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I've been trying real hard to get those dime stack welds...without any success. These are 3/32 Lincoln 7018's, running about 85 amps on an old buzz box. 3/16 angle. I don't know if this is the right or even acceptable approach, but what I find myself doing is running the rod just below the previous bead and pushing the puddle up to it. Any input greatly appreciated.Tom Attached Images
Reply:7018 is a drag rod and not supposed to be dime stacked.    If it is, then you are doing it wrong.   The main rod that's gets ripples is 6010/6011 which is whipped .  Otherwise, dimes are for TIG not stick.   Sent from my SCH-I545 using TapatalkTiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Thanks. On that note does that makes these welds look absolutely horrible?
Reply:Southpaw I think your terminology might be a bit confusing to someone just learning. I see a lot of guys who would term a good 7108 weld a "stack of dimes" even if the ripples are tighter than you would typically see with tig or 6010. I will agree that 7018 is not a whip and pause rod.Tom, amps are a bit lower than I'd suggest but in the acceptable range. I'd go up higher so you can drag the rod easier and get the toes to wet in without having to hold an arc. 90-95 would be closer to what I'd suggest. I see a lot of porosity in those beads. 1st thought is that the metal looks rusty. A wire wheel will not remove rust. It only polishes it. You need a grinder with a sanding disk or grinding wheel to remove scale and rust down to silver metal. If the piece is so pitted that it's tough to remove all the rust, get a different piece to work on.Another thing that would cause porosity that's been mentioned is whip and pause. Just drag the rod and keep the flux in  contact with the plate. You can do circles or C's etc if you want. Another issue that causes porosity with 7018 is long arcing where you have the rod too far from the material and it looses shielding. A bad rod angle that is too steep will also cause you to long arc and have issues.The way it sounds like you are trying to do is do 50/50 beads or overlapping beads often referred to as "padding". If so you need to move your puddle closer to the other bead. Right now you are ending up with beads that are not touching. Aim at the base of the last bead and wash the bead up to the top of the previous bead so the tops are close to flat and even when done.You need to work on consistency, but that will come with practice. You'll need to burn a lot of rods to get there. Just keep practicing and posting up picts and we;ll get you there..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:Thanks DSW, my practice metal is rather pitted. I'm going to have to go on a scavenger hunt for some better pieces. I'll try more heat tomorrow. I guess more heat makes sense, I found myself waiting on the puddle...just thought that was what caused the ripples. Speaking of which, should a good 7018 weld be more smooth than rippled?
Reply:Rippled, but the ripples should be close together. Not the greatest picture of 7018 but it will give you an idea what the ripples can look like. Ripples come from the puddle cooling. If you do a course motion you get courser ripples. I see that often when guys do circles and they move too far forward with each rotation. Finer ripples come from more motions per inch traveled  or if you do a straight stringer slowly..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:Found some new 3/16 x 2" flat, ground off the mill scale to shiny metal. 3/32 7018 @95-100amps. Tried just dragging, very hard habit to break. I find myself racing about half to two thirds the way in then try to slow it back down. The first six beads were at @95, just to see I bumped the last bead to 100. The slag was about burned off, does that mean too hot? As the beads show I'm having a hard time finishing the weld. At the beginning of the weld where the porosity is could that be from striking ahead and moving back to the start? Attached Images
Reply:Getting better. Beads are still a bit separate if you are trying to do pads. Aim a bit closer to the last bead so you get a bit more overlap.Last one looks a bit too hot. That may have come from not cooling the piece between welds though. If you don't, the heat builds up and acts like you cranked up the amps. In the real world you wouldn't quench welds, but for practice, it allows you to keep going without constantly changing pieces or waiting for things to cool down.7018 the slag will either self peel or crack up in big chunks with no effort when you get close on travel speed, rod angle, settings and so on. That's a good indication you are on the right track.You can still "drag" even if you do circles or some other motion. By "drag" we mean keep the flux coating in contact with the piece. I often like to have students do straight  drags with no motion so they keep things simple and don't hav eto concentrate on keeping their circles all the same all the time. However circles do force guys to slow down, and when students have real issues with travel speed, circles is one of the best ways to force them to take their time.One thing I do notice is that you tend to open up on the right side as you go. That's usually an indication that your position is slightly off. I like to weld on an angle, the left side closer to my body and the right side away a bit on the right, some thing like a 30 deg angle. It just works well with my arm motion as I swing away to the right and lower my hands as the rod burns. Welds opening up to the right as yours do is usually a sign that the angle doesn't match your swing quite right. The rod typically follows your arm motion and the plate is a bit farther away to the left than the bead naturally wants to lay if this makes sense. You either need to slightly shift you feet and body position, or slightly change how the piece is sitting in relation to you as you weld.You are doing well, keep it up..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:I think I see what you're talking about body position. The first of the ripples point to left then they shift more NW?? Thanks for the input. Hopefully I can get home early enough tomorrow to work on these changes. How important are dry rods? The ones I have were opened several months ago. Just trying to rule out as many equipment variables as possible so I know the problems rest with me.
Reply:It's not so much the ripples as it is the whole bead. Note that the beads on the left are biased towards the upper part of the piece, yet on the right side the beads are farther apart and  touch the bottom of the plate. Damp rods can be an issue, but I doubt you are having that much of a problem when they are only that old. The bead posted above was using very old 7018 that I had set aside for guys to practice with. There were a few issues with the rods wanting to start well, but not that huge a deal. Usually when things are really bad you have a lot of porosity and the rods can be very hard to start and run poorly.Places that have very damp climates like in the deep south in the summer you can have moisture issues with 7018 pretty quick. Other places that are dry, say Arizona, rod moisture probably won't be a huge deal to the hobbyist. Basic common sense plays a big part as well. Keep rods in a sealed O ring container. Don't open up rods and leave the whole thing open all the time, take out what you feel you need and close up the rest. If you have issues with stuff sweating when temps change and so on like some do, then keeping your rods there probably isn't the best idea, especially if the are open and exposed..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:Had a had time tonight. Wind gust to 35 mph made it difficult to keep steady. Also had a hard time striking and keeping an arc, lots of sticking. Started at just under 100(3/32 7018 on 3/16 flat). Went to 95 then 90, the slag was a burnt black no matter the amps. This practice I quenched between welds, also tried to watch body position. See any improvement in my weld direction? This practice I didn't try to do pads...and it doesn't look any different. Probably should have just waited until I can practice in better conditions and had more time, but it was still fun Attached Images
Reply:Tom it looks as if your still trying to whip the 7018. Try just striking your arc and moving nice and slow watching the puddle. If you keep an eye on the puddle you will start to notice it getting smaller the faster you move and larger the slower you move.don't try to put any sort of oscillation or anything into the weld bead just move at a nice steady pace. If your dead set on getting that traditional stack of dimes get your self some 6010 or 6011. Just remember with 6011 it is ment to be run on AC. 6010 can be run on DCEP. In other words DC+.These pics are a few examples of some 6010 beads done on a T joint which is your next stepping stone for learning after you have worked in the flat position for a while.     Along with hands on practice the internet is going to be your friend for learning the process. I have spent countless hours doing independent research and learning from the folks on this site to get information and tips. Remember knowing what you are doing along with knowing how to do it is what separates someone who just knows how to weld from a welder.Eastwood TIG 200NAPA 83-315 MIG
Reply:Thanks. Actually I'm trying my best right now for just the slow steady drag. I even gave up my side to side motion. Hopefully by the weekend I can put some more time in, my next three days are are gonna be long ones.
Reply:It's all good,man. It will come believe me. Just takes a little bit of time. Isn't welding awesome?Eastwood TIG 200NAPA 83-315 MIG
Reply:Oh...Try to be mindful of how tight your holding your stinger (electrode holder). A lot of the time if you are shaky it can be blamed on a tight grip on the stinger. Loosen up that grip and get comfortable.Eastwood TIG 200NAPA 83-315 MIG
Reply:I will try to be mindful of how tight I'm grabbing the stinger. I don't think I have a tight grip, but now that you say that I'm not sure. Welding is definitely a lot of fun. Right now I'm really enjoying the challenge of getting thru this first hurdle. Wish I had access to some different equipment. Would love to try this on a dc machine.
Reply:Get some angle iron and try this:Strike the arc, get started and feel the rod barely scraping in the inside corner of the angle and listen to the weld being deposited.( I'll catch Hell over this). If you can't feel the flux scraping the work piece take off the stinger glove.You aren't scribing a line with the electrode. It's barely touching. You don't need to grip the stinger any harder than you would a pool cue. Make one long cable wrap around your forearm so there is no cable weight in your hand.That stinger should feel light. Drag the rod a few times, eyes shut-machine OFF.Now you feel it. Crank it on and weld. You get the heat, angle and travel speed right and the puddle will take care of itself. You don't have to manipulate anything with that rod. That's why everyone loves it.Bubble gumTooth pixDuct tapeBlack glueGBMF hammerScrew gun --bad battery (see above)
Reply:Originally Posted by TomH Wish I had access to some different equipment. Would love to try this on a dc machine.
Reply:Lots of good homework! I hope the weather holds out. I was watching one of Lances videos, he was bragging about how much better dc was, that's what made me want to try it. If it ain't that much of a difference I won't worry about it for now. Although do I understand this part right: water is a shock hazard on ac, but not on dc? Is 7014 something I'll need to find at e LWS? Don't remember seeing that at the box store or Northern Tool.Burpee, it's been too long since I held a pool cue, but very good reference point. That is one thing I don't think I've given a lot of thought to.
Reply:DC is smoother vs AC. I just think a lot of guys today get all caught up on DC. AC machines welded a ton of stuff over the years and the average guy who doesn't do a lot of home welding probably won't notice the subtle differences between AC and DC. DC does make a difference with 7018 rods in some cases. Lance's comments may have been directed towards having used a new machine as much as they were towards AC vs DC. I haven't seen that video, so I can't say. I will say older transformer buzz boxes, whether AC or AC/DC don't run as nicely as "better" machines do. To keep things as similar as possible, running an AC/DC  Lincoln like you find at depot does not have as nice an arc as the bigger industrial Lincoln Idealarcs. Both are often referred to as "tombstones" but they don't weld anything like each other.  Decent quality inverters, that are almost always DC only, have a much nicer arc due to the way they create arc power.As far as welding in wet conditions, then yes DC is safer and has a big advantage there. While welding in the rain isn't the greatest idea, guys who work on equipment or plows often don't have the luxury of waiting until it's nice and sunny out to weld on things.As far as 7014, it's very common to find them in home stores etc. I know Depot, Sears, Lowes, Tractor Supply all usually have them in 3/32" or 1/8" rods. Welding suppliers may or may not have them in stock. Depends. 7014 isn't as common as it once was with professional welders since so many places call for 7018. However it's still a popular "maintenance" rod for guys who don't weld every day, but do occasional repairs at work since it stores well and is easy to use.http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...2235_200362235http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lincoln-E...1713/202931215.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:After a very hard finish to the week then waiting most of today for the rain to subside got to get a lil practice in. Tried to take everyone's advice; wrapped lead to lighten weight of stinger, gripped just tight enough to control, found some 1/8 7014's. one last change was my stance, I've been just standing at the saw horse, this time I propped my elbow for support.Here is Hobart 1/8 7014's @ 135 amps ac. Quenched between beads. I thought this was awesome! I've been having to chip the slag away bit by bit, this time the slag just fell off in the quench bucket, maybe a lil brush of wire. I know my ends are bad, but how about the rest? Closer to what I'm looking for?This is the second coupon after playing with amps Attached Images
Reply:Slag falling off is usually good, but the beads don't have that nice clean rippled look that I'm used to with 7014.You running in AC makes me think you were pretty close in amps, since I usually run 125 in DC with 1/8" 7104.  If I was to guess, I'd say your arc length was too long and that you weren't keeping the flux coating on the rod in contact with the plate. You can usually easily feel the flux on the plate as you run the bead. I'm also seeing a bunch of porosity on the surface that is not typical of 7104. The "muddy" look and the porosity makes me think arc length is the problem..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:I thought I was doing a good job at just dragging, but I do think there were several times I pulled up and long arced. Can you tell from pics if rod angle looks better? Thanks for your help, this is a skill I really want to get good at. Tomorrow is my Sunday, if the weather holds out I should have some good practice time available.
Reply:If you tip the rod over a lot vs keeping it mostly up and down. it's more likely to give you similar symptoms of long arcing, so I can't rule that out.I like to keep the rod tilted over just slightly, say at between 1 and 2 or about 10-20 deg roughly. You may find running slightly less amps will allow you to keep a consistent down pressure on the rod and keep it in contact with the plate better. If your amps are too high, you may find the rod burning into the plate a bit and making it harder to feel the plate if that makes sense. I'm not talking about a huge change, maybe 5 -10 amps lower at most and see if you can feel the difference..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:I think I have the electrode near vertical. However, I learned a long time ago, what I think I look like is totally different from what others see lol. Hopefully I'll be able to make some improvements tomorrow.I think my problem lies in my angle and arc length. Towards the end of my practice I noticed my rod wanting to go to about a 35-40 degree angle. Also noticed the harder I tried to keep the rod on the metal as I moved forward I kept lifting. I'll keep working on correcting that and see what kind of improvements I get.This is my third coupon today. 1/8 7014 @ about 123 amps ac. Any more than that my metal would be orange hot about the last inch of the weld. Attached Images
Reply:Not a lot time tonight, didn't get home until dark. Did two coupons, this the second(and better) of the two. I'm 99% sure I didn't have any long arcing, and fairly sure about rod angle. Same settings 123 amps ac 1/8 7014 on 3/16 x 2 flat...although I guess it's a little thicker since I welded on the other side first.Any input greatly appreciated. Attached Images
Reply:Not bad, they could still overlap a bit more..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:Thank you, not bad is encouraging. Ill keep working on the padding.
Reply:I was just about out of the 7014's I bought and had a large box of 1/8" 7018's I'd been reluctant to open, then saw it was quad pack so a little change up this practice. 1/8" 7018 at 150 amps ac. I'm out of new practice material so I'm running beads over the beads on the 3/16 flat. I was wondering if the padding looks any better and if the circled part looks good? I was also trying restarts...without much success as you can see. Attached Images
Reply:I'm guessing both are picts of the same thing, and the circled area is the bead near your top finger in the lower picture.Beginning looks good, though you look like you break down at the right side at the end. Consistency is nice in the 1st half. Then it gets a bit spotty. Pads look better below the bead you circled. The beads overlap better and the top is flatter compared to the upper beads where they look like individual hills vs a nice smooth pad. Upper pad, the beads could have been a bit closer together.Bead length in the circled are looks very short. Since it's welded over existing welds, it can be tough to tell how your travel speed and all were because the base may not have been all that flat. You might have also only used 1/2 a rod for some reason. Keep in mind on nice new plate, a typical rod will lay down 6-8 inches of weld bead. If you are getting more length, you probably need to slow down. Less weld length and you may be going too slow. The short tallish looking bead might be due to going slow. Or it might be due to the fact it's sitting all by itself and you only used part of a rod and the contrast from the flash makes it look taller than it really is. Tough to tell with only one pict. Amps are high enough you certainly are not running cold with 1/8" 7018. Toes don't look rolled and are well washed in.I think you are doing really well. If you need to, you can always take the grinder to your practice piece and flatten things out some. Knock down the high spots where you might have had issues and keep things a bit more even. It's done all the time in the field where you need to do build up or fill in some damage. Bigger grinders make fast work of this, but a small 4 1/2" one will work just as well, it just takes a bit more time..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:Thank you, sir. I got some more practice in this evening and had a few parts I thought were decent, but still have that inconsistency thru the whole bead. I should be able to get some more material this week and hopefully I'll something new worth showing.