[ttreb4]

I have been practicing with some 3/32 7018 on 1/4 steel plate. I started out at 80 amps and my last bead was at 87 amps. I still think I can go a little hotter maybe bump to 90 amps. I really would like to get the slag to peel off. I have a thermal Arc 181i. Any suggestions? I know I need to learn to run a straight bead.

[Poland308]

Try 78 amps and turn your dig down to about 3 if you have a dig setting. Don't whip and pause just try to run a steady pull with very little side to side motion.

[ttreb4]

Try 78 amps and turn your dig down to about 3 if you have a dig setting. Don't whip and pause just try to run a steady pull with very little side to side motion.

Thanks I'll give that a try.

[Boomer63]

Don't be afraid to turn the machine up if you need to. If I were teaching you, I would have you stay away from whip and pause at this point. Do what Poland suggested, and use a steady drag with some slight side to side 'weave'. If you are 'weaving' pause on each of the toes to allow the weld to completely penetrate. Make really, really sure that your angles are correct: your work angle should be 90 degrees, and travel angle from 5 to 20 degrees. Keep your arc length short, short, short. If you are getting a lot of spatter, your arc length is too long.

Keep us posted on your progress.
Gary

[ttreb4]

Don't be afraid to turn the machine up if you need to. If I were teaching you, I would have you stay away from whip and pause at this point. Do what Poland suggested, and use a steady drag with some slight side to side 'weave'. If you are 'weaving' pause on each of the toes to allow the weld to completely penetrate. Make really, really sure that your angles are correct: your work angle should be 90 degrees, and travel angle from 5 to 20 degrees. Keep your arc length short, short, short. If you are getting a lot of spatter, your arc length is too long.

Keep us posted on your progress.
Gary

Here is an updated photo. 78 seemed too cold since it was crowning too much. I ended up at 80 amps. I am not whipping but try to just do a steady drag.

[Poland308]

Looking better. Even beads will come with time. Every welder you use will feels bit different. But it looks like your right about needing to go a bit hotter. Try running 3 or 4 passes at a set amperage and then bump it up 2 or 3 amps. Keep pushing it till it starts to feel out of control. Or until adverse affects like undercut or other things from being to hot show up. That will give you lots of practice and help you to see what happens when you get out of range. It's often been said by others that the numbers on the dial or on the readout are not always spot on. The practice with small incremental changes will help you learn how to set the welder based on how it is actually welding or how the material your welding on is responding. This is a skill that will transfer over to all forms of welding.

[ttreb4]

Looking better. Even beads will come with time. Every welder you use will feels bit different. But it looks like your right about needing to go a bit hotter. Try running 3 or 4 passes at a set amperage and then bump it up 2 or 3 amps. Keep pushing it till it starts to feel out of control. Or until adverse affects like undercut or other things from being to hot show up. That will give you lots of practice and help you to see what happens when you get out of range. It's often been said by others that the numbers on the dial or on the readout are not always spot on. The practice with small incremental changes will help you learn how to set the welder based on how it is actually welding or how the material your welding on is responding. This is a skill that will transfer over to all forms of welding.

Thanks for the help. I will give it a try and see if i can learn to read the weld.

[Jimmyjohn]

I'm not a pro when it comes to stick welding but in my experience theres many more variables than amperage ( angle, arc length, travel speed). I think get the numbers pretty close and burn some rod. say 120 for 7018 1/8 and you can have different results with the same amperage especially when padding beads on one plate. once that piece heats up its just like you turned up the amperage a bit.

[Drunken Moose]

Running a nice straight bead will help that slag peel right off on it's own. When I first started, I couldn't run a straight bead if my life depended on it. It was a matter of adjusting a few things. The way I was standing in relation to the plate (try moving your body). Sometimes turning the plate a bit will help. Lay down your first bead as close to the top edge as you can and get that one straight, then it will give you a reference for laying beads on top. Padding will help you get steady. As well, a steady travel speed with slight drag. Sometimes using the edge of the table against your arm that is holding your hand with the stinger to keep steady will help keep straight. These things of course don't happen in real life, but will help get that muscle memory.

I have found my settings varied with different machines. I was using a syncrowave 250 and had it set at about 80 - 85 amps with 3/32 7018. On another machine I was at 77-80. I got some crappy rods (damn things weren't even sealed and were brand new) and had to crank my machine up to 90 just to get them lit and running. A good indication as well, if you are sticking lots you need to up your amps a little. Couple at a time till it runs smooth.

I'm still relatively green, but hope some of my experience helps! Just keep at it . . . and don't keep doing the same thing expecting different results . . . experiment a little bit and pay attention to what's going on while you do.

[Ryan_82]

Not much to add to what others have already posted but a little side to side goes a long way with any iron powdered rod (which 7018 is) in getting it to lay flat. Drag in the flat and overhead positions, push vertical, and stack horizontal. It'll get straighter in time but try doing a little side to side, not really a whip, but just a steady motion that should lay down that metal and might even help you stay straighter (oscillation can help an unsteady hand).

[ttreb4]

I thought I would update more practice shots. I was 90 amps 3/32 7018. The weld looked good but the slag was really hard to remove. I'm not sure why the slag was so hard to remove. I thought it was a sign that my weld is still too cold. I really tried to keep a short ARC and move side to side.

[Poland308]

Rebar is typically a low-grade of steel all the extra impurities can make it harder to chip off the slag.

[cj737]

It's my experience if the slag is tough to remove, your arc is too long. Trying to keep a tight arc and doing so are two different things. Rub the base metal gently and you'll be sure to have a tight enough arc.

[bruce991]

I hadn't stick welded in years until lately and this was my second string with 7018 1/8 inch rod don't recall amps but I believe 125 I was satisfied with this run. I really need to practice vertical.