Am I doing something wrong?

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Working on building a new rear bumper for my truck using my Lincwelder 225 and 5/32 Hobart 7018. When i finish off an electrode and let it cool the Aslag does not want to come off, i gave up using a chipping hammer and am using a grinder with a wire wheel to take the slag off. Am I doing something wrong or is this normal?
Reply:Try some smaller rods I'm guessing that could be a big problem. 5/32 is more than likely overkill for what your doing. Get som 3/32 or 1/8
Reply:had some 1/8 to begin with and it was the same
Reply:what's your current setting?  are your rods in good shape?  damp rods could have something to do with that.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Under cut will hold slag as well.  Do you see any after you wire wheel it clean?Dan D.Manipulator Of Metal
Reply:The 1/8" electrodes i was burning i had the welder set around 110 amps and the 5/32 electrodes i had somewhere between 150 and 190. The 1/8' rods are a few months old and have been sitting in my shop the whole time, the 5/32 rods are brand new, broke the seal on the package for this project.  After running a wire wheel over it the slag is completely gone, just seems like quite a bit of effort just to remove slag.
Reply:I wouldn't worry about it too much. Some people have reported that the Hobart rods as sold at stores like TSC have tenacious slag that requires wire wheeling. For me they work OK, I find that the chipping hammer removes most of the slag without an issue.Hobart Stickmate LX235AC/160DCRanger 305GVictor 315 O/A rigHope to acquire in the next couple of years: Hypertherm PM45 and Dynasty 200DX
Reply:Originally Posted by JD955SCI wouldn't worry about it too much. Some people have reported that the Hobart rods as sold at stores like TSC have tenacious slag that requires wire wheeling. For me they work OK, I find that the chipping hammer removes most of the slag without an issue.
Reply:I got some once that the slag was brown and burnt glassy looking.  Came off terrible, but being the cheap SOB I am, I used them all anyway Other brands used at the same time were fine - so like any good welder I blamed the rods and not the nut holding the stinger Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveI got some once that the slag was brown and burnt glassy looking.  Came off terrible, but being the cheap SOB I am, I used them all anyway Other brands used at the same time were fine - so like any good welder I blamed the rods and not the nut holding the stinger
Reply:I am running Lincoln Excaliburs, and I find that if I don't have the heat and travel speed dialed in perfectly the slag is a bitch to get off. If they are run right, it peels off on its own.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Agreed with the other previously mentioned comment regarding the 5/32" electrodes.  For a bumper,  I'd think that 5/32" is way overkill and too difficult to control with the thinner steel.   1/8 or 3/32" are easier to control for me.Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961I am running Lincoln Excaliburs, and I find that if I don't have the heat and travel speed dialed in perfectly the slag is a bitch to get off. If they are run right, it peels off on its own.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveLike I said, it's the rods fault....if it had a larger sweet spot this would never happen Next is the machine, if it had more dials, buttons, levers, and do-dads it would compensate and rods would run perfect Oh, I forgot digital displays and flashing lights - need a bunch of those too then every rod would run perfect!
Reply:Originally Posted by GravelUm, no beeping???
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveBut then I'd be looking for a forklift backing up Better would be it says encouraging things to me while I weld and tells me my weld is pretty
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcAgreed with the other previously mentioned comment regarding the 5/32" electrodes.  For a bumper,  I'd think that 5/32" is way overkill and too difficult to control with the thinner steel.   1/8 or 3/32" are easier to control for me.
Reply:Originally Posted by MinnesotaDaveI got some once that the slag was brown and burnt glassy looking.  Came off terrible, but being the cheap SOB I am, I used them all anyway Other brands used at the same time were fine - so like any good welder I blamed the rods and not the nut holding the stinger
Reply:I see why the slag isn't coming offbosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:Originally Posted by hhowell1990did the slag look something like this?
Reply:You need some more practice...Hobart Stickmate LX235AC/160DCRanger 305GVictor 315 O/A rigHope to acquire in the next couple of years: Hypertherm PM45 and Dynasty 200DX
Reply:so I don't feel like a butt, this is one of my welds that the slag didn't want to come off of easily. this picture shows irregularities and a bit of undercut that the slag will get locked into. also Hobart rod, 7018-1.you need to work on your 7018 skills a bit with your machine like I do with mine.were you running downhill, or is the pic sideways? that is 100% of your problem if your running downbosses stuff:trailblazer 325maxstar 200my stuff:sa 200fronius transpocket 180100 amp Lincoln w/f97 f350 DITKevin
Reply:OK finally encountered some of the really crappy Hobart. While the previous boxes of Hobart 7018 I've gotten from TSC have been OK apparently something is up with this box of 3/32 7018 I brought. I was running some 6011 beads tonight (haven't run it in a while and needed to get back used to it) and after I finished decided to run a stick of 7018 for the hell of it. It did not run well then the slag was very tough to chip off. Under the brown slag was what seemed like a lot of powder that had to be knocked loose and brushed away before getting to the bead itself, and the bead itself had lots of slag inclusions. I've never had that happen before. This is a fairly fresh box of rod (brought it a couple of weeks ago). Rod I've had for months, open, runs fine. This stuff does not. I'm going to toss this box...maybe Hobart does not have good QC on their rods.Hobart Stickmate LX235AC/160DCRanger 305GVictor 315 O/A rigHope to acquire in the next couple of years: Hypertherm PM45 and Dynasty 200DX
Reply:All - train and build with Lincoln Excaliburs 7018s and Fleetweld 6010 5P+.  6011s, as appropriate.  1/8" and 3/32" and you're set.  Like tuned ammo harmonizing within your rifle barrel, load 'em &  send 'em!Last edited by ManoKai; 05-03-2014 at 10:56 PM."Discovery is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought" - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
Reply:esab atom arc for 7018,slag will be easy to remove