Stick welding help

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I'm trying to get the hang of stick welding (SMAW).  The first picture is a 3/32 6011 using DCEP at 75 Amps, the first bead on the second picture is 6011 also. I blew through on the third bead going to slow, but then probably overcompensated and went to fast.I switched to 3/32 7018 using DCEP at 90 Amps after the first bead.The first bead kept sticking in this picture, so I gave up on that rod and moved to the next bead.I felt like the 7018 ran OK, but I can not get the feel of the 6011.  I'm trying to put together a log spitter and wanted to use 6011 on the root pass and then 7018 for the filler passes.Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?
Reply:You're traveling way to fast! Slow down.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:Are you saying I was running to fast on both the 6011 and 7018?
Reply:Yes!I've only been welding for about 2-weeks now, but you'll want your 6010, and 7018 welds to look more like these. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:'' Yes!I've only been welding for about 2-weeks now, but you'll want your 6010, and 7018 welds to look more like these.''Is that counting TODAY ??
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPYes!I've only been welding for about 2-weeks now, but you'll want your 6010, and 7018 welds to look more like these.
Reply:Ignore these joksters mate,Have a look at these video's for some basic stick welding tips.
Reply:And if you have 45mins, this video will help you tremendously!!
Reply:All good videos - Steve's videos should be mandatory for new guys 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 MinnesotaDaveSteve's videos should be mandatory for new guys
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPI'll watch it later.
Reply:Thanks AKweldshop, I had watched a bunch of Jody's videos, but the one by Steve Bleile is new to me.  It's hard to gauge the travel speed on the videos since they are so close to the arc, they appear to be moving quite fast.  I will try to slow it down.
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPI'll watch it later.
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPYes!I've only been welding for about 2-weeks now, but you'll want your 6010, and 7018 welds to look more like these.
Reply:Damn, I left my "hip waders" at the shop.SlobPurveyor of intimate unparalleled knowledge of nothing about everything.Oh yeah, also an unabashed internet "Troll" too.....
Reply:I keep mine in the truck ,you never know when you will be stand in the $hit!!
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPYes!I've only been welding for about 2-weeks now, but you'll want your 6010, and 7018 welds to look more like these.
Reply:These guys are a hoot, I'm a real rooky, and you might want to lay the 6011 down for now and work with 6013 and 7018 till you get use to seeing the puddle action, the 6011 was too much for me starting out, seem to happen too fast and it made me travel too fast. Have fun and burn lots of rod.Thermal Arc 210 - Tweco 211I - Cutmaster 52
Reply:You want rounded ripples in the bead. Pointed ripples is the easiest gauge that you were going to fast. Some applications like 7024 at high amps can have more pointed ripples but go for round ripples when starting out. Your 6010 is a little hot as well. I'd practice with 1/8" electrodes. 3/32" can be tricky sometimes when learning. Typically a 1/8" rod should burn about 6". By the way CEP's 2 weeks is like dog years. It's very complicated. Easiest way to convert for mere mortals is to just change the weeks to decades and you'll be pretty close.Last edited by Welder Dave; 10-26-2014 at 11:47 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by hwatkins It's hard to gauge the travel speed on the videos since they are so close to the arc, they appear to be moving quite fast.  I will try to slow it down.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWLast thing. 6010/11 roots are usually only used with 7018 when you have an open root. The idea is usually to close up the root so you don't have porosity in the 7018 bead. If the welds are fillets, not open root bevels, you can skip the 6010/11 root pass and weld it all up with 7018. The weld done that way ( if done properly) is slightly stronger than one with a 6010/11 root since the filler material is stronger. The only other reason to use 6010/11 would be if the material was really dirty and it wasn't possible to clean and prep the material as well as you might like. Then the 6010/11 helps remove the contaminating material and lift it up with the slag before using 7018. However using 6010/11 isn't a solution to simply skipping good prep.
Reply:Thank you this has helped a lot to have a gauge to measure against. Originally Posted by DSWAnother good gauge already mentioned is to look at the shape of the ripples. If the ripples are pointed or V shaped, you want to slow down. If they are C shaped, you are usually pretty close.
Reply:Personally I don't think it's a very good example of a good weld. First thing that got my attention was the lack of fill on the upper toe. The V shape to the weld doesn't mean a whole lot to me.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:You that applies to mig as well as stick. My guess with that picture is that they are doing some sort of puddle manipulation like a cursive e or circles. That deposits more filler than say just going straight across as you cover the same spot twice with the wire. On an outside corner where you are limited in fill, that means you have to really increase your speed forward to limit material deposit. Thus the V shaped bead and poor fill CEP noted.I can do outside corners using a cursive e shape as a demo for students, but it's really tough to not go too fast, or over fill with the large .035 wire we use on the 1/8" coupons. I prefer to use a slight c pattern or just weld straight across on outside corners as it allows me to go slightly slower and have more control over the puddle. I will say the bead looks very consistent in that pict..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 am wondering if your square tubing is 16 gauge (about 1/16 thick).If so, it is really hard, in the beginning, to make nice welds on 16 ga. material, but practicing on it will give you the opportunity to learn to fill holes, and later, to avoid making them in the first place.Even 14 gauge is a challenge for a new welder.Pieces of 1/4" scrap will let you run slow enough to actually have time for a puddle to form consistent enough for you to recognize and watch.I know it seems to all be happening too fast to react to, but after a while things will slow down for you.Lots of good advice in this thread. I'm a new welding student and have been learning to run 6010 and 7018 in horizontal, flat, vertical, and horizontal. My biggest problem is controlling my speed and since I weld lefty I tend to pull my bead down toward the end of the run. I'm looking into buying a stick welder to practice with at home and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a decent welder (at a decent price). I already have 110 and 220 run in my shop so a welder that runs either would work. Thanks for any help.
Reply:heavy haul, if you updated your profile to include your location, someone might be able to point you towards some deals. I like to use Searchtempest to locate CL deals. I use the search term "welder" and sort the list manually to find deals other might miss. It also allows me to search over a larger area as well.In general, not all AC only stick machines will run 7018 well, especially the cheaper ones. Even using 7018Ac rods are still a crap shoot many times. Some machines will run any 7018 rod, others will prefer one brand over another, and some won't run any at all well. Small inexpensive inverters on average don't run 6010 well at all. the circuitry isn't optimized for changing arc lengths like you do if you whip and pause with 6010. Better inverters don't have this issue, but they are usually a lot more money. If I could only have one transformer stick machine it would have to be a Lincoln AC/DC Idealarc, and that's from a die hard Miller fan.Starting out used, I'd look at a Miller Thunderbolt in AC/Dc as one really good option that will run both rods. Even better would be the bigger Miller Dialarcs or one of the round top Lincoln Idealarcs, both again in AC/DC. These can be found for reasonable prices used. Many times for less than the Box store Lincoln AC 225's cost used.In an inverter new, the ESAB MiniArc 161 LTS is a very nice unit. It's one of the few reasonably priced inverters that will run 6010 well. ESAB designed it specifically that way. The Thermalarc (%S is another decent inverter at a reasonable price. However it's top end power is limited and it doesn't like 6010 well. If you want to run 3/32" 7018 off 110v power however it's a nice little machine. A used Maxstar 150 is another great 7018 machine, but it doesn't whip and pause with 6010 well. The Maxstar 200 however will do both really well and I picked up mine for a really good price used..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 for all the helpgeezerbill - it was very thin wall pipe so I got some plate to use nowmxpapa - I'll stick with 7018 for nowWelder Dave - I did try some 1/8 but 3/32 seemed to be easier for me right nowDSW - Thanks for guidelinesHere is my latest welds, I don't see the v's anymore and I slowed down a lot, but still not achieving the nice c shape ripples.  My Arc length is short maybe too short?  I tried dialing back the Amps, but the rod started sticking so I pushed it back up.
Reply:The "V's " are gone because you are traveling slower. Both 6010 and 6011 are a ''fast freeze'' rod. This means as you remove rod from the the puddle it COOLS rapidly. It's great for filling a gap as you can move in and out of puddle allowing it to cool momentarily.  Draw two lines on your material as a guide to follow. Run the rod between the lines and as the weld puddle covers the lines move rod. Maybe space lines 3/16 apart or whatever as something to follow and watch. Practice and more practice is the key.
Reply:Great advise from everybody bud. You gotta slow it down and watch, focus and pay strict attention to what's going on behind you. You cannot weld fast, you can chip and clean fast, but that's where it stops. Get comfortable, make some dry runs, and focus and study everything going on in your puddle. Focus focus focus and being comfy is what it all comes down to. No matter what position.I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:As MR WELDERMIKE stated about comfy. Lay your arms or elbows on table. Try to position yourself and move while resting on the table even using BOTH hands for stability. NO FREE styling with hand flying in mid air. IF you have trouble starting the rod, run the rod across the file to remove excess coating and provide a shinny instant START surface. You'll get it and will improve with each rod. 10,000 pounds of rod later you'll be instructing !
Reply:Lots of great advise here so I'm glad i saw this thread. hwatkins just wondering do you have a helmet that is allowing you to see the puddle well? I had lot's of problems when i started because the shade was to dark to see what i was suppose to be seeing. You can also mark out some 6" start and stop marks on you metal to let you know where you are on your rod usage. When you see your beads improving write down what you did different in a notebook. I keep one and call it my welding bible. It contains the things i shouldn't do as well as the points that make me better. If your like me it might be two weeks before i get back to burning more beads. Good luck.........Fireman BillHH 210 MVPMM 211 Spoolmate 100Lotas LTP5000D PlasmaOxy/Accet (Victor)Wards AC/DC buzz box30 ton old hyd pressA few brand name toolsA bunch of cheap toolsA wife to worry me and4 dogs to supervise me
Reply:Originally Posted by hwatkinsHere is my latest welds, I don't see the v's anymore and I slowed down a lot, but still not achieving the nice c shape ripples.  My Arc length is short maybe too short?  I tried dialing back the Amps, but the rod started sticking so I pushed it back up.
Reply:Fireman Bill - I think that is a big part of my issue, I ran some more this morning using my reading glasses as safety glasses under my helmet and it helped.  I showed a guy that welds on heavy equipment that's about my age ~50 and e said he has to use a shade 8 now.  My shade is set at 10, which is as low as I can go and I can see about 1/8 inch around the arc good and further than that it's hard to see.  I think I'm going to get another helmet that I can adjust down more.DSW - I'm using 3/32 7018 rod DCEP at what I think is around 100 amps, I attached a picture of the setting on the Hobart Stickmate LX 235.  There is a lot of slop in the dial so it's hard to tell exactly.  I did adjust it up based on feedback from another welder and I did start to see the slag peel off a little by itself.Here are my latest attempts, ignore #6 I cranked it up another 10 amps just to see, but it was too hot I was smoking bad and there was very little slag so pretty sure that was too hot.  I thought #7 felt pretty good, still have hard time seeing all the action and my travel speed was not as consistent as I would like.  I appreciate everyone's help.
Reply:Not bad. The wide bead on the left to narrow bead on the right side of most of those tells me you are changing your travel speed, speeding up as you go along. You sort of steadied up some with #7.95-100 amps is right about where I'd expect those rods to work well, so you are in the rough ball park. Once you begin to settle down some and become more consistent in your travel speed, rod angle and arc length, you may find tweaking that settings a 1/4 or 1/2 turn up or down will help dial in the settings.My Tbolt that is almost the identical machine to what you have, was dropped before I got it, and the pointer doesn't spin right. I dial mine in by knowing how many turns it is from bottom to top and making a rough guess where I need to turn it from all the way at the bottom to get in the rough range I want. Then I'll run a few rods and make adjustments based on how the rods run to dial it in. I keep a note book that tells me about where I was at for the next time around. When done, I'll count the number of turns back to "0" and note it in my book..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:Here bud I just did these for you this afternoon. I wanted to run my engine drive down on some fuel to fill it up with fresh so I had some time to play. When your speed and your heat are correct this is basically what your flux should look like when your done when using 7018. I was using 1/8 rod and 127a the whole time. I did multiple passes for you. This new format still confuses me. Puts pictures and writing wherever it wants. I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:That's NICE Mike.
Reply:Originally Posted by johnrbauerThat's NICE Mike.
Reply:One tip that I didnt see is to not only get yourself braced and comfortable, but then practice moving the rod along without striking an arc.  You want to stay in a straight line and you want to be at the same speed.  Of course, the rod will be getting shorter as you move along, so there's two motions - first is moving across and the other is making sure you keep pushing the rod into the puddle which means your hands get closer and closer.  Anyway that will help you figure out how to brace and position so you don't get bound up or falling forward, so to speak, that will either slow you down or speed you up.You probably figured this out but only the fast freeze rods get the whip motion.  The 7018 type and 6013 you just drag along, in general.hope that helps.  just remember, no body ever got "there" without going through "here".  Here is called practice, critique and modification to improve.  Looks like that's happening.ps, don't build a log splitter until you have someone with you that can look and see if all the welds on your splitter are good.  I've never used a log splitter (or seen one) but I'd hate to have a weld cut loose when the maul (?) is half way through a big oak log.  maybe I'm wrong?
Reply:Originally Posted by RodJOne tip that I didnt see is to not only get yourself braced and comfortable, but then practice moving the rod along without striking an arc.  You want to stay in a straight line and you want to be at the same speed.  Of course, the rod will be getting shorter as you move along, so there's two motions - first is moving across and the other is making sure you keep pushing the rod into the puddle which means your hands get closer and closer.  Anyway that will help you figure out how to brace and position so you don't get bound up or falling forward, so to speak, that will either slow you down or speed you up.You probably figured this out but only the fast freeze rods get the whip motion.  The 7018 type and 6013 you just drag along, in general.hope that helps.  just remember, no body ever got "there" without going through "here".  Here is called practice, critique and modification to improve.  Looks like that's happening.ps, don't build a log splitter until you have someone with you that can look and see if all the welds on your splitter are good.  I've never used a log splitter (or seen one) but I'd hate to have a weld cut loose when the maul (?) is half way through a big oak log.  maybe I'm wrong?
Reply:Originally Posted by weldermikeYou are 100% spot on right!