Arc welding
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Maryak
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Pat,
As you say - what works for you, it's your shop, your welder and do what you think is best.
Tel and I are only pointing out that your method is not the accepted way of welding and learning a more versatile method from the start is surely a good thing for any one starting out with a new skill.
Best Regards
Bob
As you say - what works for you, it's your shop, your welder and do what you think is best.
Tel and I are only pointing out that your method is not the accepted way of welding and learning a more versatile method from the start is surely a good thing for any one starting out with a new skill.
Best Regards
Bob
Hi
Once again thanks for all the info.
Found this one one e bay, oil cooled
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TONCO-OIL-COO...CESSORIES-/370417534828?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3
The spec says 55 amp is the lowest setting. Is that low enough?????
Cheers
Rich
Once again thanks for all the info.
Found this one one e bay, oil cooled
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TONCO-OIL-COO...CESSORIES-/370417534828?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3
The spec says 55 amp is the lowest setting. Is that low enough?????
Cheers
Rich
Its interesting that over here at least 90% of the entry level welders are sold with hand held face guards like thisso most beginners would be forced to weld one handed.
Firebird if your budget will stretch then get an autodarkening helmet they make it so much easier to see what you are upto.
Jason
Firebird if your budget will stretch then get an autodarkening helmet they make it so much easier to see what you are upto.
Jason
Tin Falcon
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I would second the auto shade helmet. Harbor freight has them for IIRC $50 US on a fairly regular basis maybe you have similar. Not a bad piece of kit and the normal lens is a shade 5 so even if it fails you would never get totally flashed.
Tin
Tin
Lakc
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Try that again with the blades clamped to a nice thick block of copper. If the welder cant give you less heat, try taking some away.JorgensenSteam said:
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I have a brain infarction when it comes to auto shade helmets. I've thought about it too much I suppose.
Which is faster, the speed of light or the changing of the shade elements in the helmet? We know it is the light that is quicker, so a certain amount does reach your eyes, for a very short time I know. I used to hang around welder's forums for quite awhile and those guys will tell you that with auto shade helmets, at the end of a long day, their eyes are scratchy from the cumulative effects of the arc. For occasional use it is probably not harmful in the long run, maybe not even for the professionals. Still, I have that brain infarction.
-Trout
Which is faster, the speed of light or the changing of the shade elements in the helmet? We know it is the light that is quicker, so a certain amount does reach your eyes, for a very short time I know. I used to hang around welder's forums for quite awhile and those guys will tell you that with auto shade helmets, at the end of a long day, their eyes are scratchy from the cumulative effects of the arc. For occasional use it is probably not harmful in the long run, maybe not even for the professionals. Still, I have that brain infarction.
-Trout
I don't have anything to add to this discussion...yet. I just ordered a HF Dual Mig 151 welder and auto darkening helmet while they were on sale. Both items shipped to my door for less than $200.
I will try the welder as a FCAW (gasless) and see how bad it is before I spring for a regulator and argon bottle. Looks like adding the gas will cost more than the welder?
Charlie
I will try the welder as a FCAW (gasless) and see how bad it is before I spring for a regulator and argon bottle. Looks like adding the gas will cost more than the welder?
Charlie
Hi
Once again many thanks for the input gentlemen. :bow: :bow: :bow:
Julian and I both bought the auto darkening helmets that were on offer at a show we attended for £40.00, I haven't tried it yet cos I don't have a welder. I'll keep looking at whats on offer for a while but the oil filled one (I posted the link above) looks the best so far.
Cheers
Rich
Once again many thanks for the input gentlemen. :bow: :bow: :bow:
Julian and I both bought the auto darkening helmets that were on offer at a show we attended for £40.00, I haven't tried it yet cos I don't have a welder. I'll keep looking at whats on offer for a while but the oil filled one (I posted the link above) looks the best so far.
Cheers
Rich
Hi Rich;
Does that welder you're looking at have a duty cycle rating? I know it's oil filled, but it would seem like
there should still be some kind of duty cycle, especially if you're running it at full amperage.
I didn't get into this discussion 'til now, since there seemed to be plenty of opinions already. I actually am a
welder by trade, certified, papered, ticketed, have all my shots, etc. etc. If you have some questions
that you didn't find answered already, I'll try to help.
One thing I'll comment on now, that seemed to get beat around a bit. Use two hands when you first
start. You are going to need to learn to make a proper puddle at first. You don't need to be worrying
about doing what other guys do while learning that.
After you know how to make a puddle, and run it with good penetration and no burn-throughs, work
on using one hand. Professional welders (me) do use one hand when needed. If you are in position
to use both hands, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Sometimes, you only have one hand
available, and for that, you just have to learn it. I've hung by a harness for hours at a time, welding
the inside of an H beam that was facing away from me. Not only could I not fit two hands around it,
but one hand was holding a mirror so I could see the place to weld. Obviously, that situation requires
one hand welding. In those days, I often had a cigarette in one hand, too, so welding one handed was
handy. Sometimes, you have to hang on to something with one hand, and weld with the other.
Sometimes, you just can't get two hands where you want them. Situations are many and varied.
For the start though, use both hands. You'll get good, faster.
Dean
Does that welder you're looking at have a duty cycle rating? I know it's oil filled, but it would seem like
there should still be some kind of duty cycle, especially if you're running it at full amperage.
I didn't get into this discussion 'til now, since there seemed to be plenty of opinions already. I actually am a
welder by trade, certified, papered, ticketed, have all my shots, etc. etc. If you have some questions
that you didn't find answered already, I'll try to help.
One thing I'll comment on now, that seemed to get beat around a bit. Use two hands when you first
start. You are going to need to learn to make a proper puddle at first. You don't need to be worrying
about doing what other guys do while learning that.
After you know how to make a puddle, and run it with good penetration and no burn-throughs, work
on using one hand. Professional welders (me) do use one hand when needed. If you are in position
to use both hands, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Sometimes, you only have one hand
available, and for that, you just have to learn it. I've hung by a harness for hours at a time, welding
the inside of an H beam that was facing away from me. Not only could I not fit two hands around it,
but one hand was holding a mirror so I could see the place to weld. Obviously, that situation requires
one hand welding. In those days, I often had a cigarette in one hand, too, so welding one handed was
handy. Sometimes, you have to hang on to something with one hand, and weld with the other.
Sometimes, you just can't get two hands where you want them. Situations are many and varied.
For the start though, use both hands. You'll get good, faster.
Dean
Yes, they are sometimes called "Jet" rod, which is just a nickname. It's high deposition rod, and usually
it will only weld about +10 / -0 degrees out of horizontal. In other words, very slightly up hill, but not
down hill at all, or the flux will run past the puddle and cause inclusions.
It does have a metal composition flux, and usually the flux is about twice as thick as the diameter of the
rod itself. The flux is self removing when it's run at the right amperage and drag angle. You never have
to chip it off. It peels up and curls off the weld by itself.
We used that stuff for large structural elements that were laying flat on the ground. It needs a groove
ground into both pieces for the filler to tie into. Usually, it requires a root pass with something like lo-hi
rod before you can weld up a groove. It won't make proper 90° fillets very well, as it's such a
slow freeze rod. But, if you're joining two beveled pieces that are flat, it will lay down a lot of material
fast, and fill a large area. It's very strong when used properly. We often used it to weld new grousers on Caterpillar tracks, too. Not much use for the home welder, though.
Dean
it will only weld about +10 / -0 degrees out of horizontal. In other words, very slightly up hill, but not
down hill at all, or the flux will run past the puddle and cause inclusions.
It does have a metal composition flux, and usually the flux is about twice as thick as the diameter of the
rod itself. The flux is self removing when it's run at the right amperage and drag angle. You never have
to chip it off. It peels up and curls off the weld by itself.
We used that stuff for large structural elements that were laying flat on the ground. It needs a groove
ground into both pieces for the filler to tie into. Usually, it requires a root pass with something like lo-hi
rod before you can weld up a groove. It won't make proper 90° fillets very well, as it's such a
slow freeze rod. But, if you're joining two beveled pieces that are flat, it will lay down a lot of material
fast, and fill a large area. It's very strong when used properly. We often used it to weld new grousers on Caterpillar tracks, too. Not much use for the home welder, though.
Dean
JorgensenSteam said:
No, not the type I was referring to above. Lincoln Electric has a bunch of rod types they call "Jet", but
that particular reference is one of their trademarks. I wasn't referring specifically to Lincoln rod when I
wrote "Jet". Like I said, it was just a nickname. More than one company makes a high deposit iron
powder rod, but it's not 7014, in any case.
7014 is a general purpose rod.
It's not a "down-only" rod, though. The "1" in 7014 means all position. Up, flat, overhead, horizontal.
It is not particularly easy to use going up, as it does deposit more metal than other GP rods. That
also makes it look nice when welding flat.
Pat, I don't really know what to say for a "10 tricks" kind of thing. A specific question might be better.
And, I don't mean for you to ask 10 questions! If you have a question about something you would like
to know, maybe I can help.
Okay, here's one thing. Welding down almost never makes a great weld. If you have a vertical section
to weld, go up. That will only apply to metal that is thick enough to prevent it from burning through.
For thin sheet, welding down is usually the only option.
One more. 6010 or 6011 are usually better rods for general welding than the popular 6013. The first
two require you to "work the puddle", but they both have superior penetration to 6013. They also do
not fool you into thinking you have a good weld, like 6013 often does. 6013 will lay up on top of what
you think you are welding, and to the casual user may look like a good enough weld, when really, it's
just sitting there. It has the characteristic of looking okay even when inadequate current was used.
Dean
Hi
Well it seems there's more to this stick welding lark than it first appears :big: :big: :big:
Thank you all again for the replies, I'm learning a lot but there's a lot to learn.
Dean this is the spec
SPECIFICATIONS
Input voltage ---------------------- 220 volts - 50 HZ
Power settings------------------------------------------4.
Power settings amps --- 55 - 80 - 110 - 140 AMPS.
Rated Welding Current ------------------- 50 Amps.
Maximum Open cicuit voltage ------------ 75 volts.
Electrode Sizes ----------------------- 2mm to 3.2mm
Packed dimensions --- L 300 x H 270 x W 300 mm
Does that help???
Cheers
Rich
Well it seems there's more to this stick welding lark than it first appears :big: :big: :big:
Thank you all again for the replies, I'm learning a lot but there's a lot to learn.
Dean this is the spec
SPECIFICATIONS
Input voltage ---------------------- 220 volts - 50 HZ
Power settings------------------------------------------4.
Power settings amps --- 55 - 80 - 110 - 140 AMPS.
Rated Welding Current ------------------- 50 Amps.
Maximum Open cicuit voltage ------------ 75 volts.
Electrode Sizes ----------------------- 2mm to 3.2mm
Packed dimensions --- L 300 x H 270 x W 300 mm
Does that help???
Cheers
Rich
tel said:
;D And a few hundred pounds of rod.
I'm of the school that thinks that anyone can learn to weld fairly well. It depends on how much
time you want to devote to it, and what you will call an acceptable result. Don't settle!
Rich, I read those specs on the auction page that was up a few days ago. I was looking for
"duty cycle", which tells you how long you can weld at a given amperage.
All welders get hot. Some of the heat goes into the weld puddle, and the rest ends up in the
welding machine coils. It depends on how fast the coils can get rid of the heat, and that works
into the duty cycle thing.
If it gets hot very fast, it will shut down, (or burn up). Usually, they have a thermal protection.
I'm trying to get you to look for a duty cycle that will let you weld for a while before you have to
stop. The duty cycle is usually given at the highest rating of the welder. Many of the cheapo welders
have only a 10% duty cycle. They can only weld for one minute out of 10 at full power, and the
rest of the time they have to cool off.
Look for something with a duty cycle of around 40% or more at top rated amperage. When you
weld at lower amperage, the duty cycle is extended.
Dean
