Please critique my welding

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Still new at welding - now I have some easier steel to work with and can practice a whole lot, but I don't have anyone looking over my shoulders and telling me to slow down or speed up or whatever.  So, I have taken some pictures and will attach them to this thread for everyone to look at.  I had asked earlier in another thread whether I should bevel or not and someone recommended offsetting the angle iron if it was thick enough and I wouldn't have to bevel, so this is what I did.Two pieces of iron 3 x 4 1/4" and a 3 x 5 3/8".  I used 1/8" 6011 at 90 amps and averaged about 8 inches per rod.  I did weave a little bit on both corner welds - the inside weld and the outside weld.  My friend that owns the ranch thinks I may have been able to get away with just laying the rod down and not weaving.There are 4 pics - the first one just shows the layout of the iron, the next two are pics of the outside corner, the last one is a picture of the inside corner.Thank you,M Attached Images
Reply:Looks to me like you need to tighten up your arc, slow down a bit, and get the metal where you want it. Overall it looks pretty inconsistent, try bracing yourself better and feeding more stably and consistently.
Reply:there is some undercut.. a  gap between the parent metal and the metal you deposit..think of it as not enough metal deposited..watch the puddle as you move and adjust travel speed so things fill correctly.looks good keep at it..
Reply:Not horrible, not 'perfect'.Some porosity, looks like the edges could have been wet-out a little better (raise the amps a little bit and slow down on the travel speed).Maybe some of the other folks who 'know' stick better will chime in, but it looks a little bit 'cold' to me.  For 1/8 inch material, at the rule-of-thumb of 1 amp per 0.001 inch material thickness, you'd be around 125 amps.  For 1/4 inch material, around 200-250 amps. (for single-pass full-penetration welding).  over the net, from a few pictures, I'd say raise the amperage, slow down the travel speed, WATCH THE PUDDLE AND NOT THE ARC, grind a bit of a bevel on the material edges unless you are going to blast a lot of amps at it.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Originally Posted by MoonRiseNot horrible, not 'perfect'.Some porosity, looks like the edges could have been wet-out a little better (raise the amps a little bit and slow down on the travel speed).Maybe some of the other folks who 'know' stick better will chime in, but it looks a little bit 'cold' to me.  For 1/8 inch material, at the rule-of-thumb of 1 amp per 0.001 inch material thickness, you'd be around 125 amps.  For 1/4 inch material, around 200-250 amps. (for single-pass full-penetration welding).  over the net, from a few pictures, I'd say raise the amperage, slow down the travel speed, WATCH THE PUDDLE AND NOT THE ARC, grind a bit of a bevel on the material edges unless you are going to blast a lot of amps at it.
Reply:Originally Posted by Old Skool250 amps for 1/8" 6011 on 1/4" material? BS
Reply:Originally Posted by Old Skool250 amps for 1/8" 6011 on 1/4" material? BS
Reply:So does that mean you would use 1000amps for 1" thick material?I don't know where this rule of thumb came from but its crazy.The op, welds are ok, few slag inclusions and a big of porosity. Make sure you're dragging the electrode a bit. Keep a steady arc length and travel speed.
Reply:its a useless rule of thumb because its only useful 5% of the time..because its impractical to do single pass welding above maybe 1/4" thick metal.....useless as frog teats...
Reply:If the 1/8 inch rod is running at 125 amps and the material is 1/4 inch thick, that usually indicates that I'll need to run more than one pass to run a full-pen weld, eh?    The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:I have always thought that the 1 amp per .001 inch of thickness referred to the welding rod diameter - not the material thickness.John
Reply:mshearneBall park figures for 6011 based on rod size3/32" 60-100 amps1/8" 80-125 amps5/32" 130-160 amps3/16" 160-190 amps Hope this helps you .
Reply:The biggest thing I see is that you need to be more consistent in your movement.  The welds look as if you were moving erratically.  Slow down a bit, brace yourself, and try to move at a consistent steady pace..  I would turn the amperage up a bit. Probably start somewhere around 100-110 amps for the 1/8" 6011.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:Wow, what a great response.  Overall, I would say everyone agrees that I am erratic in movement, and generally moving too fast.  I agree.  I'm working outside on this piece and a little wind really moves me around a lot - it's pretty frustrating.  But, I am not that steady even out of the wind so I thing the bracing recommendations are really good.  The steel I am working with is good and thick so I don't have any problems turning up the current to the next gear (still learning lingo).Several times mentioned were 'porosity', 'undercutting', and 'wetting'.  How do I know what these are when I see them and how do I overcome them.  Slowing down, I expect, will take care of most of this?Another point for me to pass on is that a good deal of the time I have problems seeing what is going on clearly and I kind of 'feel' my way around the piece with the rod.  This probably accounts for much of the inconsistency and other problems.
Reply:Originally Posted by mshearneSeveral times mentioned were 'porosity', 'undercutting', and 'wetting'.  How do I know what these are when I see them and how do I overcome them.  Slowing down, I expect, will take care of most of this?Another point for me to pass on is that a good deal of the time I have problems seeing what is going on clearly and I kind of 'feel' my way around the piece with the rod.  This probably accounts for much of the inconsistency and other problems.
Reply:I would ditch the 6011 for now and get some 7018 1/8 run around 115 amp.   7018 runs a lot smother and easier to handle.  Just run stringer I just finished my welding class and the first thing they had us do is run stringer on a 5x7 plate with a tight 25% overlap.  That way you can work on your travel speed and stacking. As everyone is saying you are moving to fast you need to get used to watching the puddle.
Reply:Originally Posted by DanTPorosity is the inconsistent surface of your welds. The root word is "pore" and your welds look porous, which is bad because they're not smooth, clean, and consistent. This leads to inclusions (crap in your weld) that would weaken the weld joint.Undercutting is the drop off between the parent metal and the weld. This also weakens the weld area because you now have less material than originally. You want to move slowly enough that the weld builds up without robbing from the original thickness.Wetting is the consistency of the weld as far as I know. General smoothness. Anyone else feel free to correct me on this point.Now a few questions for you: do you have an autodarkening helmet or a fixed shade? How dark is it set? As you'll read in just about every post to new welders the key to learning to weld like a pro is reading the pool. Take some time to slow down and be able to see what's going on with the molten metal puddle at the end of the arc. Everything you do has an effect so keep watching the pool and you'll be able to draw conclusions from what you did as to whether it was good or bad for your weld.Last suggestion would be to cut open a weld perpendicular to the weld to check for penetration. Just chop an inch off the end of the piece you pictured above. This is good learning too to see just what the inside of your weld looks like. Not as critical for stick as MIG or TIG but when you see holes or other junk in the root of your weld you'll see the reason for shiny metal
Reply:Originally Posted by angel85lx... Just run stringer I just finished my welding class and the first thing they had us do is run stringer on a 5x7 plate with a tight 25% overlap.  That way you can work on your travel speed and stacking. As everyone is saying you are moving to fast you need to get used to watching the puddle.
Reply:Originally Posted by MoonRiseNope.Going back and re-reading what I typed, it certainly isn't as clear as what I meant to say/write.welding rule-of-thumb:  1 amp per 0.001 inch thick of material (single-pass full penetration weld)1/8 inch material = 0.125 inch thick > 125 amps or so1/4 inch material = .25 inch thick > 250 amps or soFor 1/8 inch diameter 6011 electrodes, general amperage range is ~75-120 amps or so.http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...calculator.phphttp://www.millerwelds.com/resources...ps/stick_tips/http://www.millerwelds.com/pdf/PrinciplesSMAW.pdf
Reply:Thank you.  After writing my last thread I went out on this forum and found some other articles with the same theme as mine and looked at the pictures and read the critiques.  Starting to get a good idea on what a good weld should look like.  I will try to slow down a bit more.  I'm sure my speed has to do with how I started welding - on thin 2" pipe.  Couldn't afford to go too slowly here and it has carried over.  I can see the steel in from of my rod melting and I think I am subconsciously fearing that I am burning through and I move on when I should wait for the puddle to fill, thus the undercutting and lack of wetting (if I used that term right).I do have an autodarkening helmet.  I had it set as high as it would go (11 I think) and I turned it down a little to help me see better (10.5).  I think that most of my lack of being able to see it having the right distance from rod to work piece.  Since I often 'feel' my way around the word with the rod I am sure that I'm too close to the work.  This will reduce the heat and light available to see what I'm doing.  Theoretically, with a 1/8 rod I should be about 1/8" from the work.  This is hard to do when I'm wiggling around like a leaf in a hurricane.  So, I will also try to practice bracing myself during the work and see if I can be a little more steady.  I think fear is my biggest problem.  With work this thick I shouldn't have any problems burning through.As far as using 7018s go - I have some.  But we don't have a rod dryer and live on the Gulf coast.  Keeping them dry is a real problem.  I used on (or 2) of these on this piece to compare with the 6011s and through my helmet it didn't sizzle like the 6011s but just seemed to burn.  These were done at 90 amps.  The finished weld looked the same as the 6011 though.As far as material costs go, I have plenty of rods and scrap metal to practice on.  It's gasoline that is costing the most.  The welder is an old Lincoln AS-200 (I think) and doesn't idle down after the weld.  It uses quite a bit of fuel per hour of welding and I turn it off when I am finished with a weld and setting up for another.  Still, I can easily go through a couple of gallons of gas in an afternoon, even if I am conservative. There are some critical areas on this land plane that I will reinforce with bolts.  And if it breaks, then I get some more welding practice.Please, more suggestions, thank you.
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWYou can get more weld time with the same material if you take that angle and flip it over like a "V"  of an "L" and stack beads one on top of the other similar tp what Angel suggested with plate. This will allow you to burn up lots of rod with very little cost in material, so you can work on rod angle, arc length travel speed etc and get lots of time learning to read the puddle.Here's a few examples of stuff other guys did for practice off my scrap pile.
Reply:The 7018 don't burn like the 6010 they don't have the same characteristic. The 6010 are deep.penetrating and oscillating so they are harder to control. The 7018 are medium penetration and you can just drag and get a nice even weld.  Also the 6010 will scare you when you are first welding because of how fast they are digging and you will tend to move fast and not hold to fill the metal.
Reply:Originally Posted by mshearneTheoretically, with a 1/8 rod I should be about 1/8" from the work.  This is hard to do when I'm wiggling around like a leaf in a hurricane.  So, I will also try to practice bracing myself during the work and see if I can be a little more steady.  I think fear is my biggest problem.  With work this thick I shouldn't have any problems burning through..
Reply:I would have thought that the 7014 would be stronger than the 6011.  Or, am I confusing tensile strength with penetration?The only experience I have had with 7014 was when I was just beginning and welding up the small pipe with 3/32 6013 and 7014.  Seems that with all the unsteadiness that I have, the smaller the rod the worse the moving around.  I seem to do better with a stiffer rod.  I tried a 1/16 6013 once and that was like using a wet noodle that burned as fast as a firecracker fuse.Maybe the next time I go into town I'll pick up 5lb of 1/8 7014 at AOC.  Seems like they charge as much for 5lb as TSC does for 1lb.What advantage should I expect to see with these rods?
Reply:Sorry if that didn't read the way I intended. Yes 7014 is stronger than 6011. I meant you give up some strength compared to 7018 but it's still stronger than 6013 or 6011.As far as movement, try and use both hands to weld. You can either hold both hands on the stinger, or you can support the middle of the rod with your second hand. You won't get shocked if your gloves are dry.Watch Flexal's hands in this video he did at about 2:00. You can easily see how he rests the rod on his 2nd hand. [ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-uUvTxWBS4[/ame]I see a lot of student trying to weld with stick at arms length. Get in close. Support your arms on the bench or you body. Usually I show guys that if they angle the work slightly closer on their left and farther away on their right as they swing down with their arms to adjust for the rod shortening up, they naturally will follow that path if they are right handed. They can keep their elbows in tight and just swing their upper arms down to follow the weld.Last edited by DSW; 05-17-2012 at 02:37 PM..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 ReaganAlright, got to do some more work on the plane yesterday afternoon and this time I slowed way down and used two hands on the stinger.  I also just layed the rod down and didn't do any weaving (much).  The welds looked a lot better, no (or not much) undercutting.  Still looks a little inconsistent.  Probably has to do with distance and speed.  I think there is still some porosity, but I need you all to look since I am not qualified.  I'll do some more work on it and then take some more pics.As a correction, I mentioned that my helmet was set at 10.5 and I was wrong.  I have turned it down to 9.5.  Don't really want to go any lower than that.  If I get used to seeing what I'm looking at, then I'll turn it back up.  Bifocals are still my biggest problem here.  I'm wearing progressive lenses and like to work close, so my head is tilted pretty far back.  Hard to get the helmet on just right.
Reply:Originally Posted by mshearne If I get used to seeing what I'm looking at, then I'll turn it back up.  Bifocals are still my biggest problem here.  I'm wearing progressive lenses and like to work close, so my head is tilted pretty far back.  Hard to get the helmet on just right.
Reply:If you're doing flat in postion welds think "circles"  leetle circles.  It's the "whip".  I'ts all about the whip in 6011/6010Go into the puddle, then out ahead of the puddle momentarily to let it freeze while keeping the arc going, then back into the puddle to build the filler.  Keep this up till the weld is complete.  Leetle circles."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Farmersamm - how long is momentary, 1 second?  Or, does the 6011 freeze a lot faster?  Someone else also mentioned this in this post - about whipping the 6011s.Zipzit - I wonder if these glasses would work with an astigmatism?  Are there magnifying lenses made specifically for the inside of the helmets?
Reply:Originally Posted by mshearneZipzit - I wonder if these glasses would work with an astigmatism?  Are there magnifying lenses made specifically for the inside of the helmets?
Reply:Zipzit - I've checked out the site with the cheater lenses.  There are a lot of different magnifications to choose from.  What magnification are you using in your helmet?