Newbie 6011 dot problem

I am guessing your arc length is way too high. The end of the rod should be about 1/8th inch off the surface of the parent metal. Also you are likely moving forward too fast. An electrode twelve inches long should last long enough to run a bead six to eight inches long. Randy

Randy's the expert. My try to be helpful too...

That's a lot of amps for a 3/32Inch (2.5mm) 6011 rod, isn't it? Should be max. 70A for that size xx10 and xx11 rods. Mustn't overheat the rod and burn the cellulose. Then the arc goes "flat", teh arc wonders and the weld is not good. Can go 90A that size Rutile xx12 and xx13 and Basic xx15, xx16, as these mineral fluxes don't "burn". But xx10/xx11 more ferocious despite lower max. current as higher voltage drop across arc.

Won't comment on welding technique - cellulosics never used in Europe with open arc - only recognised use is in pipe-welding - but commonly used open-arc in N.Am. I found cellulosics good for fillet welds, to get good corner-joint fusion (penetration). Used open arc, slight backwards-and-forwards motion (whipping action?) to dig into corner while flattening the fillet-face.

Richard Smith

Steve

Let me expound on that answer a bit.

I used to use a lot of 3/32" 6011 rod in my wrought iron business. Ornamental metal would be fabricated in the shop using a MillerMatic 200.

In the field, when it needed field welding, or repair, I would use the 6011 with stinger negative. If you turn it down, it runs pretty good at around

Realize that this is a very thin rod. You can crank it up to deposit a lot of metal by burning it hot, but the coating on the rod burns up by the time you get to the stub.

If you look at weld beads on a flat surface, they aren't a lot wider than the rod itself. You can make them wider by weaving and other motions.

I really liked the small 6011s because I could get outstanding looking miniature welds that were strong. You just have to have everything right. Your gap, your motion, everything, or it sticks. Or too hot, and it burns through. You just have to practice and understand that this little rod is good for a very small bead, and if you run it hot, the coating burns off. As with any rod, it has its limits, and people usually don't weld with as fine as it can weld at low amperages.

They make really pretty welds on .065 and .120 tubing, and are great for field fitting and installations.

Just get out your magnifier glasses and understand you are working in miniature. Once you get the hang of it, it is impressive. I had more people say that they thought light tubing could not be stick welded, and surely not as pretty as I could do it.

HTH.

Steve

Hi- can you expand on the reason for running electrode negative? have been running it Positive per the charts I use. Less heat into the work? Thanks, Jim.

With the thin wall tubing I was referring to, positive electrode would just blow away the base metal.

However, upon consulting my welding book, I see that 6011 is suggested as AC or DCEP.

I never realized to this moment that I was using the rod incorrectly. I just know it did a good job field welding thin wall tubing.

Ya learn something every day.

With the stinger -, you have less penetration. With it +, you have more.

Steve

This goes to prove that no matter what someone claims about a welding process there is someone who has broken the so called rules and does just fine. Randy

And a lot of guys can talk welding very good. When I hear a conversation about welding, I am very reluctant to join in until I listen for a good while. Most of the time, I just listen, and chuckle silently.

The only thing that matters in welding is performance. When I had my business, I would get guys in who were nuclear submarine certified, but their last girlfriend stole their seabag, and the cert was in the seabag and and and ............

So, I just gave them some metal to weld, and said to bring it to the office when they were done.

Some people who couldn't even fill out an application could weld impressively. Others who could impress you with bafflegab couldn't weld worth a darn.

I don't know if it was LaSorda or Yogi who said, "It ain't braggin' if you can do it."

Steve

3/32 = .0937"

The rule of thumb is 1 Amp per mil or 93 Amps.

Why doesn't 6011 follow the rule?

I have learned a lot on this thread. For certain, following the rules does not always work for everyone.

Case in point, negative stinger.

Any hints on striking 6011?

BTW I played a few minutes with a BBQ igniter and I was able to strike an arc with it.

The 'field' can teach us a thing or two.

BoyntonStu

In Stick welding the amperage range is determined by the rod diameter. Where you are in that range is determined by type of rod, position, materiel thickness, and direction of travel.

A 3/32" electrode can run from 50 amps to 85 amps.

1 amp per 0.001" is for TIG welding.

Hi

It can be confusing. Sympathies.

Take DCEN (Direct Current, Electrode Negative)

In TIG, the electrons fly from the tungsten electrode to the workpiece and make most heat in the workpiece, as you'd expect. With Physics, you'd kind of expect that, from the way X-ray machines work, and so on. Guess that's why DCEN is often called "straight polarity". So you get a penetrative weld.

But it doesn't work that way with stick. By the time you have added a flux and or whatever, the rules are different. It is then DCEP (DC Electrode Positive) which is penetrative. Including cellulosics (xx10's and xx11's). I was set right about this by folk on s.e.j.w. I thought when I saw in European welding specifications using cellulosic stick on DCEN, which I was easily able to do by grasping the socket for the clamp and the socket for the return, twisting unplugged each, crossing my arms and plugging back in, that I was going to increase penetration. Wrong! The spec. is to restrain back penetration when it is judged to be too much to handle. Folk in North America can laugh - they use Electrode Positive all the time - 'cos they can handle deep penetration :-)

So the helpful poster who said about welding thin tube - they knew DCEN restricts pen. in stick, tried DCEN on thin-walled tube, presumable broken and hacksawed a sample open and saw it was good and came up with a procedure (electrode, current, DCEN, prep., etc) which works reliably. Good thing to do.

Ed Craig, the guy who scathes at a measured sustained aerobic pace, turns scathe into a verb then elevates it to an artform, makes the same point regarding MIG - it is more penetrative on DCEP