Stick Stuck.....Why?

admin

I have a Lincoln 225 (if memory serves) stick welder (Tombstone) and while attempting to use it on a trailer, as soon as I touch the stick to the metal, it sticks instead of arcs.I was using Lincoln E6011 rods as the metal is used and obviously somewhat dirty. I used a grinder on what I could and for the most part, both parts of the metal were ground clean.I tried to get a good ground by grinding both sides of a square tube on the trailer frame and it is about 2 feet away from the actual welding spot.I tried playing with the amperage, but still had no luck. I resorted to using my Miller MIG, but it would have been a lot easier to use the stick to get into the corners.Why?
Reply:You Stink! Only kiddin, but you stink! Keeep practicing cause you stink. The 60 series rods are the easiest to light, and re light up. I'm only being honest bud, keep at it. I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeYou Stink! Only kiddin, but you stink! Keeep practicing cause you stink. The 60 series rods are the easiest to light, and re light up. I'm only being honest bud, keep at it.
Reply:Could be bud, but are you out of practice for a while? I work on some rusted solid equipment that is very very frustrating, but as soon as I can get any sort of wimpy arc it's usually licked. Any pics of your set up and cables would help. I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Listing rod size and amps would help. I had a guy in class the other week who couldn't light 6010 to save his life and neither could I. turns out he had the amps cranked way too low and what he said he had the amps set at wasn't what the machine was set at for whatever reason. As soon as we pushed the amps up where they should be the issue resolved itself. I could see a bad /poor ground causing the same issues, but if you upped the amps, I'd have bet the issues would have resolved itself when you did so..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:Originally Posted by DSWListing rod size and amps would help..
Reply:Don't just "Poke" the metal with the rod..Drag it across the clean stuff and establish a arc then go for it......zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Sticky 60## is usually to cold. Bad ground maybe, bad lead doubtful."Liberalism is a mental disorder" Dr. Savage
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterDon't just "Poke" the metal with the rod..Drag it across the clean stuff and establish a arc then go for it......zap!
Reply:can you see the arc??? first ya see the arc then the puddle.. use practice metal to sett amps  if it won t light turn up... angle of rod and gap of rod to metal..practice practice.... an on  ya got see the puddle ..with tamped machine ya learn to turn up the an run fast or down an go slower..turn up till ya can burrnidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:After going through the replies and checking out some videos, it appears that the amperage was indeed to low for a 1/8" rod. MIG I'm OK with, stick, I have way less experience with.
Reply:I've had a couple 6010 rods, (can't remember the brand) that would not lite off to save my life. Even ground the tip off thinking there was a coating or something on them. Beat on them until the rod bent, nothing! Just had to round file them. 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:" Don't just "Poke" the metal with the rod..Drag it across the clean stuff and establish a arc then go for it..."another way to describe it is like striking a match, or scratching.
Reply:90-100a with 1/8 6011 should work fine. Go with the striking a match way as stated above.  6011 should burn through just about everything.
Reply:Check all you connections, inside and outside of machine. Make sure all is tight.   Cut lead to fresh copper.
Reply:I think you are forgetting about the long arc at the beginning of your strike, then you reduce the distance between your rod and the material until you can hear the rod burning nicely. It all takes time. Make sure you have a good ground, clean the material you are welding.Guy_48Welding is an art......Millermatic 252Lincoln SP175PlusLincoln 225 AC/DC
Reply:I've found that getting the rod hot first helps.  Strike an arc on a clean piece of scrap and burn 3/4" of rod.  Then switch back to your work before the rod cools and the arc should be easier to strike there.
Reply:- Try to clean the part of metal wher you put the clamp on, so grounding is OK.- Hold the rod at the starting point about 1cm above the metal (1).- Strike the rod (1->2), do not tap. Once you get an arc (2), hold the arc and go back to the place where you need the bead/weld to start (3). (but you have to wait until you have an arc).- When you are at the start of the weld again, wait for the puddle (3).The striking part can require a little practicing to get the right speed, angle, distance and consistancy to work well, but you will notice that after a few tries you will notice improvement.If that still not works, you can "preheat" the rod like forestdweller suggests. Attached Images
Reply:If my amperage was correct, maybe I am striking wrong or holding the rod at the wrong angle.If was holding the rod just above the work and then trying to barely touch the rod to metal, That is when the rod gets stuck.Perhaps it was my angle? Perhaps it was the way I was touching instead of swiping like a match.Biggest problem in my mind was the fact that this was NOT flat metal. I was trying to get an arc where a round pipe (hinge) meets a flat metal (frame). Try and picture the void next to where a round piece meets a flat piece. When I switched over to MIG, I built up metal using the pipe as a base, then laid another bead melting the beads together, and so on until I was able to get metal to metal contact inside that void. Then finally laying a bead connecting it all together.I have stick welded on dirty truck steering knuckles before without issue and other heavy metals, which is why this was so frustrating.
Reply:hey guys! i'm a newbie here but i should tell you sth.  6010 and 6011 are working with DC and it's quite difficult to use em with AC. and if you have DC output on your machine try to change it to: DCEP. it means that the electrode should be attached to + polarity. and the ground should be - .everybody here is talking about Amperage but it's not the real problem.see if it works for you and then say who's your Daddy?!  ;-DLast edited by R00kie; 05-06-2012 at 04:41 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by R00kiehey guys! i'm a newbie here but i should tell you sth.  6010 and 6011 are working with DC and it's quite difficult to use em with AC. and if you have DC output on your machine try to change it to: DCEP. it means that the electrode should be attached to + polarity. and the ground should be - .everybody here is talking about Amperage but it's not the real problem.see if it works for you and then say who's your Daddy?!  ;-D
Reply:hmm? didn't get it?  6010 and 6011 electrodes works just fine with DC+ . all im saying is use a DC Reverse Polarity. you don't need to clean the metal surface because one of the good characteristics of the 6010 and 6011 is that the arc just blows off all the dirt from plate and there's no need to clean it.and if your amperage is higher than 60 (for 25 mm rod) and there's just a constant problem, so it's not the amperage.of course there's a possibility of rods expiration. if the flux is turning white with crystals in it, get rid of em.Last edited by R00kie; 05-07-2012 at 02:20 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by jh225If my amperage was correct, maybe I am striking wrong or holding the rod at the wrong angle.If was holding the rod just above the work and then trying to barely touch the rod to metal, That is when the rod gets stuck.Perhaps it was my angle? Perhaps it was the way I was touching instead of swiping like a match.
Reply:Originally Posted by Stick-manRight there is/was your problem. You were trying to "tap" strike, which is more difficult for someone newer to stick welding. Like the others have said, strike it like a match. Don't be gentle, give it a good strike/swipe, keep it close enough after the strike to prevent it from going out, then move to the start of the weld. I would practice on a piece of clean scrap, just striking arcs, and making nickel sized weld dots, until you get it down. After a bunch of practice and sucess, then you can try a "tap" start.
Reply:This stuff is freely available on the interwebhttp://www.hobartwelders.com/product...ectrode-chart/"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/Have you tried the rods in question on a nice clean piece of metal to see if you can get it going on another piece.
Reply:Originally Posted by farmersammThis stuff is freely available on the interwebhttp://www.hobartwelders.com/product...ectrode-chart/
Reply:only lohy rods like 7018 dislike humidity..6010 likes it fine..
Reply:Hows the stinger cable connection ?  Take the rod and drag it  across a flat file.
Reply:What wire size are you using to bring electrical power to the machine?I just had an idea if the wire size was too small it could cause symptoms like you are seeing.While the machine is idle, then small wire is providing the full 230 volts.  As soon as you tap the stick and current starts flowing the small electrical wire drops the voltage significantly down from 230 volts.  At that point the machine can't put out any welding current and the small puddle you've started instantly freezes.Just an idea an another potential problem to rule out.Dynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:Originally Posted by Stick-manFirst off, 6010 is a DC+ only electrode. 6011 is an AC or DC+ or - electrode, considered to be the "AC" counterpart to a 6010 and/or cellulose electrode. It will and does work fine on AC. And as a rule, you should ALWAYS clean the metal prior to welding. However, if the area to be welded is very difficult to clean, ie; you can't get a grinderor a file in there, then you can consider a 6010 or 6011 to be the prefered electrode. I would not get into the thinking habit that it will "just blow the dirt from the weldment, so there's no need to clean it."How does that saying go, "who's your daddy?"
Reply:Originally Posted by BD1Hows the stinger cable connection ?  Take the rod and drag it  across a flat file.