On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 01:01:22 GMT, Ignoramus15937
wrote:
Comments will be appreciated, as always. Got 1 gauge welding cable
last night and played with the welder for 5 minutes today. To my
pleasant surprise, I can weld in the garage, it does not stink all
that much.
http://igor.chudov.com/projects/Welding/02-Second-Weld/
This is my second butt weld. Two 1/8x1.25" flat pieces were placed
next to one another lengthwise. I set amperage to 80 amps, according
to Wayne. I used 6013 1/8" electrodes.
To weld them, I first tack welded them in two places, about 1/2" from
each end. Then I ran one bead on one side and then, one bead on
another. This operation consumed the remaining 2/3 of that electrode
(first 1/3 was used for the first weld).
You see the weld with slag removed, from both sides. I then used a
chop saw to cut the joined pieces to see what's happening in the
weld. To my surprise, the weld looked like it was original metal, no
sign of any dissimilarity or boundary.
Not bad for the second rod burned. You do need to take the same
pieces and just run one bead right next to the last till you fill the
metal up on both side. What this will do is help you with keep the arc
the same length (one of the reasons for the uneven looking weld), keep
the proper travel speed (another reason for the look), and just
overall let you get some time behind the rod which is one of the big
keys to good looking as well as strong welds.
It will take some time burning rod for the motions needed to become
semi automatic. Till at least some of the motions become semi
automatic you'll continue to have trouble. There's just to many things
to worry about while making a stick weld for you to be able to
concentrate on all of them at once. At least some of it needs to be
subconscious so that you can concentrate on the puddle and maintaining
a good even bead.
Looking at what you did on this bead I'd say you may still be a
little hot. That's not to bad for a beginner as long as you don't burn
through the plate. It's easier to run a rod hot and get a strong but
ugly weld. As you get experience you'll be able to get a strong
consistent weld at a lower amperage. It's just takes some practice for
that to happen. Try going slower in a even travel. Stick welding is
all about keeping a even travel speed with what ever motion is needed
for the rod. In this case you just need to do a stringer bead. No real
motion is needed except the steady advance of the rod. With 6013 being
a drag rod you should let the flux coating of the rod just touch the
seam before the weld. Pay attention to the metal puddle that follows
and not the flux. That's probably the hardest for beginners to learn.
The molten metal and molten flux will look different while you're
welding. Usually the metal will be brighter than the flux. Pay
attention to the trailing edge of the metal puddle. Make sure it's
flowing out to both sides of the weld smoothly and strive for a even
curve on the back side of the puddle. Admittedly with 6013 this is
harder to do because of the abundance of flux (one of the reasons I
don't like 6013) but it's still possible to do. If you have trouble
with this then try some 7018 (I recall that you got some when you got
rod). With 7018 it's much easier to see the metal puddle than with
6013 (the reason I like it). With a bead like you're doing I'd
recommend a slight side by side motion with 7018. It'll help reduce
the height of the bead and blend it better with the metal. When I say
side by side I mean slowly weave the rod across the puddle as you
advance. No quick motions are needed with stick welding (well at least
till you get to some of the fancier stuff). Just make a slight zig zag
down the seam. Actually touching the metal on each side of the seam
with the rod. Don't weave too wide. In this case with the thin metal
you're welding a weave no wider than the rod itself will be gobs.
There's still a lot more to it than what I've described above but
hopefully it'll help get you on the road to a more consistent bead.
Wayne Cook
Shamrock, TX
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook/index.htm