My learning progress

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Well, I guess I'll start this thread to keep track of my welding progress. I'm new to welding but work with welders and pick their brains whenever possible. Hopefully my welding skill gets better as time goes on and I post more pictures. Ok, I'm using a Miller 304XMT, 3/32 7018 rod at 80 amps. This it probably my 3rd or 4th time welding so please don't expect perfect welds.Horizontal welds, or as I call them, earthworms lol.Welded two pieces of 3/8" plate together. I hate it when rods stick.Here are a couple of verticals. Ugly, but good practice. Starting to get the hand of the whole puddle thing.Decided to see if I could weld the top lip of the plate. By this time the wife was asking what I was doing in the garage, so I quickly burned this one out and showed it to her. Sometimes the simplest things make them happy lol.  Well, that's it for now. Please feel free to leave advice, I can use it. Till next time.
Reply:looking good for the first few tries! keep it up
Reply:A few of those look a little rough, the others pretty good.7018 likes to run with a tight arc (short arc length).  The electrode coating can lightly touch the workpiece while moving along the joint.
Reply:(quote)  Sometimes the simplest things make them happy lol. That's why they get married.
Reply:Picked up some 3/32 6011 rod yesterday. I'm gonna try it out tonight. Not too much flux on them compared to 7018.
Reply:After you run that 6011 for a while, go grab some 6013 and 7014 and give them a try, especially the 7014.#1. If you don't like what I wrote, or if it offends you, then don't read it!#2. I am living life the way I see fit, if you don't like the way I'M living, tough sh**!
Reply:Your right atrium is a bit larger than the left atrium. You might need to see a cardiologist 'bout that. Only half a dozen attempts, or less....I've seen far worse production welds, like in the Jeep I drive!! City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Tried out the 6011 today. It took me a while to figure out that you cant run the arc as close as 7018. It kept sticking. It seems to be more fluid too. I need to practice on it because most of the welds I did looked pretty bad. I'll try again tomorrow and see if I can get the hang of laying down a better bead. Oh yeah, I didnt expect the rod to catch fire, stinks pretty bad too.
Reply:Shouldn't catch fire.  Maybe brown up a bit if you're running too hot.6011 runs at lower amperage than some other rods.  It's a high penetration rod that digs in pretty well at less amps.Maybe try tweekin' the amps down a bit."Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I'll bump it down some, I had it at 55 amps. When the rod stuck it got hot and caught fire a few times. Thanks for the tip.
Reply:OH, WHEN IT GOT STUCK.You're amps might be fine.  When you stick a rod, and don't pull it off, or disengage the rod holder, it's a short circuit sorta.  Gets very hot in a hurry.Been there, done that.  LOL"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Or maybe it's a REALLY COMPLETED CIRCUIT.Either way, things get hot in a hurry. Welder starts makin' funny buzzin' noises too"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Samm!I call that noise the welders grunt of determination! #1. If you don't like what I wrote, or if it offends you, then don't read it!#2. I am living life the way I see fit, if you don't like the way I'M living, tough sh**!
Reply:you can run the 6011's from 50 to about 75/80 amps comfortably i find anything after that your running hot. also weave the 6011's the puddle isnt as large as the 7018 obviously. (im a new welder as well, started feb 23rd) but ive learned quite a bit thus far.
Reply:Originally Posted by pulserA few of those look a little rough, the others pretty good.7018 likes to run with a tight arc (short arc length).  The electrode coating can lightly touch the workpiece while moving along the joint.
Reply:I turned up the amps to 70 and it runs alot better now. I guess I was running too low for 3/8" plate. Working on the weaving part. I had a welder from work tell me to run small circles and see how it came out. Circles wasn't too bad either. I need to get some more scrap to practice with. Thanks for the suggestions all.
Reply:circles is good but when you try bevel plates and pipe (if you plan on it) your going to want to stick to the "n" idea. Circles also allow you to move a wee bit faster and still keep a nice tight weave. But becareful because there is more heat when you do circles.