How to run different stick rods

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I've been trying stick welding a bit recently.  I've got some 6011, 6013, and 7018 rods.  In doing some research on stick welding I've found some info that suggests different rods are supposed to be run differently, some are supposed to be run as a stringer, others with a C style weave, some with a whip.  Also it seems that the ideal arc length varies with each rod and can vary as much as having a long arc, short, or even dragging the rod on the work.Is there a guide somewhere that describes how to run each rod?  The books I have don't get into this kind of detail.
Reply:The one thing I was taught was that 7018 needs to be run with a relatively short arc length to prevent getting porosity, versus the 6011/6013 which can tolerate a longer arc as when using a "whip & pause" technique for vertical up.  Like on a vertical up open root V groove, you pause to melt thru to the back side and deposit weld metal, then momentarily whip slightly away, up the bevel, and up the joint, to let the deposit solidify and not burn a huge hole in the joint.I would not say any rod requires a stringer or a weave, it is more a question of space the weld is going into and the profile the stringer or weave is giving you.  As I recall there may be a tendency for 6011 to give a higher profile bead than 7018 when they are simply dragged along flat position bead on plate?  If the bead is humped up, or you're getting undercut at the toes, among the things you can try is a weave with some extra pause time at the toes.As far as actually dragging the coating along on the base metal surface, I believe 7018 is particularly good at this, although I think 6011/6013 run ok like this also, of course it all depends a lot on proper amperage and travel speed.  What allows you to do this is that the core wire becomes recessed within a cone formed in the coating, and the arc gap is automatically regulated.  The real "drag" rods are 7014 and 7024.  The coating on these rods is very thick due to the addition of iron power to the coating, and they run a bead like butter in the flat, and the slag curls up and falls off by itself!That's my opinion, maybe there are some real "rod burners" or "pipeliners" out there can give you better advice.Here is one source of info on SMAW "stick" electrodes:  http://www.esabna.com/EUWeb/AWTC/Lesson3_1.htmLast edited by pulser; 10-04-2006 at 05:07 PM.
Reply:What works well for me is I drag 7018 if I can feel the metal slowing the rod as I drag that is about right for how hot I run it.  With 6011 or 6010 I get good results if I wash the puddle ( that is burn ahead of the puddle ever so slighty then back to the puddle.)  I got a buddy that says when he is welding on the pipeline he hangs his index finger over his rod.  When he can feel a slight bend in the rod he knows its about right.
Reply:I've got an old lincoln welding tutorial booklet that came with an early seventies AC 225 buzz box I bought. I don't know that I could even find it anymore. Not many pages but it had the basic rods, there intended uses and suggested motions for those rods and positions. Not that there isn't a host of other ways of getting the job done right, but for beginners you want to follow all the blue rules till you progress in skills. You might try lincolnelectric.com and see if something like that is in the archaives. I've got some scanned pics somewhere sized small enough for posting but it makes it so much better when you have the info right in your hand (books &booklets).
Reply:As mentioned Lincoln has lots of info.  The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding is a good text for reference and is available from the Lincoln Foundation.  There are few welding shop supervisors that don't have a copy sitting on their office book shelf.  A good thing to remember is that 6010 and 6011 are Fast Freeze meaning that the puddle freezes quickly which is great for positional work.  E 6013 is a Fast Follow rod.  You can travel at ridiculous high speeds and the bead will not disconnect.  For a fast thin bead on sheet metal it is great.  E 7024 and E 7028 are Fast Fill because of their extra iron powder in the flux for filling up and putting in large welds quickly.   The fast fill rods are also called contact rods since you can just rest the edge of the flux and let them burn away.    In the seventies I attended a lecture from an engineer who visited the Japanese shipyard.  He had a series of slides.  One slide showed a spring loaded electrode holder mounted on a magnet.  The idea was that the welder would set up an electrode in the holder, flip the rod to start the burning and turn and attend to the other holder that was burning a rod also.  Wire feed machines were not that common at that time.  The fast fill electrodes were what we had before wire feed.