I need to weld square tubing with 3/16" walls, to 3/16" plate (tubing
parallel to plate, kind of laying flat on plate). My plan is to do it
with 6013 electrodes. My question is how many amps to use.
thanks
Well, my approach is simple. Start in the middle of the range listed
on the box. If it sticks, turn it up. If it's too hot and burns too
much, turn it down. Also, it helps to tell us what size electrode...
:)
--Glenn Lyford
150A-230A per the Miller Stick Amperage Calculator, one of the three
cardboard "slide-rule" welding calculator set (MIG, TIG, Stick)
available on the Miller site for a few $ that I've plugged many times.
They are well worth the few minutes it takes to order them.
Pete C.
I suspect that amp range is gonna blow large gaping holes in both the
tubing and the plate. With 1/8" rod..Id start off at about 75 amps
and run a couple test beads, going up to about 125 amps max.
Though personally, Id burn 5/32 at about 80 amps max
Shrug..YMMV
Gunner
Don't know, I hardly ever do stick, almost all TIG so I haven't used
that particular calculator much. Every time I've used the matching TIG
calculator it's given me settings that were right on target.
Pete C.
One thing you're missing here is that with stick it's the electrode
size that determines the amperage more than the size of the metal. The
amperages you stated above are for 3/16" electrodes and I wouldn't
even try them on metal thinner than 1/2" thick.
Indeed.
I was just in, fresh off the road when I wrote the above. I thought
about it this morning..and Id run 5/32 from 45-75 amps I think,
particulary on that tubing and dont dawdle. And wait a few seconds
after welding to a corner, before starting the next side. Closer to
the 75 amp end...likely somewhere around 60-65 amps with 6013
Though..I think..Id go with 6011 if this is gonna be load bearing. At
about 60 amps with 5/32. If its round edged tubing, rather than square
sided..its harder to fill that big radiused undercut and still get
penetration..for me..ymmv..it tends to lay in nice..but not go too
deep..so Id lay it so the join is on top..propping the thingy on its
side or tilted..and go in deep with 6011. YMMV
Now Im NOT a welder..Im hard pressed to admit to being a dauber, but
Ive burned a lot of stick over the years, on metal pretty much as
described above. Which is how I got pretty good at filling in holes
Id burned through....sigh.
Now that Ive exposed my ignorance..Im gonna sit back and take the
heat.
Shrug
Gunner
Limit the amperage on 1/8" 6013 to 125 amps as already suggested. With
3/16" metal, I would start at 100-110 amps since 6013 does not
penetrate like 6011. I would not dial down to 75-80 amps unless I was
trying to fill a hole.
I am really wondering if you guys are pulling my leg here... Maybe my
sense of humor is a little bit malfunctioning, the standard amperage
for 1/8" rods is 125 amps... Here I have metal that's a little thick,
being welded in a corner...
i
It's not that simple actually. There's a lot of variables including
what welder you're using, the rod, the metal thickness, technique,
etc. Personally I think Gunners recommendation is a bit low but it
probably works fine for him on his welder. Keep in mind that most
welders don't really have a accurate scale for setting the amps (in
fact many professional grade welders don't even have any indication at
all of what amperage you're at just numbers).
Personally I don't like 6013 and I've not run any recent enough to
even remember what amperage I run it at. Now for 1/8" 6011 I'd
probably run around 90-100 amps for your project but for 7018 your
125amps is more like it.
Iggy,
I like 7014 and 7018 a lot. 7014 is the easiest rod to run I've ever
seen. But I can consistently get good results with 7018. On a Maxstar
140 I run 1/8" 7018 at about 125 amps and 7014 at about 100. I don't
see how you could go wrong with either.
Vernon
Ignoramus23068 wrote:
My results with 7018 were kind of abysmal and 6013 welds look almost
like tig welds, very nice and easy. I am a beginner welder so I claim
no authority onthe subject.
i
I was burning some 1/8" rod at 65 and 70 amps. This is 16 ga sheet.
Bit tough to weld, but I did it.
Martin
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH & Endowment Member
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member
7014 is a very easy rod to run and it makes a very nice looking weld, its
real good in the flats, a bit harder when not. I don't think its even rated
for overhead. I picked up a 50 pound box of 7024 for $10.00 that is a for
sure in the flats only rod but you can run a bead fast and get lots of metal
down, its not as easy as 7014 but damm close in the flats.
I also like 7018 but fail to do the drying thing but none of my work is that
critical, its always 3 times the stell needed for the load.
Way too much current, but since the tube is parallel to the plate, it
will allow more amps than if you were trying to do a tube end to the
plate. As others stated, I'd use 1/8" 6013 or perhaps some 5/32" if you
have several to do. Start at 120 amps for the 1/8" or 160 amps for the
5/32" Run the rod aimed mostly at the plate, it will take slighly more
heat than the tube, wash the puddle up onto the tube every few seconds.
You can up the amps a bit but you will likely find that the rod starts
getting hot, glows red if it's really too hot. At that point, your weld
will turn to c**p. Others mentioned that the amp settings on various
welders are not really calibrated, expect to find 20% variation.
Pete C. wrote:
Well then, although you might want to use what you're comfy with on
this project, I highly recommend you play with some more 7018.
Admittedly, it is hard to re-start. But if you light a new stick, get
it burning, and have plenty of amperage, you can PUSH it into the
puddle. Keep about a 12 - 15 degree angle and a sort of "wrist
english" as if you want to twist the rod in the direction of travel.
But since you're also pushing down into the puddle, the effect is that
your rod disappears into the progressing bead.
Properly done and with the right amperage, the slag sometimes peels up
by itself. After nearly a decade as a hobbyist I still don't get
consistently good beads. But I nearly always do, with 7018, provided
that I get a good initial burn. If you stop or the arc gets
extinguished just light up again with a new rod. Later you can scrape
the partially burned ones on some plate as you rotate 'em. Sort of
like sharpening a pencil.
I don't know if the above is kosher procedure or not. But it gives me
beautiful, textbook stringer beads with good penetration and no
undercut.
V
Ignoramus23068 wrote:
Sigh..I guess I WAS sleepy when I posted..damit..that big assed 5/32 is
supposed to be 3/32"
damn..Id be surprised if I could even get an arc started at 75 amps with
5/32
My apologies. That should as I said about..have been 3/32
I new something didnt look right when I pushed the send button..but
couldnt figure out what it was.
Mea Culpa
Gunner, who uses a shitload of 6011 and 7014 lo-hi in 3/32..
"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them;
the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."
- Proverbs 22:3
I used to have trouble with re-start when using rods stolen from work.
There is no problem re-starting with those big 3-phase welders they
have there but my machine has trouble.
After the rods cool they will re-start with ease on my machine.
My Canox supplier gave me some 5 rod packs to try. Man, do they work
faultlessly. I bundled up all the stolen rods and took them back to
work and bought some rods from my supplier.
Welder - Canox Sparkler AC-DC with good ole copper windings
-
Regards
Gordie
PS: 7014 is not lo-hi (low hydrogen), 7018 is. On my little buzzbox
tombstone, I prefer these two also... I can understand how Iggy would
prefer 6013, though, as he has DC.
--G
aws 6011 can do a wide range of amps ,
but 6013 / 714 7024 has a narrow range .
I can do this work at
1/8 " rod at
100 - 120 amps
or 5/32" Rod at
about 130 amps .
I prefer 6011 at 100 amps .
Allow rods corp used to sell me 6011 , less splatter than
Lincoln fleetweld 35 ..
You can MIG with "250" amp tips and big wire and
a 200 amp machine .
But small boxes with .035 wire is
far too small to weld 3/16" steel .
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