Stick welding

I've recently taken up welding just as a hobby... mostly out of curiousity. I have a small stick welder... anybody have any tips or advice for using it? It constantly sticks to the d*mn project & it's gettin real old real fast. I "strike it like a match" to get it heated up... but maybe I just suck ;D. Thanks in advance. Also, when I'm trying to weld.. do I hold the rod a tiny bit away from the metal? Or press it against the metal?

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

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Reply to
<memset
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If you have bad sticking problems, up the current a bit.

Most rods are held a little away from the metal.

You will probably get better advice from the real experts, like Ernie.

Richard

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Reply to
Richard Ferguson

What number and diameter rod are you using?

Reply to
Tom Gardner

If you can, take a class.

If you can't take a class, if you can, watch a welder working.

If you can't watch a welder working and you can't take a class, get several books on welding from the library and read them.

Welding is like a golf swing -- not really amenable to teaching except in person, or with lots of pictures.

In general, if it sticks your current is too low. On your welder's nameplate should be a current chart for welding rod size and current range. For example,

7014 3/32" rod should run DC 75-95 amps, electrode positive.

Grant

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Is it a 110 or a 220v. You said it was small. What kind is it? There are some "small" Miller and Lincolns that will burn a lot of rods easy.

What kind of rods are you using? Some rods, like 6010 and 6011 are easy to run. Others, like the 7018 are a bit harder to master.

What diameter?

You mentioned about holding it a bit away from the metal. On some rods, this is common practice, while on others, having a long arc will CAUSE it to stick. You should NEVER feel the rod pressing against the metal except when striking the arc.

Is your machine an AC or DC machine? There is a BIG difference between them AND polarities, that is whether you have the rod in the + or - lead. On an AC machine, the arc jumps back and forth, while on a DC machine, the electricity runs in one direction.

Go to your machine. Turn it up more than you think you should. If this helps, you probably have solved your problem. Weld half a rod to three quarters. Look at the stub, and if it looks burned, or overheated, then you probably have the heat too high.

BIG TIP - Watch the puddle! That is where the rubber meets the road. It is like a crucible. You want to reach melting point to get fusion, but you don't want it to get too hot to melt everything. Learn what the molten pool looks like, and that will tell you if you need to move along, do a whipping action, or whatever.

Do some welds on a flat plate at least 3/8" thick. Look at your welds. Do they stick up from the surface and look like a worm, or are they about half into the metal and half above. Welds that stick up and are rounded indicate too low a heat.

Keep at it. You will have your AHA! moments. You're just learning. Welding is great stuff once you just get the basics. And you can save some serious dough by doing it yourself.

I spent the day today making a hidden support for a big TV and some AV equipment, plus fixing the carriage, wheels, and making handle brackets on my compressor. ( I was moving the compressor around on a four wheel dolly, the undercarriage was so dilapidated.)

Watch out, though. Welding has been known to be habit forming!

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 23:03:12 GMT, vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

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As people have said, talking to someone about welding is like saying "just stay on top and paddle" to teach someone how to swim!

As people have also said, your current is too low. This is not just a matter of settings however.

You may simply be using too thick a stick for your welder. The machine should have ascale. Or what is your welder?

Make sure that all cables are in good condition and that that they are firmly connected.

Make sure that the area where you attach your workpiece electrode (clamp) is clean and free of any oil or rust. This is essential, as this can stop the current really fast, no matter what your settings on the machine.

Make sure that the stick clamp is also clean and is grabbing the stick good and hard. ALso make sure that the electrodes themselves are clean, where they are grabbed. If they are not, because they were just handmedowns, then maybe get some more, as the rest of the stick may be contaminated as well.

Make sure that the power supply to your welder is adequate. Extension lead in use? Make sure it really really handles the required mains current to your welder. A good test here is to stick a light globe in a "double adaptor" right where the welder is plugged in. Watch the globe while you start a weld, or have someone else do it. If the globe dulls considerably, then your mains power setup is inadequate.

It also helps if the weld area is clean. Stick welders are pretty good at this, but rust can cause temporary loss of arc, and subsequent sticking, as you try to restart or the cooling stick touches the work on a spot that is not quite enough to rearc.

If the welder is old, it may be faulty. This is unusual with old stick welders. There's not much in there. But real mistreatment can cause trouble. I had one that had a loose current controller. I would set a current and it would creep down as the box of the welder buzzed.

The whole idea of welding is that the losses (work and heat) are as much as possible right between the stick and the work, in that little bit that needs sticking. The rest of the system needs to behave very consistently and lose as little as possible.

As for welding, you need to keep the stick the right distance from the wrok. It's damn close, but not touching. Too far and you either cool, bend or lose the arc. Too close and you rush the job and maybe get sticking. You pretty much touch, as the stick is completely disappearing as you work, of course.

Start with thicker steel. Say 3/16" and up. It's a lot easier than thinner steel while you get that first "feel" for the welder. I found that I welded a little "hotter" than the box said. But this may well have been because of one or all of the above faults in the setup.

You need to know the machine, the conditions and thwe work. You then need to learn what to do if certain things go wrong, and then how to weld if you cannot _fix_ those wrong things, if for instance you were working on a site, that unlike yours, has good power, etc

Reply to
Old Nick

Start with some BRAND NEW 3/32" 6013 rod running at around 70 amps. This rod can be held 1/8" off the base metal or pushed in fairly tight. Buy a pound at the local home store or welding store. Old rod tends to be tough to run smoothly.

When you said "small", be advised that the 110 volt cheapy units often have very low > I've recently taken up welding just as a hobby... mostly out of curiousity.

Reply to
RoyJ

curiousity.

As you figure it out, you'll stick less. Keep at it, eventually you'll get a good buzzing arc, if not at least for a fraction of a second. Then do it again. Eventually it'll get hot enough that it wants to stay 'lit'. Then you can have at it.

Practice on a flat place first... joints are the second can of worms ;)

Try sliding or dragging it along the surface. Think: use an angle such that it doesn't just stop in its tracks if it sticks. Hold it so it gets pulled off any sticktion.

Depends. 7013/14 (wuss rod) lights very easily and likes a 1/4" arc. You can go anywhere from 1/8 to a bit over 1/4", which is why it's called wuss rod. :) Aside from being easy to strike.

Stuff like 6013 is easy to use, but you need to use more concentration and keep the arc at exactly 1/8". Just keep running beads and you'll get the hang of it. At least, I did.

Angle the rod slightly into the bead so the arc pushes slag and metal into it. If you have the opposite angle, it'll push it out and give splatter and bad penetration and such.

And what the others say - use good amperage for your rod and so forth.

Tim

-- "I've got more trophies than Wayne Gretsky and the Pope combined!" - Homer Simpson Website @

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Reply to
Tim Williams

Wow.. lots of good advice. Sorry for not being specific...

The welder is a cheapie stick welder from wal-mart (please don't make fun :P--I took it up as a hobby & didn't feel like investing $500). It's a Campbell Hausfeld brand one. It has 2 settings for power output... 1/16" and

5/64".

The 1/16" is what I've been using lately.. 7014. The 5/64" is what I used at first and had more trouble with.. 6013.

It plugs into a regular power outlet... so it isn't 220v (or whatever it was).. 110v I assume? 115v? whatever it is (sorry, I'm dumb).

Umm... dunno what else there is to say about it. I'm not sure if it's AC or DC.. I'll hafta check on that. I'm gonna go out back & toy around with it some more & see if I can get the hang of it. Also... the surfaces I was trying to weld were both pretty dirty.. including rust. I will clean up the surfaces next time or try a diff. cleaner material. Thanks for the advice... anything else I should be looking out for?

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires Subframe connectors

curiousity.

Reply to
<memset

Mike,

Thought that was you, I've seen you over on the RAMFM group.

My brother has a similar welder, and honestly Mike, that's a compliment calling it a welder. No dis respect, I just want you to realize that you got what you paid for most likely. It will only run those 2 rods, and probably not for long due to the duty cycle being really low(I would guess about 20%, that means if you use it for 2 minutes, you have to let it rest for 8 minutes).

All due respect to Steve B above, but I have the hardest time with 60 series rods and the easiest time with 70 series, go figure.

It will be AC.

Also... the surfaces I was

Get yourself a wire brush, either a hand held or one that will fit on a drill or a grinder.

Thanks for the advice...

Hope you still feel that way after you read this.

Mike, I was at the Home Depot this evening and noticed that they have one of the Lincoln 225 Tombstone buzzboxes for about $250US. I'm not sure what you paid for yours, just a thought I guess.

Jim

Reply to
Jim C Roberts

What sort of power supply would I be needing for a 220v? How would I acquire that?

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires Subframe connectors

Reply to
<memset

Jim, Yep it's me ;).

So I've realized that this is a pretty sh*tty welder... but I didn't want to invest a ton just to toy around with, get me? I saw another Campbell Hausfeld.. model WF2000 I think. Wire-feed welder. Whatcha think about that one? Around $200 USD + tax for it. I'm looking for an affordable wire-feed welder that I can plug into the wall... I dunno how I'd get a 220v power source!

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires Subframe connectors

Reply to
<memset

Yeah......be looking for a used 220V welder in the classifieds Seriously, that 110V job is pure crap to learn on......

Reply to
Michael

I liked to use drag rod til I got the hang of it and over the gun-shyness of the contact. You might try something like 7014. I've never found a rod that was easier to use. and except for out of position welding or penetration of thick metals, I think its a pretty good hobbyist rod, and the keyword is hobbyist.

Most of my welding has been pans and struts for concrete stairs and suspended slabs, and my own repair welding as a backhoe owner/operator.

just my two cents, Byrd

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Reply to
hmHAT

Ok, so many people have helped & I am extremely grateful... but I don't feel like posting to each person individually.. so.. hehe. I just went out & practiced welding on a more CLEAN surface (will buy a wire brush drill attachment asap) which happened to be my old catback exhaust (factory)... I turned it on the highest setting (doesn't say amps, just says 5/64" setting) and used a 7014 rod--1/16", aka wuss rod--and I did some pretty wicked welds. Very few times did it stick. I also held it in place in an attempt to "cut" and I actually did that as well.. was really cool to actually start seeing improvement from myself & the welder! I owe a BIG thanks to everybody who responded & gave advice.. thank you all! And yes... this is EXTREMELY addictive lol!! I have 2 Flowmaster 40 series mufflers ready to be welded in my car to replace these turbo mufflers (expensive bastards... about as expensive as new Flowmaster mufflers are--but they sound good too and will be kept around). It'll be my first real project with the welder. I was going to just sell this bastard on ebay or something and then get a wire-feed welder b/c I was getting so frustrated w/ the sticking... but it seems I can just keep using this since I'm getting better now (thanks to you guys). So, I am getting better.. I will keep at it.. and I will post progress ;).. and thank you all. I appreciate it. Have a great week.

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires Subframe connectors

curiousity.

Reply to
<memset

Mike,

Glad your'e not pissed about my last post. :) For your mufflers, the mini MIG would probably be a better choice, due to being able to get into some awkward positions better with it than the stick rods.

Best of luck, Jim

Reply to
Jim C Roberts

On Wed, 01 Dec 2004 04:56:45 GMT, vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Some other stuff.

Don't breathe the fumes. At least have active ventilation. Even better, have a fan blowing the stuff well away from you, as soon as you can after it leaves the weld area without blowing too much on the actual weld. You should not smell the welding process.....ever.

Wear overall clothing. Welding is baaaad sunburn. Can cause cancer.

When brushing and grinding, at _least_ wear a paper/cloth face mask. They are not worth much, but are better than nada.

Wear ear protection, especially when using power tools.

Wear clear saffety glasses or a face plate at all times, unless you have the welding helmet on.

One day, just try a wire feed welder for a while (wicked grin)

Reply to
Old Nick

What mini MIG? I don't have any spare cash to pick up anything else really. Btw.. according to an installation video on Flowmaster.com... I can disconnect the pipe between the H-pipe & muffler at the flanges & I'm already running dumps so I don't hafta worry about the outlet pipes... so I should be able to weld the new mufflers to the pipes & just bolt 'em back up. I'll hafta weld new hangers too.

Oh hell why would I get pissed at your other post? It *is* a crappy welder in comparison to more expensive & better quality welders. I knew that when I bought it. But I was just looking for something to learn on & screw around with. I can't buy a 220v welder because I live in an apartment and I don't think I have any 220v sources. I can very easily see myself getting into welding though & so my next welder will be a bit better one... still lower price range ($300~$400), but better than this. I like this stick welder now though with these wuss rods (7014) ;).

-Mike

-- A happy kid behind the wheel of a 98 Mustang GT Cold air intake FRPP 3.73 gears Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Full Boar turbo mufflers Hi-speed fan switch

255/60R-15 rear tires Subframe connectors

Reply to
<memset

Ive got a spare AC-225 Id let someone from this group have pretty reasonable. Im a bit welder "poor" at the moment...and really dont need 7 of them.

Damnedest thing...they keep following me home....

Gunner

"I mean, when's the last time you heard of a college where the Young Republicans staged a "Sit In" to close down the Humanities building? On the flip side, how many sit in's were staged to close the ROTC building back in the '60's? Liberals stage protests, do civil disobedience, etc. Conservatives talk politely and try to work out a solution to problems through discourse until they believe that talking won't work... they they go home and open the gun cabinets. Pray things never get to the point where the conservatives decide that "civil disobedience" is the next step, because that's a very short route to "voting from the rooftops" Jeffrey Swartz, Misc.Survivalism

Reply to
Gunner

For a low duty cycle MIG or flux core wire feed..the Harbor Fright ones are not all that bad. Around $120 bucks when on sale and some of them will allow you to use gas. I think those are well below $190 when on sale.

Shrug..I got one some time ago in a three cornered swap and it did a good job for me until I outgrew it and got the Dan-Mig, which I truely love.

Gunner

"I mean, when's the last time you heard of a college where the Young Republicans staged a "Sit In" to close down the Humanities building? On the flip side, how many sit in's were staged to close the ROTC building back in the '60's? Liberals stage protests, do civil disobedience, etc. Conservatives talk politely and try to work out a solution to problems through discourse until they believe that talking won't work... they they go home and open the gun cabinets. Pray things never get to the point where the conservatives decide that "civil disobedience" is the next step, because that's a very short route to "voting from the rooftops" Jeffrey Swartz, Misc.Survivalism

Reply to
Gunner

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