Electrode Chart Availability & Helmuts

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Hi...  I just joined this group in the hope of getting some weeks-old questions resolved.  Maybe someone here can help, or point me in the right direction.  I'd like to find a chart that gives all the info relative to electrodes.  Markings, sizes, current ratings, intended materials for each type of rod; and problems with each rod such as too much splatter, little penetration, etc.  I've checked with Lincold, esab, etc; but so far, no such chart is available.  I'm interested to know if anyone has found an "INEXPENSIVE" and GOOD Autodarkening Helmut.  Please let me know.  I have 2 helmuts and some goggles; but I've gotten to the point that I'm doing enough welding to warrant getting the hassle of messing with the helmut out of my way.  If there is no such thing as an "Inexpensive" auto-darkening helmut, does anyone know of a chart for Welding Lens Identification; which tells me which lens should be used for which amperage & material being welded.  Again, I've contacted Lincoln, and other welding manufacturers; but have been getting more than just one simple story on this.  Also, the lenses I have don't have any markings on them; but I understand that 2 of them are Shade 10 which is too dark for me to get the arc-strike down right.  I'm wondering if a lighter shade will damage my eyes, even though I've read that "Any good quality welding lens will provide IR and UV protection".  It's hard for me to believe because with my lighter shade lens, following the arc to watch the puddle is uncomfortable after long periods.  I've been trying to weld a Railroad Baseplate to a 3.0 inch iron pipe placed perpendicular to the baseplate.  I've tried 6011, 6013, and 7018 rods with current settings up to 150 Amps.  The tack welds tend to break loose after several impacts.  Can anyone give me some valid info on what I should do to resolve this problem.  I want to be able to remove the pipe by using a cutting wheel on my grinder at a later date.  For this reason, I don't want to weld all the way around the circumference of the pipe.Thanks !Ed VALast edited by edv7028; 11-01-2008 at 10:11 AM.
Reply:Go to Lincoln's Website and click on :"Products""Consumables""Stick Electrodes"Pick an Electrode and click on it.e.g. "Fleetwood 35 E6011"Then click on the Column that has "Product Number"In the next window click on Welding Guidehttp://content.lincolnelectric.com/p...ture/c2410.pdfYou can do this for any of the consumables they list.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Originally Posted by edv7028  It's hard for me to believe because with my lighter shade lens, following the arc to watch the puddle is uncomfortable after long periods.
Reply:http://www.esabna.com/EUWeb/AWTC/Lesson4_1.htmLesson 4- Covered ElectrodesEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Originally Posted by edv7028Hi...  I just joined this group in the hope of getting some weeks-old questions resolved.  Maybe someone here can help, or point me in the right direction.  I'd like to find a chart that gives all the info relative to electrodes.  Markings, sizes, current ratings, intended materials for each type of rod; and problems with each rod such as too much splatter, little penetration, etc.  I've checked with Lincold, esab, etc; but so far, no such chart is available.  I'm interested to know if anyone has found an "INEXPENSIVE" and GOOD Autodarkening Helmut.  Please let me know.  I have 2 helmuts and some goggles; but I've gotten to the point that I'm doing enough welding to warrant getting the hassle of messing with the helmut out of my way.  If there is no such thing as an "Inexpensive" auto-darkening helmut, does anyone know of a chart for Welding Lens Identification; which tells me which lens should be used for which amperage & material being welded.  Again, I've contacted Lincoln, and other welding manufacturers; but have been getting more than just one simple story on this.  Also, the lenses I have don't have any markings on them; but I understand that 2 of them are Shade 10 which is too dark for me to get the arc-strike down right.  I'm wondering if a lighter shade will damage my eyes, even though I've read that "Any good quality welding lens will provide IR and UV protection".  It's hard for me to believe because with my lighter shade lens, following the arc to watch the puddle is uncomfortable after long periods.  I've been trying to weld a Railroad Baseplate to a 3.0 inch iron pipe placed perpendicular to the baseplate.  I've tried 6011, 6013, and 7018 rods with current settings up to 150 Amps.  The tack welds tend to break loose after several impacts.  Can anyone give me some valid info on what I should do to resolve this problem.  I want to be able to remove the pipe by using a cutting wheel on my grinder at a later date.  For this reason, I don't want to weld all the way around the circumference of the pipe.Thanks !Ed VA
Reply:Hi...  I want to Thank Ed Conley and Yardbird for your help.  I've already been to Lincoln's website, and seen their info on rods and lenses; but I'm still looking for a "Chart" that has all the info right in front of me.    Yardbird...  Sorry Buddy, you're right.  I just simply call everything that's heavy "iron".  I believe the railroad baseplate IS cast steel; but the pipe is iron.  I'll have to mail order in some steel electrodes to try them.  I went down to the local Star Welding shop yesterday for some 6010; but they only sell in industrial size quantities on the order of $100.00 bucks and up.  That would last me 5 years or so, even if I could keep them dry !    Thanks to You All Again !  (Pass me a beer !)  Ed VA
Reply:6010 dont need to  stay dry...7018 that gets "moist"will still work, just  wont be low hydrogen any more..but will still be 70000 pound tensile strength..post some fotos of those tacks that wont stick...are you able to see the puddle  after  you strike the arc and hold it down for a bit? keep the tip of the electrode down next to the metal  you're tryring to weld ..look for the puddle toflow ,, tacks will start to hold..
Reply:Originally Posted by edv7028  ...I'm still looking for a "Chart" that has all the info right in front of me...
Reply:I have to work with four other guys that use auto darkening hoods and I am the only one who has the hood mess out of the way. I just use a plain large lens hood. No muss. Welding is hard on the eyes. If you think your lens is too light then just make a short weld, raise the hood , then look at the sky. If you still see a spot then go to a darker lens. Old indian trick. Ha. I dont like auto dark hoods because I feel like I still get a blast of light. And I never have trouble or dead battery, much more reliable. Harold
Reply:Hello Again & Thanks to ALL for your help.   Gee... when I bought my Lincoln 225/125 AC/DC welder, I thought things would get easier for a little hobby work... Not So !  Seems as if there is so much to learn about rods, metals, etc. I'll get it eventually; but I think I left my brain at work when I retired 4 years ago.  Denrep... I think I'm just going to look rod properties up, then write them down on each box of rods I have for that particular rod.  The info will always be there with the rod I'm going to use.  Welderskelter... Thanks for the info.  I guess I'm getting lazy, or just impatient when it comes to waiting for my eyes to get used to seeing out my helmut so I can find the rod-to-work positioning.  I just figured that an Auto-Darkening Helmut would make things easier. Yesterday, I was practicing with an old Clarke 95E hobby welder I bought first.  It was easy enough to work with; but I'm thinking that it might have been the daylight hours that helped too.  You're right about those battery problems though.  Thanks !  Weldbead... I left a 7018 1/8" rod outside for several weeks; then tried to use it with my small Clarke 95E; and even at 90 Amps, I won't maintain ignition, or arc.  I've read several posts and websites that suggest using 1/8" rods down to 40 Amps.  Will this really work ?  My old Engineer's Handbook has a chart that says I can use 5/32" rods down to 20 Amps; but I just can't seem to do it.  Do you think I need fresh rods ?  I have some kind of "Exotic Wire" which came off an old mattress.  It's Super Hard, and seems kind of "Heat Resistant" so I would like to use them for a BBQ Grill.  For this reason, I'm trying to weld at low current settings.  Not knowing exactly what kind of wire this stuff is, I just have to experiment with the rods I have available to me.  By the way, I'm not really looking for "pretty welds".  I'm just a hobbyist trying to make one metal object stick to another  for different reasons.  I just need them to stick well.  You can see some of my welds on the thread I left yesterday on my Lawn Tractor Beer/Tool Carried.  Thanks to ALL Again !  Ed VA
Reply:Ed,Helmut the German can use whatever dang helmet he wants to!  Lincoln document C210 is their Stick Electrode Catalog, which lists most of their SMAW/stick electrodes and suggested running parameters as well as some properties and characteristics, etc.See Also Lincoln document C2410, their Stick Welding Guide which also lists running parameters and suggested tips, techniques, and uses for stick electrodes.Ahhh, BroccoliEd mentioned the C2410 document.  Also, 'damp' 7018 may or may not work well or at all, never mind the already mentioned fact that 'damp' 7018 is no longer a low-hydrogen rod.Ed, your wires from the old mattress are probably medium/high carbon steel spring wires.  Which is why/how it is "super hard".  And hard medium/high carbon steel is hard-to-impossible to weld (without extra knowledge and extra care/steps and maybe special weld filler/rod/wire and even then may still be in the "unweldable" category).  Use something else to weld to.  A BBQ doesn't need HSS parts!  I have an inexpensive auto-dark helmet, so that I can see the start point of the weld and not have to do the head flip and have some choice in what shade I can dial it into.  It works OK.If you just have a regular fixed-shade helmet, one trick is to have a bright worklight shining on the work so that you can see where you are before you strike the arc.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Hi "Helmut" ???...  Great Info, and Thanks !  I've been to the Lincoln site, and requested several of their documents; so that should resolve that problem.  As to the helmut, I've already thought about the light.  It just seems that a good auto-dark helmut would make things easier and quicker; not to mention less hassle.  I planned on using the wire only because it's FREE, and I have lots of it.  I'm on a pension, I'm just a hobbyist, and I don't spend any money I don't really have to unless it gets me something I really need, or want badly enough.    I experimented on this wire by trying to cut it with my Lincoln welder using 6013 rods on AC setting and 100+ Amp setting.  Although I can cut it, I have yet to try and weld it.  The BBQ Grill I want to make is for a "Miniature Hibachi" which is only 5" across the top.  I just use it for melting wax, and heating small parts.  I can put either twigs, or Sterno in the bottom, and it works great as a small, ornamental tool.  (Makes a great cigar holder too !)  On inexpensive projects, I made a small welding table COMPLETELY FREE with an old railroad baseplate, and a stump.  The plate, bolted to the stump, is heavy enough that it will solidly and reliably hold 6 foot long T-Posts for welding.  I have drilled and tapped several holes in the plate for attaching various jigs and stuff.  I can move the stump/plate combination around wherever I want, and it's just the right height for sitting down to work.  I found many railroad baseplates on this property I bought 25 years ago, along with ax heads etc.  I've made a bottle crusher, a couple of BBQ pits, and this welding table out of them.  (I LIKE FREE stuff !)  The stump is an old Mesquite log cut to about 20" in height.
Reply:Helmut = a German/Germanic man's namehelmet = a protective hat or head coveringFree is nice.  But you have to use the appropriate materials for the job, free or not.  Old coil springs or mattress edge wire is not something I'd weld to or reuse unless I needed a spring wire of that size.As I mentioned, I got an inexpensive auto-darkening helmet to make things easier for me to see when getting ready to weld and to have the ability to adjust the dark shade a bit.  It works OK.You don't have to 'request' most documents from Lincoln.  Just get the PDF right from their site and save it to your computer and/or print it out.  You can also get some of the Lincoln literature from a local LWS if they have Lincoln stuff and they have some copies of the catalogs (which often have parameters, etc in them) and the guides.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Just hold with the left, drop hood and scratch with the left. Learn to set your hood so a small jerk of the head will drop it. Dont want no whiplash. Thats how it was done for years and today at my job. Come on . Buck up, you can do it. Uarold
Reply:Ed:My AD helmet was an valuable crutch when I was learning how to weld, both stick and TIG. It's over 10 years old (or thereabouts) and uses AAA batteries. I just replaced them this week because I'm in class and didn't want them to quit. And they're available anywhere. I'm just a hobby guy, with infrequent use.Tip: My helmet has an 'on' button. The helmet stays on about 30 minutes after the last arc. But sometimes, I'll be 31 minutes between welds and it will catch me. If I ever need a new helmet, it must have 'auto on'.Harold:That's too easy. I'm sitting here at the puter (obviously) and tried it with a pencil. Holding the rod and scratching with my left hand would never have occured to me.Last edited by Craig in Denver; 11-03-2008 at 11:38 PM.9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:Interestingly enough the manuals for the individual welders give some nice generic verbiage on the characteristics of and for selecting electrodes. Here's a sample just using one of the AC/DC units. Scroll down and you'll see some paragraphs describing 6010/6011, and so-on.http://content.lincolnelectric.com//...r/im/IM237.pdfThen here's a pdf showing the info that is on the charts they produce. I don't have a clue about getting a chart tho.http://content.lincolnelectric.com/p...ture/wc19s.pdf
Reply:As for the auto darkening helmet, My cheap Harbor Freight one (with no batteries) works fine. I've had it for three years now and no troubles, or flashes from not darkening fast enough. I also have the cheap Harbor Freight one that uses batteries ( keep it at home ). Use the other at work and have guys that have welded for years and said they didn't care for the A.D. helmet use mine and go get one from H.F. (Just for small jobs with a lot of short welds) don't you know.Miller Thunderbolt 225Millermatic 130 XPLincoln HD 100 Forney C-5bt Arc welderPlasma Cutter Gianteach Cut40ACent Machinery Bandsaw Cent Machinery 16Speed Drill PressChicago Electric 130amp tig/90 ArcHobart 190 Mig spoolgun ready
Reply:Thanks to ALL !  There a lot of good help here, and I sincerely appreciate all the info from you experts and hobbyists.  I finally got that small grill done with that old mattress spring wire.  I found a new box of 6011 rod of 1/16' diamter in my shed, so I tried it with my crackerbox Clarke 95E welder at around 90 Amps.  The welds look like crap; but they're holding well.  I can really lay into them with a 3 pound sledge on my railroad baseplate work table, and it doesn't bother them at all.  Old Men and their hardheadedness always seems to work !  Thanks to All Again !
Reply:Ed, your wires from the old mattress are probably medium/high carbon steel spring wires.  Which is why/how it is "super hard".  And hard medium/high carbon steel is hard-to-impossible to weld (without extra knowledge and extra care/steps and maybe special weld filler/rod/wire and even then may still be in the "unweldable" category).  Use something else to weld to.  A BBQ doesn't need HSS parts!    I made a t-handle today for work, out of a canabalized craftsman socket wrench and a piece of mild steel round stock...used the square male end of the socket wrench...tig welded them together and they are dam strong...arent the male ends of socket wrenches high carbon steel?  cuz yeah it smelled  alittle funny while welding it, but it welded without any headaches