Exhaust with stick - with pics

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I finally got around to getting some photos of my attempt at welding some exhaust pipes with stick.  Although this is not the preferred tool for the job (MIG or TIG would be best, or even a torch), I found a way to make it work.  All of the welding shown was done with 6013.  Take a look:First, remove aluminizing with a belt sander (use a light touch as you don't want to make the joint any thinner than necessary).  I also squared up the ends with the belt sander to make sure I could get a nice tight joint on fitup.Then, clean up with some acetone.I used some magnets to hold the pipes in place good and tight until I could get some tacks in place.(I need to build a welding table - this was all on my knees on the garage floor)Next, tack with 1/16" 6013, small tacks just enough to hold.  After the first tack the joint will open up on cooling so bend it back until you get the second tack on.I put about four small tacks on then started to weld from tack to tack with 1/16" 6013.  Just used stringer beads with a drag angle of about 30 degrees and an angle across the joint (rod was not in line with the joint) of about 45 degrees.  I put down just enough metal to cover the joint and I could go about 2 inches before stopping to let it cool, banging off the slag and brushig it clean with a hand wire brush.To be continued...
Reply:Here it is once I've almost completed welding around the circumference with a stringer bead using the 1/16" electrode.  Just about an inch more to go and the first pass is complete.Next, I decided to run a cap bead using 3/32" 6013.  This may be somewhat optional as the first pass was enough to seal up the pipes.  However, in some spots it looked like I could see the joint line telgraphing through where the weld got thin so I think this it is probably a good idea to cap it.  Once the first pass with the 1/16" is done the joint is a lot less succeptible to blow through.  However, I still just ran a stringer bead on the second pass moving at a moderately fast speed.  Here it is with the slag still on.  You can see some failed prior attempts using other methods at another practice joint.And here it is with the second pass complete.(oops a little bit of a crater there - near the bottom of the pipe, I think it will be ok)As I posted in another thread, this procedure was not what I started out with.  I first tried with 3/32 electrodes and even if I moved quickly, I blew through.  I also tried 1/16" electrodes with a fast weave.  The heat would build up too quickly and then I'd get holes.  Also, it is critical to get good fitup to where you cant see any daylight through the joint and don't bevel the ends of the pipe at all.  Any thin spots will result in blow through.  With the above procedure, I did not blow through at all so there were no holes to go back and fix.  As I stated earlier, I would have used mig or tig if I had the equipment but this is all I had so I needed to find a way to make it work.
Reply:Nice! DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I forgot to mention a couple of details.  First of all, you're not going to have much luck getting a good stick weld on a thin gauge exhaust unless you have top notch equipment.   Here's my welder.Get out your wallet because this will set you back a Benjamin (or a little better).The pipes were 16 gauge aluminized steel and I used 6013 Linclon Electric rods on DCEN (straight polarity).  On the 1/16" rod, I ran at about 40A and the 3/32 was at about 60A.
Reply:nice
Reply:them look pretty good for a stick weld. most of everyhting else that i've seen (not much) is pretty sloppy compared to mig and tig on such a small scale. pipelines are mostly what i have seen... anyway, that first pass looked excellent. i woudl be hesitant to have run that second bead, but it's probably better safe than sorry. after all... an exhaust is for function, not beauty... usually.Later,Andy
Reply:Thanks Andy,Like I mentioned, the second pass was not necessarily needed but since this was a practice joint to get the technique down prior to working on the real exhaust, I wanted to see how a second pass might go and I also want to make sure I could get a decent thickness of weld metal over the joint since this area will be more succeptible to corrosion.  Of course the area just beyond the weld will now be the first to rust through.I did tell my friend that I will be doing the work for that it would be a good idea to paint the joints if not the whole exhaust.The next thing I think I'll try is to grind the weld down flush just to see how it would look in an application where appearance is a factor (someone else mentioned that they wanted to try using stick for a motorcycle exhaust).
Reply:Excellent, just bookmarked the thread.  Thanks for the write-up, its pretty much exactly what I need to know for my (a-fore mentioned motorcycle exhaust) project.My only worry now is tracking down 1/16th 6013 rods in something less than 5lbs.  I'll have to see what the local welding shops can do.Again, Cheers to the helpful write-up!
Reply:Micah,Home Depot and Lowes carry the 1/16" 6013 made by Lincoln Electric.  It is not in the regular 5 lb boxes but in smaller plastic sleves, maybe a pound or half pound.  I also picked up some of it at Harbor Freight but it is not LE and I haven't used it enough to form an opinion about it.  One other thing to keep in mind is that you also really need a helmet with an adjustable darkness lens.  With such a tight joint fitup, you need to have your lens adjusted just right to be able to see it and stay on line.  I think I had it set at about 9.5 for the small rods.Keep us posted on how you make out.
Reply:Thanks for the info I.B.  I have both of those stores as well as a Tractor supply and a couple welding shops all nearby, I'm sure one of them will at least have them.  Smaller quantities are better actually because I won't have much immediate use for the rods besides this project.I'll definitely keep you all posted on how the project goes, right now its still in the "R&D" phase, it won't get finished till much later this winter I'm sure.