more challenging stick practice pics

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This is for anyone that isn't tired of looking at my stick welding beads Cro-moly tubing, 1/16" wall, and some 1/8" thick angle iron.3/32" 6013 rod.Some observations:1. Filling poor-fit-up spaces with stick is less than easy. I dab, rest, dab, rest, ... probably making a weld filled with layers of slag. 2. Slag does not like to chip off from inside corners.3. While many of my welds look like crap, I think I did ok for 1/16" tube  - John Attached Images
Reply:last one Attached Images
Reply:and now I must hand the laptop over to my 6-year old so she can play club penguin. She's online in one room, the 11-year old is online in the next room. Modern tech for you.- John
Reply:john ,what you are trying to weld there the pipe is very hard to do.the truth is you are making a decent job of it so dont be disheartened by the appearance of some of the welds.the angle is a different matter this is heavy enough to let you in irish parlance give it some welly.that last photo looks spot on and is perfect for practice keep at it and well done for a second or third attempt,its very good indeed.alan
Reply:Not too bad... Listen....If you want to do tubing with a stick make yourself some rollers to spin them on (by hand)..Once you get the heat and both hands in harmony they come out pretty uniform.. Thats how I used to do driveshafts and other tubing before I got the positioner...Carry on!...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Really ironic, I was going to post some 1/16" material welded with 3/32" 6013.  I'll get is later this evening.That round stuff is difficult, do lots of practice runs before you start welding.
Reply:Actually I don't even have a reason to want to be able to weld this tubing, other than for practice and to improve my skills.Getting better at stick is its own reward for me, I guess.- JohnOh yeah and tapwelder, post in a separate thread so I'm not too embarrased by the comparison in quality !!
Reply:This is the way you get better.  Small diameter tubing with a stick (or anything, for that matter) is pretty tough.  Changing angles, and changing direction of gravity will make you cuss...a lot.What Zap says about a roller is true.  It'll make things much easier and uniform.  You can make a cheap quick roller with some spare fixed (non-spinny-aroundy-type I think is the "TECHNICAL" term) rubber wheels from practically anything you can get 4 from.  I made a roller from old elevator roller parts (see picture).  Before that I used push mower wheels.  You could probably even use a pair of old roller skates.  You need smaller wheels for smaller diameter stuff, and alignment can be pretty hard, but you can get the job done.  One thing you have to be careful of is not welding directly over a roller, because if you are using rubber or plastic wheels, they will melt and create a bump or flat spot.  Tractor supply has fixed metal wheels that would probably work pretty well, but they are kinda $$$. Attached ImagesSmithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I used this setup above to build a friend a bbq from an old propane tank.  It worked pretty well for both the cutting and the welding.  The wheels could have been spaced a bit further apart, but these were from an elevator and they were already in aligned pairs, so I decided to just be careful.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.