PM.
Reply:"Low Hydrogen" Rods are an all position, x-ray quality rod that has a high crack resistance.  Its also used on welding high carbon steels.  The most common low hydrogen rod in my opinion is the 7018.  They are usually a DC rod, but there is a variation made to run on AC current as well.  As far as needing gas, you don't use any form of gas while stick welding unless its to power the engine on the welder. hehe   The flux burns and creates and gas around the weld puddle shielding it from impurities.  Gas is used in mig and tig because you have no flux to shield the weld puddle.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:I knew about stick and flux ect..and had NEVER before heard of any gas with a stick welder, but I guess the word "Hydrogen" had me confused some..
Reply:Try to keep your arc the diamater of the wire in the rod or less.  Consistancy counts big time.Looking good.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.