info on SMAW (stick) electrodes, please

Hit it good and hard - 6011 slag sticks pretty tight.

It burned. 6011 uses a cellulose wrapper. The combustion products produce a free oxygen depleted gas shield and little slag.

Gary

6010 - Very High penetration, burns through rust, paint, concrete, zinc, .....whatever, excellent repair rod, also used for root passes on larger welds, welds look like crap until you get the whip technique down, tenacious slag, not so pretty welds. 6011 - High penetration, very forgiving rod, excellent general repair and build rod, burns through most light debris, very tenacious slag, welds look like crap until you get the whip technique down. 6013 - Low penetration, excellent for sheet metal, and thin wall tube, very ductile weld, likes clean metal, very easy rod to run, leaves pretty welds. 7014 - Low penetration, excellent for sheetmetal, pipe and tube, stronger than 6013, but less ductile weld, very easy rod to run, leaves very pretty welds. 7018 -Medium penetration, low hydrogen, standard of the industry for construction steel, very strong welds, but takes a lot of skill to run out of position (vertical-up, and overhead), tenacious slag, pretty welds, rods must be kept dry. 7024 - Medium penetration, high fill rate rod for flat welds only, very eay rod to run, very pretty welds. Pure Nickle or high nickle content - Cast Iron repair rods. 309SS - Excellent choice for joining dissimilar metals or stainless steels, flat position only, unspeakably pretty welds.

acrobat-ants wrote: : Hi,

: I've read up on the basic concept and penetration of each rod in the : manual of the welding machine , : and I am aware that the 60 11 has deep penetration and more spatter, : while the 7014 has medium penetration, less spatter. : I ruled out 6013 because it is listed as low penetration.

: My question:

: 1; 6011 has a nice deep arc and can see molten puddle clearly, how : ever when the weld cools off there is very little slag remains on the : top of the weld , where did all the flux go ? the weld looks clean, : not porus, so I don't think it is infused.

The 60xx rods all? have an organic flux and most of it burns up. I was told that at one time, weldors wrapped wet newspaper around steel rods and welded with it. I have often meant to try it.

: 2; 7014 great looking weld very uniform, : how ever during the weld I can't see the molten puddle because of flux : float on the top, once it cools , huge tall slag on top, it chips off : very easily, nearly falls off by it self, nice clean bead.

70xx series rods are rutile coated. Rutile is a mineral based flux that more or less just melts around the puddle forming a glassy coating when it cools.

: please tell me why one rod would be better than the other, for mild : steel.

Neither is better than the other. Each has it's uses.

: i would rarely use my stick welder , but when I do Ilike to use the : right rod with it.

: so many rods , so many questions.

True.

Ok,

first , thanks for the replys guys.

now , that we are on the subject, also saw a rod in the store, forgot what its called, but it is for cutting, or arc gauging. it has cought my eye for a minute , thinking ...cool , i can cut some heavy stuff with this...

it appears that it has a coating as well, how fast do these rods melt away ? do they worth the money ?

also , did not see the rod , but read it here that there is a magnezium or some other cutting rod as well, will this rod last longer than the one mentione above?

thans for the help.

Just run 6010 in straight polarity with really high amps. Slices like crazy.

Ernie,

Thanks for the useful summary, I have not seen such a clear description from the few manufacturers brochures I hold.

I have some 6012 and 308. Do you have descriptions for those as well?

Thanks Barry Lennox