[Hoopy Frood]

Hello!

I'm basically brand new to welding. A friend gave me a buzzbox and I'm just trying to get practice in. I've been collecting a bunch of scrap for practice.

Since I'm starting with the very basics (and most of my work is outdoors in a homestead/farm environment) I wanted to start with 6011 and I bought 1/8" electrodes to start. All I'm messing with at this point is mild steel.

Given that, what is the minimum thickness of material I can be expected to work on without excessive risk of burning through the material? I'm guessing 1/8" plate/wall thickness could be welded, but anything thinner I might eat up?

I have a large collection of tube stock with a wall thickness of either 1/16" or 3/32"... what diameter of 6011 electrode might be more appropriate for that?

Thank you so much!

[Artie F. Emm]

I'm guessing 1/8" plate/wall thickness could be welded, but anything thinner I might eat up?

Good guess! Clearly, you know where your towel is.

You can use a 1/8" rod on 1/8" material but you'll need to turn amps way down. According to this chart
http://www.islandsupplywelding.com/electrode-guide.htm
you can use a 1/8" rod on plate up to 1/4" (by turning amps up).

Remember Jody's mantra: turn amps up high enough that you can hold a tight arc without sticking the electrode... then, hold a tight arc. With a 1/8" rod you might do better to practice on heavier material first. Grind the joint to shiny bare metal for best results.

Welcome to the forum, btw. What machine did you get?

[smithdoor]

If want good luck
Use 6013 around 1/8"
6011 is high penetration and does do well on thin gage

Dave

Hello!

I'm basically brand new to welding. A friend gave me a buzzbox and I'm just trying to get practice in. I've been collecting a bunch of scrap for practice.

Since I'm starting with the very basics (and most of my work is outdoors in a homestead/farm environment) I wanted to start with 6011 and I bought 1/8" electrodes to start. All I'm messing with at this point is mild steel.

Given that, what is the minimum thickness of material I can be expected to work on without excessive risk of burning through the material? I'm guessing 1/8" plate/wall thickness could be welded, but anything thinner I might eat up?

I have a large collection of tube stock with a wall thickness of either 1/16" or 3/32"... what diameter of 6011 electrode might be more appropriate for that?

Thank you so much!

[MinnesotaDave]

A good rule of thumb is never use a rod that's thicker than the metal to be welded.

However, 6011 can run a little lower on amps so 3/32" material is still ok with 1/8" rod in my opinion.

I've repaired thin sheet on a cattle trailer with 3/32" 6011 by using an overlapping tacking method at about 65 amps.

With this method it's pretty slow, but it works. Just light up, wait for the tack to fill out, lift to break arc, repeat...

It's pretty similar to the normal whip-and-pause motion, but this way you actually break the arc instead of just whipping out and back.

Here's a good video by Jody on 6011: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAWSDfv0eHw

[Poland308]

If your careful you can bump down the amps and kind of tack/ weld thinner material with 1/8 rod.

[Hoopy Frood]

I'm guessing 1/8" plate/wall thickness could be welded, but anything thinner I might eat up?

Good guess! Clearly, you know where your towel is.

You can use a 1/8" rod on 1/8" material but you'll need to turn amps way down. According to this chart
http://www.islandsupplywelding.com/electrode-guide.htm
you can use a 1/8" rod on plate up to 1/4" (by turning amps up).

Remember Jody's mantra: turn amps up high enough that you can hold a tight arc without sticking the electrode... then, hold a tight arc. With a 1/8" rod you might do better to practice on heavier material first. Grind the joint to shiny bare metal for best results.

Welcome to the forum, btw. What machine did you get?

Thank you so much for the welcome! So happy to be here!

I guess the handle is a dead giveaway, huh? Amazing how many people on forums dedicated to "sensible" down-to-Earth topics enjoy Douglas Adams! And I really appreciate your comment because I'm a total noob to welding... But with almost two years of homesteading experience that has been trial-by-fire I'd like to thing I'm staring to get some "common sense" drummed into me. I was the epitome of "not handy" before this

Thank you for the link! I do have some 3/8" plate to work on, looks like I may need a larger diameter for that stuff!

Jody's tip of "high amps/tight arc/no sticking" was brilliant! I have yet to try it as I stupidly forgot I need a metal top over my wooden work bench to keep it from catching fire... I'll have the work bench and top figured out Monday. THEN I will start practice in earnest. I was the king of sticking 6011 in the class. I ran things too cold a lot (and no doubt was not keeping a short enough arc length). Practice, practice, practice!

I'll definitely focus on cleanliness and preparation. I'm using a Harbor Freight "Hercules" 4.5" angle grinder currently. It's my first grinder, but I gotta say for $35 I'm REALLY happy with it! I'm making it earn its keep (I'm using it to clean up rusty junk for practice) and it's holding up with no issues at all!

EDIT - Sp, typos, and OH! The buzzbox? It's a Crafstman "Infinite Amp" stick welder. 240VAC, I have no idea of the vintage but I'd guess late 80s? Perhaps early 90s? I doesn't have a lot of identifying marks. If you're really curious I'll give it a full going over and post some pics

[Hoopy Frood]

If want good luck
Use 6013 around 1/8"
6011 is high penetration and does do well on thin gage

Dave

Deep penetration, for both material and rust/paint/crud in bad field conditions, are reasons I wanted to start with 6011. I would have guessed that deep penetration was inherently troublesome for thin stuff. I am looking to pick up 6013 for thin materials, but have not yet had the chance to actually get some.

Regardless I have scrap from 1/16" to 3/8" thick to practice on with whatever electrodes I pick up

[Hoopy Frood]

A good rule of thumb is never use a rod that's thicker than the metal to be welded.

However, 6011 can run a little lower on amps so 3/32" material is still ok with 1/8" rod in my opinion.

I've repaired thin sheet on a cattle trailer with 3/32" 6011 by using an overlapping tacking method at about 65 amps.

With this method it's pretty slow, but it works. Just light up, wait for the tack to fill out, lift to break arc, repeat...

It's pretty similar to the normal whip-and-pause motion, but this way you actually break the arc instead of just whipping out and back.

Here's a good video by Jody on 6011: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAWSDfv0eHw

I love good ROTs! Thank you for the helpful guidelines! I've historically had problems sticking my rods at lower amps. But I think I just need to practice. I never even had a auto-darkening helmet (again NOOB) that worked the way I'd like to help me see the puddle and arc with the right clarity to help me practice. I've got a new one now and I have high hopes for it.

I hope to be actively practicing early next week! I'll keep all this in mind. BTW that is a GREAT video and one of the reasons I stumbled into the forum. Jody's work came recommended from a couple of different friends that I trust. I can see why!

[Hoopy Frood]

If your careful you can bump down the amps and kind of tack/ weld thinner material with 1/8 rod.

I think you're getting at what MinnesotaDave was saying above. I've been collecting as much viable scrap as I can for this practice. And practice I will!

Thank you!\

And wish me luck

[TraditionalToolworks]

A good rule of thumb is never use a rod that's thicker than the metal to be welded.

Just to point out that you can get 1/16" E6011 electrodes to give that much more flexibility.

I will add a disclaimer to this. On this website it shows a pic from the manufacturer that says "Made in USA", but the product shipped is "Made in China". I provided them that feedback, they kinda chuckled and said they would notify the manufacturer. I really didn't understand that, can't they take a picture of the product and update the page themselves?

Anyway, doesn't hurt to have some of these rods on hand, you just never know when they may come in handy. This website also sucks a hard boil egg with Firefox, but they did ship the product. We don't have RuralKing out west.

https://www.ruralking.com/hobart-6011-w ... 112216-r01

As a bonus they also have some 1/16" 7018 electrodes. Same deal, Hencho en China....

https://www.ruralking.com/hobart-stick- ... 119916-r01

Anyway, I don't have too much to add to this conversation other than smaller electrodes are capable of welding thinner steel!

Alan

[TraditionalToolworks]

A good rule of thumb is never use a rod that's thicker than the metal to be welded.

Just to point out that you can get 1/16" E6011 electrodes to give that much more flexibility.

I will add a disclaimer to this. On this website it shows a pic from the manufacturer that says "Made in USA", but the product shipped is "Made in China". I provided them that feedback, they kinda chuckled and said they would notify the manufacturer. I really didn't understand that, can't they take a picture of the product and update the page themselves?

Anyway, doesn't hurt to have some of these rods on hand, you just never know when they may come in handy. This website also sucks a hard boil egg with Firefox, but they did ship the product. We don't have RuralKing out west.

https://www.ruralking.com/hobart-6011-w ... 112216-r01

As a bonus they also have some 1/16" 7018 electrodes. Same deal, Hencho en China....

https://www.ruralking.com/hobart-stick- ... 119916-r01

Anyway, I don't have too much to add to this conversation other than smaller electrodes are capable of welding thinner steel!

Alan

[Poland308]

I always have a little 3/32 mixed in with my 1/8 6010.

[Stato]

Have you tired reversing polarity, i hear that is good if you have thin material.