Ok i hope the pics post. The pics should make all of you that even a bit more skill than I grateful for those skills. Holy crow stick is more difficult than i had hoped! Watched tons of videos and read quite a bit about welding believing it would miraculously allow me to weld BIG LOL The pad looks like someone continually pumped mu elbow, no one to blame but me alas . I have an inexpensive Klutch ST80i inverter welder. AC amps go up to between 75 and 90 the owners npmanual says, but the knob goes up to 75 A. I kept getting the e6011 stuck no matter what voltage i used somehow a stick caught on fire as it was stuck and before i removed it from the electrode . Ok no point in reiterating i have no skill, but does this little stick welder have enough available heat/amps to run beads on a 3/16" flat mild steel?
I've never welded with those rods, guess there not uses in construction much. I don't even know where to start! by the looks of the welds it seems like you tried something different on each pass. if I were you id look at jodys videos, he has a bunch of ac stuff. and focus on one rod at a time. get good at one rod then move to another. keep practicing and it will all come together!
cameronccc wrote:I've never welded with those rods, guess there not uses in construction much. I don't even know where to start! by the looks of the welds it seems like you tried something different on each pass. if I were you id look at jodys videos, he has a bunch of ac stuff. and focus on one rod at a time. get good at one rod then move to another. keep practicing and it will all come together!
Hey i appreciate the encouragement. To tell the truth i wasn't trying anything different! I was just trying to get the stick unstuck and to try and hold a tight arc. I have watched jodys videos and bought the vids too, i have read and watched so much my head is tired! After i bought the 6013 and noted in several of jodys vids he mentioned he did not care for or use much 6013 so i thought i'd try the 6011. Me thinks it's the technique not the rod choice! I'm keeping that plate ad a door stop LOL.
Hvacr,
The 2 rods that you're using require opposite polarity to run them on a DC inverter. The 6011 runs reverse polarity (electrode positive) and the 6013 straight polarity (electrode negative) and if you have the electrode holder in the positive port it should do fine for the 6011 but will need switched to the negative port for 6013.
These rods will both run on AC just fine because there's no polarity to contend with but your machine is a DC output machine. They will also run a 7018 rod but I think you'll find that they stick even more.
Good news is if you want to learn to Tig weld, you can use that same welder to scratch start Tig weld. That might be a little advanced for now though.
Braehill wrote:Hvacr,
The 2 rods that you're using require opposite polarity to run them on a DC inverter. The 6011 runs reverse polarity (electrode positive) and the 6013 straight polarity (electrode negative) and if you have the electrode holder in the positive port it should do fine for the 6011 but will need switched to the negative port for 6013.
These rods will both run on AC just fine because there's no polarity to contend with but your machine is a DC output machine. They will also run a 7018 rod but I think you'll find that they stick even more.
Good news is if you want to learn to Tig weld, you can use that same welder to scratch start Tig weld. That might be a little advanced for now though.
Len
Crickey, the freaking owners manual did not mention this or my brain is too polluted with information i can't tell fact from fiction. So glad you stopped by this post! Do u think the amp output of this machine is ok to run beads on mild steel plate, i'm wondering if this machine is built for sheetmetal welding primarily even though the idiot sheet that came with it said it would stick weld 3/16" mild steel. U r right tig is out for now. I'll stick (pun intended) with stick until I get it right. It looks so easy in the vids, lol
Hvacr,
I would think that you can weld 3/16" without too much trouble using a 3/32" rod or smaller, if your not welding parts for the space shuttle or building a trailer to haul a backhoe. It's been a very long time since I've welded anything with either of those two rods and then I ran them on AC so I not firmiliar with a good amp setting for you. I would guess that if you turned it to max and worked down until you find a sweet spot you'll do fine.
6013 rod should start and run a tight arc pretty well once you get it on the right polarity. I've welded a little with it on DC and it welds ok.
There's a lot of better stick welders on here than me and hopefully they will chime in.
Most 6013 rod will run on AC, DCEP, or DCEN. I don't think your problems are related to polarity at all. I think your issue is arc length, rod angle and travel speed. stick with the 6013's for now and run them on DCEP. Also, remember that 6013 is essentially a drag rod. You should be lightly dragging the flux on the plate. from there is it all a matter of rod angle and speed of progression. put a 15-20 degree drag angle on the rod and drag it slowly.
Louie1961 wrote:Most 6013 rod will run on AC, DCEP, or DCEN. I don't think your problems are related to polarity at all. I think your issue is arc length, rod angle and travel speed. stick with the 6013's for now and run them on DCEP. Also, remember that 6013 is essentially a drag rod. You should be lightly dragging the flux on the plate. from there is it all a matter of rod angle and speed of progression. put a 15-20 degree drag angle on the rod and drag it slowly.
Louie1961,
Thanks for the advice, i try to think of CLAMS while practicing. I will stick with the 6013 for now then and put that angle on the rod and try and drag. I was shocked at how quick the rod shortens. Maybe i should invest in stocks for 6013 rod, i have a feeling i am going to burn through countless pounds while practicing. Thanks again.
It appears to be, no DC indicator, button or dial on the front. The idiot sheet manual does not mention DC. I think i will pick up a used 240 volt single phase used Craftsman 230 amp stick welder (AC only) welder this weekend i saw on Craigslist here locally for a reasonable price.
Does it matter? He's running 6013...they pretty much run the same on AC or DC. While what he has is not the best machine, I think it has enough amps to push that 013 rod he is using. His issue has got to be technique.
Louie1961 wrote:Does it matter? He's running 6013...they pretty much run the same on AC or DC. While what he has is not the best machine, I think it has enough amps to push that 013 rod he is using. His issue has got to be technique.
Louie1961,
I switched the leads on the chinese inverter and it helped. I posted the pics in this thread for a couple a reasons, i want to post future pics to show improvement and as i improve critiques. I am teaching myself with vids and books. Not planning to weld for employment, nor take any of the welding we occasionally sub contract at work. Anything vital i much prefer to leave to a pro.
I find welding fascinating. So far even though i really suck at welding i am enjoying the whole process. This weekend i went out and bought an old Craftsman Dual Range stick welder, 240 volt. I ran the 50 amp circuit yesterday and tried a few sticks last night. The result was better. The Craftsman is AC only, as i imorove i hope to get a US made AC/DC model. Thanks for your input!
Aside of the polarity issues,
Just briefly glancing at the pics, it seems that you are rushing the puddle along(travelling too fast for the machine setting). Get your puddle started and travel along only as quickly as the puddle builds behind the rod. Try to maintain the same size puddle as you go....this requires watching the puddle build and advancing your travel speed along the joint dependent on how the puddle is building...the rod tends to burn off quicker as it gets shorter so your hands have to adjust as your eyes see what the puddle is doing. ie. a 3/16" fillet weld will have a much higher travel speed than a 5/16" fillet weld without changing the machine setting.
Oh BTW, Practice....practice...practice (all welding teachers preach this, but your hands need the muscle memory so they can react to the changing needs of the puddle.)
John Wright AWS Certified Welding Inspector
NDT Level II UT, VT, MT and PT
NACE CIP Level I Coating Inspector
One more thing, be careful when terminating your arc. Snapping out too quickly leaves that cluster of porosity and the deep crater, both of which can be a problem if you are on a welding job for a customer or of someone's life depends on the weld. When you need to stop, carry a slightly longer arc for a split second and then back into the puddle to fill the crater and then stop the arc. Be careful not to carry too long of an arc because that will also draw in atmosphere and create porosity. The molten puddle needs the gas coverage created by the flux burning off of the rod to keep the atmosphere away until the puddle cools off and solidifies.
John Wright AWS Certified Welding Inspector
NDT Level II UT, VT, MT and PT
NACE CIP Level I Coating Inspector
jwright650 wrote:One more thing, be careful when terminating your arc. Snapping out too quickly leaves that cluster of porosity and the deep crater, both of which can be a problem if you are on a welding job for a customer or of someone's life depends on the weld. When you need to stop, carry a slightly longer arc for a split second and then back into the puddle to fill the crater and then stop the arc. Be careful not to carry too long of an arc because that will also draw in atmosphere and create porosity. The molten puddle needs the gas coverage created by the flux burning off of the rod to keep the atmosphere away until the puddle cools off and solidifies.
Jwright650'
Thanks so much for the input. That will be very helpful. I started this welding journey so i could do a few things at home, on my small trailer and to weld a frame for a hoist to lift pellets from the basement to the first floor, and to weld a plate for a winch......however i now know how far i am from those goals . I've a lot to learn and tons of practice to do before i will ever trust a weld that i do. At the beginning it looked so easy on the vids and in the books. I thought if i got enough books and studied enough vids i could accomplish my goals in short order........as if by osmosis i would become a decent welder quickly. One of my favorite saying is: plan anything you want just don't think you are guaranteed the outcome". Now i have contracted something akin to an obsession to welding. Can't wait for the point in time where i can purchase a welder that benefits a good developed technique. Thanks again. I have read several of your other posts and they are quite informative and helpful.
jwright650 wrote:One more thing, be careful when terminating your arc. Snapping out too quickly leaves that cluster of porosity and the deep crater, both of which can be a problem if you are on a welding job for a customer or of someone's life depends on the weld. When you need to stop, carry a slightly longer arc for a split second and then back into the puddle to fill the crater and then stop the arc. Be careful not to carry too long of an arc because that will also draw in atmosphere and create porosity. The molten puddle needs the gas coverage created by the flux burning off of the rod to keep the atmosphere away until the puddle cools off and solidifies.
Jwright650'
Thanks so much for the input. That will be very helpful. I started this welding journey so i could do a few things at home, on my small trailer and to weld a frame for a hoist to lift pellets from the basement to the first floor, and to weld a plate for a winch......however i now know how far i am from those goals . I've a lot to learn and tons of practice to do before i will ever trust a weld that i do. At the beginning it looked so easy on the vids and in the books. I thought if i got enough books and studied enough vids i could accomplish my goals in short order........as if by osmosis i would become a decent welder quickly. One of my favorite saying is: plan anything you want just don't think you are guaranteed the outcome". Now i have contracted something akin to an obsession to welding. Can't wait for the point in time where i can purchase a welder that benefits a good developed technique. Thanks again. I have read several of your other posts and they are quite informative and helpful.
Glad to help where I can. Enjoy your new obsession of melting things together, trust me, I know how addictive it is.
In the field of welding and joining materials, there is so much to learn....I'm not sure that one person could possibly know all there is to know. I come here to learn too because I have a narrow scope of knowledge due to being stuck in a structural steel fab shop for 30 years seeing the same ole, same ole, day in and day out. Enjoy your journey.
John Wright AWS Certified Welding Inspector
NDT Level II UT, VT, MT and PT
NACE CIP Level I Coating Inspector
grafted wrote:i have that welder, get you some 7018 3/32 and you will be ok. Turn it all thee way up.
Tom
Tom, thanks, i picked up a box at Arecet (local welding supply house) and promptly put them back after thinking, one type rod at a time, one type rod at a time. Now you've given me a good excuse to get em and try them out. Thanks!
The pad looks like someone continually pumped mu elbow, no one to blame but me alas 
. I have an inexpensive Klutch ST80i inverter welder. AC amps go up to between 75 and 90 the owners npmanual says, but the knob goes up to 75 A. I kept getting the e6011 stuck no matter what voltage i used somehow a stick caught on fire as it was stuck and before i removed it from the electrode 
. I've a lot to learn and tons of practice to do before i will ever trust a weld that i do. At the beginning it looked so easy on the vids and in the books. I thought if i got enough books and studied enough vids i could accomplish my goals in short order........as if by osmosis i would become a decent welder quickly. One of my favorite saying is: plan anything you want just don't think you are guaranteed the outcome". Now i have contracted something akin to an obsession to welding. Can't wait for the point in time where i can purchase a welder that benefits a good developed technique. Thanks again. I have read several of your other posts and they are quite informative and helpful.
