first "cut and etch"

andygmac · Thu Apr 03, 2014 2:40 pm

OK here are a few pics of my first cut and etch.
The weld was done vertical, with a 6010 root, followed by an 8016 cover pass.
I used a mordant t-wash which I use for etching new galvanised steel prior to painting.
It has a 10% dilution of phosphoric acid, and the results were good (at least I think so lol)
Anyway, here are the pics.

Thu Apr 03, 2014 2:43 pm

Sweet. Wild how that etch even reveals each individual weld rod metal

best regards Jody

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andygmac · Thu Apr 03, 2014 2:49 pm

Thanks Jody,
I have been wanting to try this for a while but was finding it impossible to find a small quantity of nitric acid, so I suddenly thought I'd try the t-wash, and at £14 a gallon it is cheap lol,
I think the two colours of the welds are because the root was 6010 and the cap was 8016 perhaps the higher tensile strength gives it a different colour? Maybe I will investigate further

Cheers
Andy

andygmac · Thu Apr 03, 2014 4:43 pm

BTW, there are no copyrights on my pics if you want to use any in your videos Jody lol

noddybrian · Thu Apr 03, 2014 7:15 pm

Plenty of nitric on Ebay - not fortunes for the amount one might use just in etching test pieces - check out below item for 1 liter - there are smaller amounts on there as well .

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nitric-Acid-6 ... 20badc9597

andygmac · Fri Apr 04, 2014 2:07 am

Cheers for that noddybrian, never thought of eBay lol

AKweldshop · Fri Apr 04, 2014 2:29 am

Always look at eBay before you buy anything.
Just to see what you can buy an item for, compared to local.
You would be amazed.
~John

Fri Apr 04, 2014 5:52 am

That worked very well. To preserve the finish, paint it with some varnish or laqeur

andygmac · Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:59 pm

Thanks all

I just happened to have the phosphoric acid laying around and thought I'd give it a go

.
Good tip about varnishing it, cheers.

Sat Apr 05, 2014 2:16 am

Not a prob

AKweldshop · Sat Apr 05, 2014 2:19 am

nice weld btw.
You sure it was 8016???

andygmac · Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:24 am

Yep deffo 8016, fillarc 88s 2.5mm

AKweldshop · Sat Apr 05, 2014 1:16 pm

andygmac wrote:Yep deffo 8016, fillarc 88s 2.5mm

Hows it compare to other rods??? Like 7018???

andygmac · Sat Apr 05, 2014 1:49 pm

The 8016 rod are superb for vertical, to be honest I've not tried 7018, asked the local welding supplies for them but they don't stock them.
7018 rods are not easy to get hold of here on the east coast of the UK, I have used 7016 but they are expensive compared to the usual 6013 that I use. The electrode fairy left me a few 8016 VAC packs outside my workshop door one day

.We have a large engineering company that builds oil rigs in our town, and I cannot deny or concur that they probably came from there

I think I may do a side by side Etch comparison of 6013, 7016, and 8016 to see if the colours of the etches are different ( if my workload allows lol)

AKweldshop · Sat Apr 05, 2014 2:41 pm

Well,
I've never heard of 8016. much less used it.
I guess its just stronger than 7016.
If you ship me 10lbs of them, I'll ship you 10lbs of My favorite Lincoln 7018....

What do you think???
Hows shipping cost from me to you???
I can see Russia from my back door, so I'm guessing your just a little bit over the last hill????

~John

andygmac · Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:30 am

IMHO they weld the same as 7016 but have another 10,000 pounds tensile strength

We tend to use a lot of 6013 (Esab) here but they seem to get a rough ride over the pond where you are lol, I've seen you tube vids of USA welders trying them and slating them lol I don't know if they are different composition over here, but I get lovely smooth, spatter free (ish) , slag peeling welds with them.

Have you used them at all?
Andy