AC welder problem

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May be a welder problem, may be a weldor problem...Today I was welding 1/16 inch mild steel in a overlap position at about a 15 degree slant.  6011 1/8 inch rod, brand new out of the box.  Clean surface.  Miller Thunderbolt AC welder.  Very cold outside this morning.  Beginner hobbyist skill level.  Anyway, I was almost completely unable to strike and arc with my welder.  Stick probably a little big for the project for sure but it's not exactly my first day with a welder.  My question is this....is this because I was on an AC welder? (usually at the farm with a DC/AC welder and only have the OLD Miller at home)  I've used this welder many times and never had this problem but .  When I turned the heat up high enough to get a decent arc I was nearly blowing metal off the piece.Too high heat and too big of a rod, right??? (that's what she said)
Reply:Try on another piece of steel. Something thicker. It generaly isn't a good idea to use a rod thats thicker than the base material. Is your ground good? Not worn out or damaged? The Thunderbolt is a pretty basic machine, there really isn't much that can go wrong with it. It's just a transformer with a plate that moves between the two halves of the coil. Anyway, I'm not an electrician, but some sort of problem with the leads would be my firsts guess. Loose connection, or damaged.
Reply:AC buzz boxes running off of 240AC single phase (I have an AC/DC single phase 240V, so I am not critizing your equipment) are difficult to use on the low end due to their low OCV. If you can change to 1/16 or 5/64 E-6013/E-7014, i think you will be able to make the weld.
Reply:Try turning it up and burning a bigger rod , that will warm her up then go back to your smaller rod. The buzz boxes dont usually like to run at first. Harold
Reply:For working outdoors in cold / damp conditions I keep my rods in an old oven to keep them warm. And YEP even the brand new rods.ScottLast edited by Rojodiablo; 03-04-2010 at 05:43 PM.
Reply:Thanks for the feedback.  I'm almost positive the large rod was the culprit.  I've used this welder many times with decent results.  The last time I used the welder I was welding on a trailer with 3/16 mild steel and didn't have the sticking problem but I was at higher heat.
Reply:Check the work clamp might not be gettin proper a proper ground, and i typically turn the heat up 15 amps hotter than normal with AC, that is where id start.Nothing Ever Got Done By Quitting, Never Give Up.
Reply:Ground clamp is brand new.  I had the heat up high enough that I was nearly blowing metal off the piece and it would barely keep the arc going.  I had to drag the rod through the puddle and the arc was still sporadic at best.