wrote in message
. com...
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


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