Help me improve my welds.

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I have been reading this forum for a while now and figured I might as well join in and get some suggestions on what I can do improve my welds. I have read a bunch and read all of fdude's thread and tried to remember as many of the tips as I could. My so far I have burned about 4 pounds of 6013 that I didn't really bother to take pictures of and maybe 1 pound of 7014. My machine is a Century 230 AC buzz box.Here is one from the other day. 1/8 6013 about 110 amps on 1/8 in. Travel speed was a little inconsistent and I screwed up trying to fill the crater.  From today 1/8 7014 on 3/8130 ampsLast edited by npg170; 01-25-2014 at 05:03 PM.
Reply:140 amps
Reply:One more 6013 115 amps.
Reply:Actually the majority of those aren't to bad. Now start on some lap joints, and fillet welds.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:I'd agree those aren't too bad. Biggest thing I see though is that you need to work on your body position so you can make nice straight welds. Either your "aim" is off, or more likely your body position isn't quite right so you are welding on an angle so you end up with that "fan" pattern vs nice straight beads.You could also get your overlaps a bit closer together so there isn't as much "valley" in between the passes. At the tech school if we could get your beads a bit closer together and fix that "fan" issue so you were welding straight, I'd agree we'd move you to lap joints.I like how I see the slag laying there in big pieces. That's telling me your settings are pretty close to what you are looking for..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Yep. You're melting sticks. Those filler rods will run similar to E7018AC, which I am sure you will want to try.I would say...try some 1/8" E6011 as well. You will find that the 6011 is a buzzard of a different color, but very useful.Keep at it. City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Thanks for the replys. In one of those pictures you can see where the entire beads worth of slag peeled off in one piece. Pretty excited when that happened. As far as body position... Sitting cross legged or kneeling. My welding 'table' is a brick on the driveway. I really need something better to work on.One thing I noticed running the 7014, some times when I would knock the slag off there would be a fine layer of 'dust' or something on the bead. You can see it in the first picture in the second post on the far right side of the bead. As far as I can tell in my vast inexperience it seems like it correlated with long arcing a bit. Any ideas or is it just the nature of Hobart 7014?Last edited by npg170; 01-25-2014 at 07:01 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by npg170My welding 'table' is a brick on the driveway.
Reply:i agree with cep   start doing some joints
Reply:What is the best joint to start with, lap? Also what is the best way to maximize my material? I have about a foot of 4 inch wide 1/4 flat stock and some shorter narrower sections of 1/4 and 3/8.Last edited by npg170; 01-25-2014 at 09:05 PM.
Reply:We start out with lap joints after padded beads at the tech school. It's a natural progression from pads. You now have an edge to work to and the two piece act like a good heat sink to help manage the heat. To maximize material we have the students lay them out like steps on on top of the last one. Be sure and tack both sides before you start welding so the plate doesn't pull wider apart on the back side while you weld the front piece.Unfortunately there's only so much you can do with laps to reuse the material unless you grind or scraf out the welds. With T's and outside corners, you can cut the material and reuse it a bit easier..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Spent some time trying to run lap joints. I cut 2 feet of 3in 1/4 stock in to 4in sections and then started cutting those in half so I had some ~4x1.5 in strips I spent way more time with a grinder than I did with a stinger today... I still have some 3x4 sections left to cut in half. All of these are 6013 run at about 115-120. I let the metal cool completely before every joint. Having issues with worm holes at the start and I think that's do never having tacked with stick. I also see undercut and inconsistent travel speed looking at the top plates. Not sure what happened with the worm hole in the middle of the bead on one of them. Something I noticed is that the slag doesn't peel as easy as when I was just trying to pad beads. More amps? What else do you guys see?Last edited by npg170; 01-26-2014 at 05:03 PM.
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Reply:I never ran much 6013, one thing I noticed is you have to give it more rod angel than 7018. You have to force the slag back behind the puddle. I also noticed there is a huge difference in brand names.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPAbout this time next week if you wants some real world welding experience, place that brick in a mud puddle and lay next to the brick to make your welds.
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPI never ran much 6013, one thing I noticed is you have to give it more rod angel than 7018. You have to force the slag back behind the puddle. I also noticed there is a huge difference in brand names.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveI tend to disagree, 6013 isn't a deep penetrating rod anyway, laying the rod back just makes that worse (my opinion).
Reply:Oh man awesome! I love watching fights between two big guys.  I cant help myself and usually jump in tho. Ill be quiet for now tho. I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPWell of course you do, if I said it was raining you'd look up. Anybody can weld in straight lines, lets see your 6013 welds on pipe.
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeOh man awesome! I love watching fights between two big guys.  I cant help myself and usually jump in tho. Ill be quiet for now tho.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveLooks hard, better give me another 20 years or so to practice up
Reply:I have been running it very slightly past 90 degrees. Maybe I should try more of an angle. Any ideas on the worm holes at the start of the beads?
Reply:Dammit Dave! Why do you gotta be so polite all the time.  I had my money on the old dude anyway! I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by npg170Any ideas on the worm holes at the start of the beads?
Reply:Whe're waiting Dave. (Whistlin)I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been CowboysOriginally Posted by npg170I have been running it very slightly past 90 degrees. Maybe I should try more of an angle. Any ideas on the worm holes at the start of the beads?
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeWhe're waiting Dave. (Whistlin)
Reply:Haha I know bud. Two good eggs. Just being a trouble maker  I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveCEP is my dad's age, he thinks I just disagree automatically too
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeHaha I know bud. Two good eggs. Just being a trouble maker
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPYou should go and kiss your dad's feet, and thank him for being your dad! Because if I was your dad, we'd be heading out to the wood shed right about now!
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveI ignore him when he randomly prattles away too
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPKeep it up! I can fly for free, and Minnesota isn't that far away. But we'll have to wait until it warms up.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveGood plan! Tonight is -25 to -30 and wind chills to -55. I better find a warm place to fly So me and the boys hauled wood earlier when it was still warm, only -30 wind chill
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPOh man! I've never seen weather like that, and I've worked in Alaska!
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveyou get used to it
Reply:I hear ya Dave. It was a sunny tranquil 6deg at my house today and with no wind it may as well been 50deg. I was walking around in just a few shirts.I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPI'm starting to get arthritis in my hands, I'll bet that kind of cold would really play he!! on them.