First welder, first welds

Aye, thanks, Iggy. Joining things will be when it gets really interesting, especially when I pull 'em apart to see what is going on.

As for projects, once I get to where I can reasonably join metal I'm planning to build a little welding table, then once that is done a rack to store some of the lumber that is currently in a big disorganized pile; this will have the added benefit of giving me some more space, which I can always use.

Jon

Thanks, Dave. I tried the "tap"method a few times, but I had a bit more success wtih scratching first (at least until it gets hot, though). I'll likely play with some different rods (using 6011 right now) when I burn up my current supply.

Jon

Interesting technique with that, thanks, Tom. I hadn't thought of preheating, moving back and forth, but I'll give it a try.

Jon

Been following this for some time, and I can remember when I first started. got the basics, but after talking to a few friends, in the same boat, we all had a day at our local college.

the sorted us all out ok we are not coded welders, but for our little bits it all works. Met loads of great guys all having problems, so we all learnt loads.

Give it a look, you never know, I personally cannot learn by just reading, I have to have a go as well, and having an expert to hand to say what's going wrong, and then show you how is the only way for me.

All the best and have fun ;-)

Vaughn

Those aren't bad at all, Jon. They're certainly a lot better than my first welds were 30 years ago. Keep practicing, you may have "the nak!"

They're a bit cold and convex because 60 amps is a bit low for 3/32" rod. Keep experimenting, you'll quickly discover what works well for you. I find 6011 a bit aggressive for 1/8" material, while others would use nothing else. I preferred 6013 or 7014 on thinner metal like that. YMMV, of course. On the other hand, you might get better arc stability on the LOW (higher voltage) output of your particular machine.

Jon,

I'm not sure anybody answered your question 'What is ""undercut?""

I would define it as a little "ditch" between the edges of the "parent" (the material you're joining) metal and each edge of your weld metal (the bead). It's sort of a thin line of missing metal.

Think of it as an unborn crack.

Vern> "Vern> > Jon,

Thanks, Don. I did try a higher amperage setting the other night, bumped the rods (5/32 6011) up to 80A. It made a nicer arc, and was easier to start.

Joining a piece of angle iron to that plate, however, ended up with some of the angle iron getting "eaten up" by the current. Here's a picture:

Despite the "eating up", the bead did lay down lower, and after a couple of passes I wasn't able to budge that angle off of the plate by repeated blows with a good hammer.

Maybe I just need to move a little faster?

Thanks,

Jon

That's what I meant when I said I find 6011 a bit aggressive for 1/8" material. You might find 6013 or 7014 more to your liking for work with clean 1/8" steel.(Mill scale is still "clean" in this context.)

6011 is great when you need to blast thru rust, crud, petrified dung, etc on heavier metal. Some call it "farmer rod" for that reason. The resulting welds may not satisfy a nuclear containment inspector, but they do get the machinery back in service.

I always used 3/32 and 1/8 6013 and/or 7014 when building stuff out of

1/8" angle and such, about 1 amp per thou of diameter but don't hesitate to experiment to see what works best for you.

Then I got a 210-amp MIG and haven't burned a stick since. My only objection to stick welding was the smoke in an indoor shop. Running a

3500 CFM exhaust fan isn't compatible with sub-zero weather, heating bills being what they are these days.

Next time you try that weld, there are some alternatives to just pulling the electrode off the metal (which causes the crater observed):

- SLOWLY tilt the electrode to point toward where you intend to stop and let it backfill there

- Reverse the direction of travel and slowly pull the electrode away

- Let the puddle form at the end, then slowly lift the electrode to break the arc

- Weld a runoff tab to the end of the joint, stop on the tab and cut it away after the bead cools

- If you were us>Joining a piece of angle iron to that plate, however, ended up with some of

Thanks, Don. I'll pick up some 6013 to play with soon.

BTW, any brand significantly better than another, or is rod rod?

Thanks,

Jon

I suppose some is better than others. I just buy whatever they have at the welding store.

Eutectic + Castolin makes some really excellent rods, but they're hard to find and very pricey.

Email me your snailmail addy and I'll send you a small handful of

6013. It's been sitting on a bench looking for a home for most of a year now. There's also a couple of sticks of Eutectic 3001 in there. I don't know what 3001 is, but I do know that everything Eutectic makes is excellent. There are also a couple of stick of 7018, but it's been out in the air so it would need to be dried in the oven before using

-- which wouldn't be a bad idea for all of it. Bake it at about 250F for an hour or so. 7018 can be bitchy to strike, but it sure welds nice! I'll toss in a few sticks of 7014 too.

That's because 6013 strikes an arc really easily. It's a characteristic of the electrode. You're also using a higher open circuit voltage than the electrode strictly needs. People often use 6013 on the 50 V terminal of an Oxford; it doesn't need 80 V. But try 6011 on the 50 V terminal and it will stick to the work like crazy. 6011 does need 80 V.

Best wishes,

Chris

Neat, thanks for the technique, Tom. I'll give that a try next time I'm out for a session.

Jon

Hi Don,

I've been given to understand that drying 7018 is beyond the reach of mere mortals since it requires something like 700 degrees for some length of time.

I've always assumed that by the time the rod is half burned the second half is good enuff.

Randy and I have talked about this in the past. As I recall, the Zimmer Meister's opinion was that, for the stuff a hobbyist would be doing, it doesn't really matter that it's not up to code. 7018 is my favorite rod. But that issue is why I always buy the smallest possible packages of it.

Vern> >