Electrode Questions

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Hello All, New to the site and really new to welding. Actually, I did a little stick welding in high school, that was 25 years ago! So I am wet behind the ears.I recently bought a clarke 95e stick welder. One for the price, the other I could run it on my 20amp circuit breaker in the barn. My first project is using 12g steel. I had bought E6013 electrodes, though I am not getting good penetration and I have to turn the amps to 90. According to the box, these sticks should be between 25-45. I'm guessing the steel is to thick for these.I am really new to arc welding, but after 8hrs I got the strike down pretty good. The welds are really bad though, only surface.I was looking at getting E6011's, though this clarke model says only use 1/16 and 5/64 elctrodes.It seems the E6011's only go as small as 3/32. Could I use these? It is only a 1/64th difference?I really don't plan on using the welder that much, but you know how that goes. Next thing you know you are using all the time! Maybe I should return it for something esle? Thanks for any help,John
Reply:Hello, welcome aboard! Pictures, my good man, we love them pictures! Practice is even more important, if you keep bumping your head long enough, you learn to duck. Those are very small diameter rods, I have never used smaller than 3/32" rods. And for sheet metal, the 6013's ought to do fine, what sizes of those are you burning? Crank that machine all the way up and pick the smallest diameter rod you can get a hold of!! 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:I would try the 3/32 1109 and see if it will weld.  JohnSMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:1109?MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Just a little humor take a 6011 box and turn it over (1109).   JohnSMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:Lol )MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Pictures, never thought about that. I'll try the 3/32 1109's and see what happens.I was using 6013 5/64 on 12g steel. Largest rod the clarke 95e says it can use. I did crank it up the highest setting is 90 -100 amps. Is there any rule of thumb on rod size? Tanglediver you say to use the smallest ones i can find. Is that because I have a low amp machine? Or because I am a begginer, lol? I also don't think I will be doing alot of sheet metal work. More like plate steel up to 3/16, repairs on tractors and such. So is a 90-100amp machine to small for this?I know I have alot to learn, just trying to get some basics to get me in the right direction.Thanks in advance!John
Reply:Use the small rods because of your machine's limited power output.  Enough juice is needed to melt the rod, bigger rods need more juice.  3/32" is one size larger than 5/64", so the direction you want to go is the other way, to 1/16" rods.   One of the local Home Depot here has carried Lincoln 1/16" 6013 rods in the recent past.  I don't know if they still have them or if any other HD stores would have them or not but it's worth a try.Last edited by DesertRider33; 01-20-2008 at 12:56 PM.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:That's the problem, I don't get the penatration on thicker material with the 6013. and I don't see the smaller sizes for the 6011 rods.I'm sure part of the problem is just me....
Reply:Trouble is ; that your machine is just too low amperage to do much with. maybe i'm harsh, but ..... it's the truth . and another thing;   6013 is just a SHEET METAL  rod , not made for deep penetration .no matter how many amps your machine might have .[SIZE="5"Yardbird"
Reply:It seems the E6011's only go as small as 3/32. Could I use these?
Reply:I hate to admit it but I've found that Wal-Mart carries 1/16-5/64 in 6011 and 6013.  Some Ace stores that have Forney rack will have them too. They work pretty good in lowend welders.  I don't think that HD sells them anymore Lowe's recently closed them out too.  You should be able to weld 12GA with that welder with enough patience, practice and stuck rods.
Reply:I have the next unit under yours and mine is a little underpowered. Just a hi lo switch for the 1/16'' and 5/64'' rods.I tried some 7014 in3/32'' to stick light sheet metal together and the bigger rod helped,but other wise I can't hardly run that size on thicker stuff.The bigger rod in that case helps you keep from burning through.We have farm and fleet and ace stores around here and wal- mart naturally.You can find alot of rod in 1/16''-5/64'' .  6013 6011 7014 Hobart weldit comes in 6011 1/16''  Ace here carries forney brand  and wal-mart has campbell hausfeld. You'll just have to experiment with rods and amps and even give yourself a little gap to give it a head start.I have used hi on mine with 1/16'' to get started for a boost in heat but the rod goes quick,kind a like a pre-heat.pro-level dumpster diver                                     Hobart 125EZ
Reply:Originally Posted by welderguysure you could use those!E6010 & E6011 burn hotter than most other rods, so you could use 3/32" at 90 amps (or even less)..no problemgo ahead and give them a try
Reply:Besure that you have at least 12 ga wiring in the circuit for the welder, including the extension cord. If you're having to use a really long extension cord you might need a 10 ga cord. Sometimes those little 120 volt stick welders are really fussy about not wanting to run anything but 6013. 90 amps is enough to run 3/32 6011 but that welder may or may not have enough arc voltage to get 6011 going. You'll just have to experiment. If you can't get 6011 burning you may have to grind a bevel edge on the joint to get penetration. You should be able to weld up to 3/16 this way but with using the smaller rods you might have to make multiple passes.
Reply:In all honesty you need a larger machine. It will make a world of difference.
Reply:Originally Posted by Snchopd......More like plate steel up to 3/16, repairs on tractors and such. So is a 90-100amp machine to small for this?......
Reply:Thanks Guys for all the good info. The reason I bought this machine was for the portability, take it to were you need to go. Doesn't seem like it is going to do what I need, for a beginner anyway.I'm going to try playing with the 6011 rods. Also start looking at the other welders Mike recommended and seeing what the power requirements are.I know I am going to do what i didn't want to at first and that is rewire the barn for power, lol. But after doing that little bit of welding even though it didn't come out very well, it was alot of fun.Next dilemma, wire or stick....Thanks Again everyone!John
Reply:Originally Posted by SnchopdIs there any rule of thumb on rod size?Thanks in advance!John
Reply:If you're going to rewire the barn get 220v power and a Lincoln AC-225.  Best amps per dollar.  There isn't much you can't do with it.  Sheet metal is tough though.  It will make a better welder out of you.Anything can be fabricated on-site. Truth is fabricated online.
Reply:Originally Posted by Roy Hodges..................................................  .....................................................................  ..................................................  .................................Let's back up a minute.  E6010  is a  D  C  rod (electrode)  ONLY !
Reply:One quick comment about welding "in" barns..............BE CAREFUL.......those sparks can reach something combustible, lie there awhile, smolder, and erupt into flames when you are not there.  I do all my welding outside just to be on the safe side................FWIW................no_arc
Reply:I have found I can weld pretty much anything with my HF 80 amp inverter welder disclaimer though is with enough passes and a big enough bevel. All it takes is some practice. Keep practicing getting a solid root pass Even if it blobs up on you, you can fill it back up with another pass on the toes. Thicker stuff I've been able to weld reliably so far but it takes 3 passes, one root and another on each toe and if I want I can do a pretty even wide weave on top with another pass to pretty it up. I cut it apart too and checked for porosity or cracking, really minimal, brought it to my manufacturing instructor and he said the welds look good. So for your needs as just the regular old farm welding I think it works, the only other really affordable option would be oxyacetylene really.Oh yeah I also only do tacks with 1/16" It's easy to tack small things like a nut to sheet metal since the 1/16th really burns with a concentrated heat. But the rest of the time it's 3/32", welding with 1/16" on anything but thin sheet metal just doesn't seem to reliably stick both sides especially if it's a dirty or irregular surface.Last edited by Fundido; 12-16-2009 at 12:33 AM.
Reply:I hate trying to finesse a welder.  I want to have the power I need to do the job I need to do without alot of work arounds.  I would think this would be especially true of someone that was not so experienced. Having to fight with your tools is not a good plan. You mentioned doing tractor repairs and 3/16.  Maybe a fender or something but not much thin steel on a tractor or implement.  I have a small portable DC inverter welder 180 amps that I use for many things. It is the size of a lunch box and welds really great. The best strike I have.  Of course over here in Germany we don't even have 110.  220 volts for the small stuff and 400 volts for the heavier welders.   I can't even imagine trying to weld with 110.  Except for my DC inverter everything I weld with is 360 to 400 volts.  Sometimes I wish I had more!  My little DC inverter is great to just grab and go fix something. If something breaks here on the farm I can grab everything in one hand and go fix it.  Of course I never break anything it is always the people who help me!!!!
Reply:I wonder which would be harder, converting the American populace to the metric system or converting the entire electric grid to 220 like much of the rest of the world uses, metric and 220v01-19-2008, 07:23 pm  12-16-2009, 07:01 pmRanger 250 GXTSmith Gas Axe