Erratic arc with 7018

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I was welding with some 1/8 Jetweld 7018 and the arc was acting like i was majorly long arcing it when I was really almost touching the metal and there was lots of spatter and basically fire shooting out of the arc. What in the heck is going on?Miller Dialarc 250Miller Bobcat 225Hobart Oxy/FuelCouple of Dewalt and Milwaukee GrindersJET Bandsaw and Drill Press
Reply:I haven't experienced this but from what I've read it sounds like it could be arc blow. I believe I remember also reading that you can switch to A/C to help out. Not sure if it requires 7018AC rod or not, but it's something to try. I'm sure someone with more experience will chime in and tell me if I'm wrong, but I figure you can try it until then.
Reply:Maybe the rod is moist? UA Local 250
Reply:Originally Posted by Raul250Maybe the rod is moist? UA Local 250
Reply:put some of the rods in the oven for a few hours on low heat, then try welding again...Of all the things I lost I miss my mind the most...I know just enough about everything to be dangerous......You cant cure stupid..only kill it...
Reply:On what metal at what amperage?Just a couple welders, big hammers, grinders, and torches.Work will free you.Men in dirty jeans built this country, while men in clean suits have destroyed it. Trump/Carson 2016-2024
Reply:Originally Posted by AKweldshopOn what metal at what amperage?
Reply:Prolly the rods.Find a cheap toaster oven at a thrift store.Get them 300deg and run them.Or lessen the drag angle on the rod.Just a couple welders, big hammers, grinders, and torches.Work will free you.Men in dirty jeans built this country, while men in clean suits have destroyed it. Trump/Carson 2016-2024
Reply:i feel bad because i always ask the obvious, but in the real world, it is often the problem, so, here goesis your polarity by any chance backwards? should be electrode posbosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:Originally Posted by 92dlxmani feel bad because i always ask the obvious, but in the real world, it is often the problem, so, here goesis your polarity by any chance backwards? should be electrode pos
Reply:so does that mean you are running ac current?bosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:It sounds like the spirits are angry w/ you.   What have you done lately,  are you hiding anything ?   I'd try praying or going to confession, or whatever your deal is, before using the rods again
Reply:Originally Posted by 92dlxmanso does that mean you are running ac current?
Reply:You are having two different issues with two different 7018 electrodes, same welder, same weldor.Hmmm.Hobart Beta-Mig 2511972 Miller AEAD-200LEMiller 250 TwinNorthern Ind. Hybrid 200Longevity Stick 140Longevity Migweld 200SThermal Arc Pak 3XR
Reply:Is your ground clamp close to where you are welding or does it have real good contact with your work? Sounds maybe like arc blow.
Reply:Originally Posted by geezerbillYou are having two different issues with two different 7018 electrodes, same welder, same weldor.Hmmm.
Reply:your either backards, or using the ac lugs.i/ve used wet rod. runs great and isn't wet for long (dont worry it was just for experiment)arc blow is possible, but i have never run into it so i dont know what it looks likebosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:geezerbillA Four-fer . . .I believe farmwelder's 'issues' are proof - the Strong & Weak, Electromagnetic, and Gravity of the Unified Field Theory arealive and well - and cannot be resolved.Opus.Last edited by OPUS FERRO; 02-23-2015 at 11:29 PM.Reason: Bold ain't _____
Reply:Might be time to take the cover off the dialarc and blow it out. Check for burnt wires and loose connections. if all is ok, do some experimenting. Try your rods with a different power source like the bobcat in your sig. If they weld good on that machine your rods are good and something is wrong with the other machine. Try turning up the heat up so hot you know it will burn a hole in the plate. Basically try screwing around with the variables till you get a diiferent result, also post pic and document what is goin on. Welding is about thinking on your feet and problem solving.Nothing Ever Got Done By Quitting, Never Give Up.
Reply:you could try wrapping your ground wire  around the tube a few times might work.High Octane Welding
Reply:1/8" rods don't normally run at high enough amps to get arc blow. Arc doesn't usually appear until you get up around 160 or more amps. I've heard of a Dialarc blowing a diode or something that caused it to not weld very good. Trying a different machine could confirm if it's a machine problem.
Reply:If you're welding from left to right, switch from right to left when it starts to blow like that. Or, switch your ground clamp to the opposite side of the piece you're welding. I was in a large vessel years ago & having the same problem. My weld was about 30 feet long though. The Foreman saw me struggling & had me jump 1 foot ahead of the point of the problem & weld back into it from the opposite direction. Stopped all arc blow & spatter for the rest of the weld. After running the one rod backwards I didn't have anymore problems & have used that solution many times since. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Magnetism problem? Polarity problem? I was told it was a Japanese steel problem. American steel was getting very hard to come by then. That alone should tell how long ago that worked for me the first time.Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.                                         -Cree Indian ProverbSA 200 LincolnVictor Torches
Reply:To see if its arc blow try welding on a square piece of scrap, then stick one or more of those corner magnets to the same piece of scrap and then try welding near the magnet.That will learn you real fast what arc blow is and that's how I truly learned what it was like.old Miller spectrum 625 Lincoln SP-135 T, CO2+0.025 wireMiller model 250 and WP-18V torchCraftsman 100amp AC/DC and WP-17V torchCentury 115-004 HF arc stabilizerHome made 4 transformer spot welderHome made alternator welder
Reply:Please post a pic of the machine and the result of your attempt. I thought my first welder (before I knew anything) was a dc welder because it showed a port for the work and for the electrode, that wasn't the case. IT defiantly was an ac welder, it don't have the ocv to keep a 5/32 7018 lit, even when cranked all the way to 295 ampsNothing Ever Got Done By Quitting, Never Give Up.
Reply:So today i put in more passes i only did the one yesterday because it was late in the work day and I did some research and arc blow can happen on the root pass which is what I was doing at the time so it hasnt done it any more so that might have just been the problem.Miller Dialarc 250Miller Bobcat 225Hobart Oxy/FuelCouple of Dewalt and Milwaukee GrindersJET Bandsaw and Drill Press