Trying to learn SMAW. Critique?

admin

TA 211i welder with 6013 1/8 rod. Amps were 102 and the metal was 3/16. I usually Mig weld, but want to become proficient with the stick. For basic repairs and light fab work. Attached Images
Reply:Keep your travel speed, arc length and rod angle the same all the way across your weld..JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Slow down, whenever you see the ripples in the weld arrow pointed it means your traveling too fast. Try and maintain 1/16" to 1/8" of arc length, and keep the rod straight on or 10 degrees in the direction of travel for your rod angle almost like your dragging the puddle.If you can try and find something to prop on to help steady things up.Miller Maxstar 200 SDPiperliner #10 Gold
Reply:Amps are a bit on the low side of the usual recommended range of 100-135 amps DC that's shown in the table in my desk. We have students run 1/8" 6013 at roughly 125 amps. By running a bit hotter, you can usually drag the flux on the plate with 6013 vs having to try and carry an arc across the piece to gain your heat.I'd agree with the other comments, you need to work on your consistency with  travel speed, arc length and rod angle, and you need to slow down some more. When you get your settings, travel speed, rod angle etc right, 6013 will have the slag curl up right behind you when you are done. Take a look at Pipe fitters welds in the 6013 DCEN thread if you want to see some textbook 6013 welds.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=19742.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:This is a pretty solid bead, IMO. It's relatively consistent width. Travel speed is fast, especially on the left-hand side, which you can tell from the vee-shaped ripples (as opposed to circular ripples). Slow down and make sure you see the puddle keep up with you as you move. It should fill out and "wet in" at the toes of the bead. There is a lot of spatter, which makes me wonder whether you were long-arcing.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWAmps are a bit on the low side of the usual recommended range of 100-135 amps DC that's shown in the table in my desk. We have students run 1/8" 6013 at roughly 125 amps. By running a bit hotter, you can usually drag the flux on the plate with 6013 vs having to try and carry an arc across the piece to gain your heat.I'd agree with the other comments, you need to work on your consistency with  travel speed, arc length and rod angle, and you need to slow down some more. When you get your settings, travel speed, rod angle etc right, 6013 will have the slag curl up right behind you when you are done. Take a look at Pipe fitters welds in the 6013 DCEN thread if you want to see some textbook 6013 welds.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=19742
Reply:Try 120 amps on dcen. Run a short arc length and a lot of rod angle so it pushes the slag back from the leading edge of the pool. With 6013 you always always always drag. No oscillation that backtracks at all and NEVER whip and pause! Its really bad about slag inclusions if you don't do it right. You can get away with a little side to side movement if you stay at the front of the puddle and have the arc pushing the slag back, but that's about it.So in conclusion, turn the amps up, lay the rod back to about a 30 degree drag angle and drag it slowly.
Reply:Looks like 6010/11.  No pro here, but you should basically be dragging that rod and getting a smooth bead.It's like a mig rod to me.  Beautiful beads with little penetration and strength.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Originally Posted by Drf255Looks like 6010/11.  No pro here, but you should basically be dragging that rod and getting a smooth bead.It's like a mig rod to me.  Beautiful beads with little penetration and strength.
Reply:That's  not a quality looking weld, especially for 6013 rod.The ripples and unevenness of the weld are caused by variations in arc length and travel speed. You can see excessive spatter all over the plate, that's another sign of too long of an arc. The low or thin spots in the weld are caused by too short of an arc and/or too fast of travel speed..A proper looking weld with 6013 rod should be smooth as silk and almost ripple free if done correctly.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Originally Posted by smilexelectricHe posted its 6013. Due to inconsistent travel speed it gets the 6010 ripples.
Reply:The only thing I can advise is work on holding a consistent arc length and travel speed and them adjust those till you get it right and everything starts to go smoothly.Mainly it takes a nice long time under the hood to develop these skills. Some people have a natural knack for this...I dontThe "fun" thing about stick is there are so many factors that coordinating everything is like playing a one man band setup. Once you get it down and used to it though its not badLast edited by JD955SC; 05-09-2013 at 06:16 AM.Hobart Stickmate LX235AC/160DCRanger 305GVictor 315 O/A rigHope to acquire in the next couple of years: Hypertherm PM45 and Dynasty 200DX