6011 hates me

admin

Hi, I've been using 3/32" electrodes for sticking together 1/8" steel for enough time to be somewhat comfortable using 6013 (with my Miller Thunderbolt).  Earlier this week, I picked up some 7014 and 7018AC, and while they are different, I am working on getting comfortable with them as well. I also picked up some 3/32" 6011 (Lincoln Fleetweld 180), but I am having no success whatsoever with it.  The other rods end up with a nice slag on the top which comes off easily; the 6011 doesn't seem to have *any* slag, just a weird resin in a few places. There's also some type of cratering alongside the weld. Lincoln recommends a current of between 40 and 85 amps for this electrode, which is lower than the other electrodes.  I have tried it at 55A, 65A, 75A, and 80A, but I still can't seem to dial it in.  It is harder to start the arc than the other rods, although once I get going I can keep it going.  I will admit that my frustration is likely causing some of my problems. Anyone got any tips for running this electrode?  What amperage would you run this 3/32" electrode at when welding 1/8" mild steel?Thanks for any suggestions; here is a pic of today's results (2" from top to bottom of the stock material) Attached Images
Reply:Are you trying to do a straight drag? You should whip in and out of the puddle as your moving along, puddle-whip out, back in- whip out ect. Ive only really used DC machines for stick so im not too sure what welding with AC would be like..No matter what though 6010/11 slag wont look like the same slag you get after using a 7018 rod. Id discribe it as a bit more powderish-crusty as opposed to a hard shell the 7018 leaves over the weld.
Reply:Are you trying to do a straight drag? You should whip in and out of the puddle as your moving along, puddle-whip out, back in- whip out ect. Ive only really used DC machines for stick so im not too sure what welding with AC would be like..No matter what though 6010/11 slag wont look like the same slag you get after using a 7018 rod. Id discribe it as a bit more powderish-crusty as opposed to a hard shell the 7018 leaves over the weld. And as for heat, depending what your doing id run a 1/8 at around 80 give or take and go from there
Reply:The cratering is called undercut.  You should slow down your progression.  Also on the 6013, you should either turn the heat up or speed up.  Your piling the filler metal too high.  Yes the 6011 is a whipping rod, but you can also do a variety of weaves and stringers.  One common method is circles.  The 6011 is the king of electrodes for repair work.  When you learn it, you can hold your head up high.
Reply:Whipping can be accomplished by overlapping circles.Moving your rod in a constant tight circular motion, direct the heat/arc into the puddle at the "top" of the circle, and remove the heat/arc from the puddle at the "bottom" of the circle.  By doing this you're allowing the metal to fast freeze, which allows it to momentarily cool before the next hot phase.  Stack of dimes.I've developed an upside down "U" motion which accomplishes the same thing, but it's one of my self taught weird things, and definitely not normal  And it really doesn't look like a stack of dimes, more like a stack of pancakes"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:6011 on 10 ga should run nice between 55-75 amps, buttweld a little  cooler than t joint..with 6013 or 7018 you start the arc and run along, watching the molten metal  follow the arc.  with 6011 you melt some metal, and move away fort a second("whipping") to allow it to freeze, then you repeat ..its a matter of learning to consistently return and redeposit some metal..and the slag is a black powder..i see the frustration, you are beating the snot out of the bead with the slaghammer...welcome.....
Reply:I'm a total noob so I can't give any advice, but I can tell you what I've been doing.I've been putting together a cart for my new welder, using 1x1" square tubing that is 1/8th inch thick.  Today I welded on the 2 sections of angle to hold the welder, it is 1/8th also.  I started out using 6013 but switched to 6011 because it seems to do better when the fitup is poor (which mine is because I have limited tools).What has worked best for me is about 65 amps on DCEP with the 3/32 6011.Leaning heavily on something when welding helps me a lot, especially when it comes to keeping a steady arc length.  Most of my welds I'm ashamed of, but a couple of the ones I did joining the tubing and angle, actually look like I knew what I was doing.    I will try to remember to take a picture and post it on here.Also, you probably already know this, but it really helps to get the metal as clean and shiny as possible.
Reply:Originally Posted by MwmAre you trying to do a straight drag? You should whip in and out of the puddle as your moving along, puddle-whip out, back in- whip out ect. Ive only really used DC machines for stick so im not too sure what welding with AC would be like..No matter what though 6010/11 slag wont look like the same slag you get after using a 7018 rod. Id discribe it as a bit more powderish-crusty as opposed to a hard shell the 7018 leaves over the weld.
Reply:6011 starts nicely with a scratch start but if you are having issue starting regardless of the method it is usually do to bad grounding. 70A seems to be a reasonable starting point for the 6011 but with fast freeze rods you know when your travel speed and heat are good becase the slag scrapes off realitivley easy, with 7018 the slag will rooster tail or at least come off in large pieces.I personally like a forward and back whipping motion with a pause on the back side of the whipp to allow the puddle to form. Also I didn't see if you indicated if you were running AC or DC but if running DC make sure you are using DCEP."I believe that our heavenly father invented man because his was disappointed with the monkey." -Samuel Clemens
Reply:Thanks F.  I played around with the rod today, and did indeed find that 70A was a good spot for the rod as far as puddle and penetration goes.  I got much better results with a "C" weave, like ((((((((((((((((((((((, and although I have a long way to go, it was a lot better than yesterday.  BUT....I'm still having a devil of a time with restarts on 6011 (the other rods restart fine for me).  A fresh rod starts right up, I can get into my weld just perfectly, and then I put it down after burning a half rod to wire brush the completed joint and move on to the next joint. At that point, the rod just much doesn't want to restart.  It sparks, it sticks like crazy, then when I give up and pull it away I get a big 1" long arc, like it's mocking me!   About every rod I burned today was like this; my "stub can" is full of 6" long sections of 6011 that all have big grins on their steely little faces.I secured the workpiece with a clamp that I grounded to, and a fresh rod works great, but once they go out they just don't want to start back up for me. Any tips for restarting 6011, short of getting a boltcutter and nipping the ends off of half-burned rods?Last edited by jonnycat; 05-10-2010 at 07:26 PM.
Reply:When I restart with 6010 type rods I use a scratch start then hold a very long gap for a couple seconds. Seems to help burn the rod back to where the flux can start working again and also gets a little heat started at the beginning of the weld. AlA man is judged by what's between his legs...always ride a good horseMiller DialArc HFLincoln Classic 300DThermal Arc 181iPowermax 45Scotchman Ironworker(2) BridgeportsOkomota Surface GrinderAutoCAD 2010
Reply:Here are a couple of mine from the other day.
Reply:Originally Posted by SmokinPRanchWhen I restart with 6010 type rods I use a scratch start then hold a very long gap for a couple seconds. Seems to help burn the rod back to where the flux can start working again and also gets a little heat started at the beginning of the weld. Al
Reply:I like my students to tuff it out and figure the restars out but a good trick is to have a file with you and before you restart you file down the end to expose fresh wire. Usually it is 7018 that people have a hard time restarting that is why I am suspicious of you quality of ground."I believe that our heavenly father invented man because his was disappointed with the monkey." -Samuel Clemens
Reply:i have two tricks for restart ..---with gloved thumb and forefinger of nonstinger hand, break  slag/flux off rod tip exposing metal---tap tip of offending rod against adjacent steel(not the part you connected work clamp to)  to break slag/flux off rod tip.works for me