Beginning welding advice

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I realize that I am just one out of a million other n00bs learning to weld, and there's only so much time in the day to point out all of our mistakes, but if anybody here feels like commenting on what I've got here, I'd welcome your advice.I am practicing T-joints. The metal is 1/8" thick bar stock. The rod is 1/8" E6011, run on DCEP at about 100 amps. One thing that stands out to me (certainly not the only thing!) is the massive undercutting at the top of the bead.PS: If you were following my previous thread about the DC in my welder not working, I FIXED IT! WOO HOO! New diodes. Attached Images
Reply:start by keeping a shorter arc, 1/2" max I generally shoot for 1/4". but I am no stick expertLast edited by turk; 10-23-2012 at 04:27 PM.Dynasty 200DXPassport plus w/ spoolmate 100victor 315c oxy/(act and prop)Miller digital elitemilwaukee power tools
Reply:Too many amps, tighten arc. May want to even step down to 3/32 electrode for 1/8 steel.
Reply:Start with shortening your arc. That will help with the undercut and porosity. Keep a little more heat on the bottom of the joint by reducing the angle between the rod and the vertical piece a bit. Also, with a T joint the effective thickness of the piece is greater than 1/8" so you will want to increase your amps not decrease.Since you are learning, shorten up your arc almost to a drag.  Then run beads at 80, 100 and 120 amps with the same speed and see what you get.Enjoy learning rather than getting frustrated from it.  Experiment by changing one variable at a time.ps, that last one has better consistency in your speed.  I'd focus THAT first and foremost.  over and over and over...Last edited by RodJ; 10-23-2012 at 09:10 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by NathanToo many amps, tighten arc. May want to even step down to 3/32 electrode for 1/8 steel.
Reply:Keep using the 6011.  Watch the puddle and not the arc.At least for me, I prefer learning with 6010/11.  It's the least forgiving rod, so you really have to get your technique down.  You get to see the molten puddle and not a lake of slag, and you know when you penetrate.  Out of some lazyness, i like the fact that it burns through everything, so less prep needed.  I kinda just like it.  I cap it with 7014/18 just for looks and fun.  A wire brushing after the 6011 and you have a perfectly clean joint for 7018.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Welcome to the forum, Joshua. As far as first tries go, we have seen  FAR WORSE. Not too bad.The size of your electrode and the current level are too much for material as thin as 1/8". You should probably try thicker material such as 1/4" Or else switch to smaller electrodes like 3/32"Last edited by Joshfromsaltlake; 10-24-2012 at 06:29 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by Joshfromsaltlake[FONT="Georgia"]The size of your electrode and the current level are too much for material as thin as 1/8".
Reply:I don't think they're too big. Your practicing man. Aside from keeping a super tight arc, l'd try a little oscillation. Do little circles.Or whip it. If you whip it you'll see their beneficial fast freeze characteristics. That and it will give you a grasp of seeing and reading the puddle.Keep turning and burning man
Reply:Trying variables has been beneficial to me, too.  And sometimes you'd be surprised how things can suddenly come together right when you least expect it, like maybe from changing an angle or setting just slightly.-RuarkLincoln 3200HDHobart Stickmate LX235TWECO Fabricator 211i
Reply:I don't do stick but as a fellow noob keep practicing. Remember if it was easy every one would do it.
Reply:When your laying your bead which form do you use? For example are you making a series of "U's" or cursive "e's"?  If your using the u's just try to make them a little closer together, tighter.
Reply:I have tried both back-and-forth and little-circles. It feels like I have a more consistent speed with back-and-forth, because I'm always going the same direction. But sometimes I get ahead of myself and lose the puddle and have to go back. That happens less with the little-circles method. But if you're saying "series-of-U's" that means even my "back-and-forth" movement isn't right.
Reply:"back-and-forth" = WhipCompletely different from "series-of-u's"That's just like little circles except you don't make a full revolution…if that makes sense.You're on the right track…hopefully. Got anymore pics?
Reply:Originally Posted by DystopiaYou're on the right track…hopefully. Got anymore pics?
Reply:3/16 rod is overkill for that small of a plate.  Do you have an 3/32 7018 rods??? You shouldn't have to move the rod to much. I see you said pausing at the top, the botton, and not in the middle. You should lay the rod right into the middle of that T, and watch the puddle build up on the top and bottom of the plates, and not do much movement up and down, some back and forth if you using a fast freeze rod, and just drag if you using other rods..  I don't weld much with 6011. I use 6010, and 7018, for 99% of my stick welding..  If you're going to keep practicing with those small plates, get smaller rods.. If not smaller rods, get thicker, and longer practice plates..  If you don't change the rods or the plates, I'm sorry, you're wasting your time.. Some will say atleast your practicing, but if you aren't doing it right, what's the practice really worth. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't have the right rods, or metal to practice.. I would get some thicker and longer pieces of metal. Get 3/32, and 1/8 rods, and practice with that..  If you get thicker metal, and longer, you can do fillet welds on the material, as well as, laps, and padding..Last edited by ShortbusWelder; 10-26-2012 at 01:15 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by ShortbusWelder3/16 rod is overkill for that small of a plate.  Do you have an 3/32 7018 rods???
Reply:Originally Posted by joshuabardwellOne issue that I started to notice is that this thin 1/8" metal really heats up by the time I'm done with the weld. About halfway to two-thirds of the way through, the puddle just starts to slide down the wall and really sag, and I think that is due to the base metal heating up. It's glowing red by the time I'm done. I'm tempted to try to practice on 3/16" or 1/4" stock, but of course that'll cost proportionally more for the same number of beads.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWWhere are you buying your material? If you are getting it from ACE, Depot or Lowes, you are spending way more than you need to already.
Reply:Originally Posted by joshuabardwellCurrently I'm picking it up at TSC, since I spend so much time there already. Not sure what the appropriate search terms would be to find a steel supplier. If I search for "steel supplier," I find Triple S Steel in Knoxville. I guess that's what I'm looking for?
Reply:Are you left handed?
Reply:Originally Posted by riflecoAre you left handed?
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawIf so You will need to get that special Southpaw welding rod. E7018LH (Left Handed)
Reply:Originally Posted by riflecoAre you left handed?
Reply:I don't think you gotta worry about undercut. Worry about the bead being in the joint to begin with. As for slag inclusions….that whole god da.mn thing is a slag inclusion if you ask me. Half of the bead is on the top plate.your hesitant about it but l'd get some 1/4 inch plate. l can get a 20 foot stick for like 18 bucks. But you say it's a chopsaw trial??  That should take like 4 seconds to rip through. I wouldn't cut and practice 2 inch t-joints either. At leeeeast 6 inches. I never ran my 3/32 6010 over 70. 65amps was always my happy medium.I dont know what the f.uck your doing but something is way off.  45 Degrees..that ain't gonna help you any. Drag it like 5-10-15 degrees off a straight 90. Keep the arc tight right in the corner of the groove, where the two plates meet. Don't manipulate the rod at all. For now.Last edited by Dystopia; 10-27-2012 at 09:31 PM.I have to say that about 2/3 of the way through is the best looking part of the bead. DCEN will put more heat into the base metal. Run DCEP, there's a reason it's the standard. What welder are you using? I've heard some inverters don't play well with cellulitic rods.Dystopia: I believe by 45 degrees he means midway in between the plates, not drag angle. Also, I've never used 6010/6011 without some sort of manipulation.Lincoln 175HD
Reply:Slow way down, let your puddle develop before you move
Reply:Originally Posted by DystopiaAs for slag inclusions….that whole god da.mn thing is a slag inclusion if you ask me.
Reply:Originally Posted by joshuabardwellAs it is, I cheat a little by dragging the tip on a scrap piece to heat it up a little before I do the actual bead.
Reply:Originally Posted by SnuffyHell cheat. Nothin wrong with that. It's a pain tryin to start a cold rod. I gotta ask what shade hood ya got? Can you clearly see a slag line trailing the arc? Are you positioning yourself in a way that you can't see direction of travel? Have you put yourself in a comfortable position? Have you done any practice with other joints prior to a Ts?
Reply:Most of the examples it seems you're slowing down mid way. Try just running stringers at 80 and focus on just keeping the width uniform throughout. Forget about penetration, undercut or anything else for that matter till you get that down.It's good you got a hood you can mess with the shade on. General rule of thumb though is lightest possible while still maintaining comfort. If I had trouble seeing what's going on the last thing I would want to do is turn it upEdit:Oh and wipe that dust off your hood oftenLast edited by Snuffy; 10-28-2012 at 04:14 PM.
Reply:You should  do some padding first, then move on to joints..   You still running 3/32 rods, if so, try around 90ish amps.  Also, try to move a bit faster, your welds look fat for a 3/32 rod.
Reply:joshua, FWIW, I started learning to weld this summer (still learning).  Practice, practice, practice, then practice some more.  Burn all the rods you can afford.  After a while, you will find your groove.One of my biggest hurdles was learning to slow down and let the puddle develop but not so slow that slag was a problem.  Second hurdle was steadying my arms...get as COMFORTABLE as you can.  It's easy to start jerking around while running your bead and then everything goes to sh*t.You seem to be struggling more with the "T's".  I had the same problem.  Laps and butts were a quick learn, but T-joints friggin' ate my lunch.  My problem was too much long-arcing and beauceaux slag and porosity along with a wandering arc...part on the upper, the other part on the lower plate.  Figured out that the 6011 and 6013 rods I was practicing with were (at least for me) harder to control the arc gap.  I then tried out 7014's which are a "drag" (or contact) rod...basically resting on the metal as you move your rod with the slight forward angle that has been mentioned.  The drag rods (not only 7014's) allowed me to get the rod down into the corner and hold it there and maintain my arc; the long arcing disappeared, my arc dug into both plates at the same time and my beads looked much, much better.  After I got the hang of it, I then went back to the other rods and worked on the arc gap.  It just takes lots of practice.Some of the pros here may take exception to my learning technique, but that's what worked for me.  Learning on your own is more difficult, but living way out in the country and limited funds make taking welding classes not an option.  You can pick up lots of valuable info from the guys on this forum, most with many, many years of experience.  I have learned very much following the threads and comments by the pros.  They can give you the practical experiences you won't find in a school.  Some welders here are also welding instructors or inspectors, etc.  All give freely of their knowledge.  You will run across some thorny ones, but hey...gotta pay your dues.  (Just don't start a trailer-building thread!  )
Reply:Originally Posted by shortfuseYou will run across some thorny ones, but hey...gotta pay your dues.  (Just don't start a trailer-building thread!  )
Reply:Stack 'em, weld 'em, put wheels on 'em and GO!!
Reply:Are you going to haul that trailer on public roads and highways?
Reply:Originally Posted by DystopiaAre you going to haul that trailer on public roads and highways?
Reply:Joshua, check Burnett salvage in Knoxville for material. I've bought from them and they have a good selection of steel.Van37725e. of Knoxville
Reply:Originally Posted by van37725Joshua, check Burnett salvage in Knoxville for material. I've bought from them and they have a good selection of steel.Van37725e. of Knoxville
Reply:This Saturday, I got some hands-on tips from a more experienced welder, and I daresay it made some difference. Tip number one was how to stand so as to comfortably brace my arm against the table, for more controlled rod motion. Tip number two was to burn 7018. I have been avoiding 7018 because I don't have a rod oven, but apparently you don't absolutely need a rod oven to get 7018 to still burn about a million times better than 6011. With the 6011, the rod itself is so sloppy that it's hard to tell what I'm doing wrong or right. The bead looks like a pile of **** when I do it wrong, and a slightly nicer pile of **** when I do it right. With 7018, it feels like the rod is working with me, not against me. I can still see the most blatant mistakes, but the whole thing doesn't just look like a pile of **** no matter what I do. Finally, because the 7018 is a drag rod, the arc length is always correct. Kind of feels like cheating, frankly.I have also concluded (in agreement with suggestions made here) that I really need to be working on heavier metal than the 1/8" stock I have been practicing on. The ability to make multiple passes on the same joint will more than make up for the reduced number of joints I'll get for the same dollar-value in stock.Here are some welds that I did at the workshop. It's the first two beads of a fillet weld. I think you'll agree that they're worlds better. Attached Images