Critique my welds, part IV

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Hey guys. Another critique my welds post.  All are 1/8" Hobart 7018, DCEP @115 amps. Hopefully some progress was made since last time I posted one of these threads. I am curious to figure out if my speed is correct. All the welds are with one rod. The coupons are approximately 5 inches long.  Seems that one rod should go longer than approximately 4 inches.  So what do you guys think?Please don't be gentle or kind. Telling what I'm doing wrong so I can fix it.Thanks, Brian.
Reply:i would turn my amps up  I run around 120-130 for 1/8 7018welds looks cold to me weld should be ruffly 2 x rod diameter for a stringer beadcut up some 6 inch x 6 inch long coupons and weld end to to end and fill it upMiller Xmt 350Lincoln Ln-25Ahp 200xSmith Gas Mixer AR/HTig is my Kung FuThrowing down dimes and weaving aboutInstagram http://instagram.com/[email protected]
Reply:You are correct, a rod should go a bit farther, 6-8" per full rod is typical depending on joint type. This says you are going a bit too slow. That's not a bad thing, as it's usually a bit easier to speed up slightly than slow down. Other than that, you welds look pretty good, nice and consistent.I'd also suggest some longer pieces to practice on. If your budget is tight, get yourself a 12" long piece of heavy angle and start filling it up with beads laid 1/2 on top of each other. ( Dont forget to cool the piece every 2 or 3 beads so it doesn't heat up too much. If you can pick it up bare handed, it's cool enough to run the next set of beads on.) Try and keep the surface as flat and even as possible. This will give you lots of hood time for very little material. You can also do the same thing with a chunk of heavy plate. A few practice pieces a friend of mine was working on off my scrap pile. Not the greatest, but it gives you an idea what I'm suggesting..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 have some 5/16"x4" angle I got from the local steelyard's drop pile. I think I have a piece about a foot long. I'll have to check. Would a ~7" piece work better?  That way I'd have a decent judge of how fast I should be moving.  I really need to take a course at the local community college together some hands on instruction. Thanks for the critique guys. I'll work a bit more and post again. Just another quick question. The slag on these beads was thick and not hard to chip off, but I couldn't just scrape it off either. It chipped off cleanly, but did't just scrape off. It was like thick hardened icing. Is that normal?
Reply:When you get your settings right it will just peel offMiller Xmt 350Lincoln Ln-25Ahp 200xSmith Gas Mixer AR/HTig is my Kung FuThrowing down dimes and weaving aboutInstagram http://instagram.com/[email protected]
Reply:7" would work. We used to use a 12" piece because it also gave students practice on restarts as well, but that's no big deal.As mentioned when your settings, travel speed etc are all correct, 7014, 7018 and 6013 will have the slag just peel up behind you or fall off with a light drag of the hammer. If the slag is hard to remove with these rods, then something isn't quite right, even if the beads look nice..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've had it happen, and had it happen in a repeatable manner, with 6013.  These rods I used in these pictures have been just stored open on a shelf. Would that contribute, or is it all just incorrect settings?
Reply:It's certainly possible since these are 7018, but my guess would be the wrong "settings" since your weld is so short. Increase travel speed, and turn the amps up just a notch.You might find this thread I did for Rick V to be of interest ( I can't remember if I've posted this to you before or not). It shows what just changing one thing, in this case arc length, will do to the weld. Note that 100 amps is a bit on the "low" side for 1/8" 7018, but by controlling my arc length to make the weld "hotter" I was able to get pretty darn close to the right "setting" to get the slag to fall right off. I usually recommend 125 amps for most students because they can usually simply drag the rod on the plate to keep a consistent arc length at this setting vs "carrying" the arc as I did in the test.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=58537.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:you may want to try picking up some Lincoln or ESAB 7018.  there have been several posts here where folks have said the Hobart rods suck compared to the other brands...Tiger 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:Originally Posted by DSWYou are correct, a rod should go a bit farther, 6-8" per full rod is typical depending on joint type. This says you are going a bit too slow. That's not a bad thing, as it's usually a bit easier to speed up slightly than slow down. Other than that, you welds look pretty good, nice and consistent.I'd also suggest some longer pieces to practice on. If your budget is tight, get yourself a 12" long piece of heavy angle and start filling it up with beads laid 1/2 on top of each other. ( Dont forget to cool the piece every 2 or 3 beads so it doesn't heat up too much. If you can pick it up bare handed, it's cool enough to run the next set of beads on.) Try and keep the surface as flat and even as possible. This will give you lots of hood time for very little material. You can also do the same thing with a chunk of heavy plate. A few practice pieces a friend of mine was working on off my scrap pile. Not the greatest, but it gives you an idea what I'm suggesting.
Reply:*** previously stated a little more fire 125 to 130 amps and increase your travel speed a bit. When your settings are right on with clean material the skin will peel off the weld by itself