Welding Tips and Tricks

MinnesotaDave wrote:

olek wrote:
Dave suggest a high ampere range, is it to make a specific welding technique where the welder moves fast ( I suppose any experienced welder will finally work fast) ?

May be also, once mastering the slow motion , it may be less tiring to speed up ( seem to me that the stress may help to concentrate more , so one stay more relax just to master better the puddle )

What do you think ?

I don't recall saying anything about higher amps for moving faster - but maybe I'm remembering wrong.

I like higher amps so the puddle wets out easier.

Running too cold makes it much harder than it has to be - as a side benefit, it does go a little faster though.

If I want speed I'll increase the rod size and amperage so that I lay down more metal.

I do like to run higher amps specifically for speed on TIG however

How is it faster with less amp ? I understand that faster cooking means faster moving

You say the puddle wets faster., OK but does it enlarge too ?

I think you said you run 125 135 A at least for 1/8 rod 7018.

In the end it may relate mostly to the steel thickness or quality is not it ? I mostly weld on 1/4 ' steel rarely thicker. What level of amp would you use then ?

A friend of mine say 20A for one mm . For instance. The speed of the cooling relates to metal thickness is not it ?

olek wrote: I think you said you run 125 135 A at least for 1/8 rod 7018.

In the end it may relate mostly to the steel thickness or quality is not it ? I mostly weld on 1/4 ' steel rarely thicker. What level of amp would you use then ?

A friend of mine say 20A for one mm . For instance. The speed of the cooling relates to metal thickness is not it ?

With an 1/8" 7018 I commonly run 125-135 amps.

Less than 125 amps I don't like because the puddle is too cold and doesn't wet out the toes (edges) as easily.

Each rod has a range that they weld best in. For me, I take the recommended ranges and stay in the upper half.

If I need fewer amps, I drop down a rod size to 3/32" 7018 and run those 80-100 amps depending on what I need.

One overall general rule: don't use a rod thicker than your metal.

That's it, no need to make it complicated.

I'm with Dave. Drop down to 3/32 rods. Run about 75-95 amps depending on position. You will end up with a lot more control.

I see . I used 150 160A on the block I did 1F ( with the electrodes the size above 1/8)
Sure went well. But I had much spatter (as soon the base metal get hot may be ).

I noticed how the arc was lively and it was easy to obtain the puddle.

Do you think spatter can relate to the block getting too hot ?
I lowered about 10A less and reduced them but not totally

Hello

What is the most probable cause of that slag?
1/8 esab 48.00 about 115A


I noticed that I need to speed somehow when passed the middle but here I did not.
I made small Z keeping the puddle shape and size

It happened also when welding flatter

https://goo.gl/photos/5hnKdDunfgrE9jW36

Slag very thin. I thought not enough angle or too slow (the puddle slips), Are the edges too cold?


Thank you

My welder runs with 220v and haves high Uo at 108v

May be it is why 125A seem to be too hot. (much spatter, tempest on the puddle)

Indeed I finished with smaller electrodes at 98A running fast and it was easier

Also, I wonder if, when you need to put beads along each other.

Do you need to see the edge of the precedent bead (*or/and feel the angle of the toe.?

Or can a seasoned welder make a straight bead just by feeling the straight line in its muscular memory?

I ask that because when I focus on the puddle, if I have a visual repere it is OK (edge of the metal, edge of a bead)
But sometime I only can see the puddle so it is as making a straight-line with eyes closed.

Is it worth training to learn the straight-line without looking?

The straight line stuff seems to come with time, as does how you see the work piece. Learning to focus on the pool and control it is important, but once it becomes a foregone conclusion other things come into focus.

Then you start seeing the joint, the slag, a corner or turn coming up, etc. and after a while you can see the whole picture. Practically speaking, that is where finding a setting for a given electrode becomes important. Then you can sort of sit back and look at the whole piece from 10,000 ft. view. The pool is stable, you have the pace down and you can see the forest And the trees.

PeteM wrote:The straight line stuff seems to come with time, as does how you see the work piece. Learning to focus on the pool and control it is important, but once it becomes a foregone conclusion other things come into focus.

Then you start seeing the joint, the slag, a corner or turn coming up, etc. and after a while you can see the whole picture. Practically speaking, that is where finding a setting for a given electrode becomes important. Then you can sort of sit back and look at the whole piece from 10,000 ft. view. The pool is stable, you have the pace down and you can see the forest And the trees.

That is encouraging Thanks

what mean "a corner or turn coming up ?" the future path of the bead around square tubing for instance ?

out of pushing the puddle so it weld the edges of the bead (that is where I did not see some undercut happening as in the precedent post , I remind looking at the pool at all times, stopping at a distance from the top of the block and not seeing the problem. )
This can be solved changing one of the parameters, but a perfect amp setting may certainly help.

I hope I can gain some distance viewing, as I see about nothing at the right of the rod and not really always the "dark to clear line" that I was said allow a survey of the pool while focusing on less light.

I did see on videos that the back of the heated zone can show a moving straight line when going from clear to dark and I tried to use that as a guide, but a specific level of heating and the good darkening are mandatory.
is it a "method" used ?

The puddle once sized do not seem to change much if heat regulation is good, so I may be able to train to look at those darker elements. is it a way to go ? (keeping an eye on the puddle of course)

Or just trying to look with a distance once I am confident of the puddle.
I will buy a less dark screen , (the actual is numb.11 but not recent )I suppose there are different qualities for those fixed darkening glasses, may I have advantage to buy them from 3M for instance ?

Regards

it happened also when welding flatter

https://goo.gl/photos/5hnKdDunfgrE9jW36

Slag very thin. I thought not enough angle or too slow (the puddle slips), Are the edges too cold ? (possible when the z motion is too fast)

if I lower the amps it gives a better "normal" slag . is the slag on the edge of burning there ?

olek wrote: I will buy a less dark screen , (the actual is numb.11 but not recent )I suppose there are different qualities for those fixed darkening glasses, may I have advantage to buy them from 3M for instance ?

Regards

That is a good idea. 3M makes good products. A #10 shade is typical for most welding parameters. 11 gives me some problems.

Its also a good idea to have a piece of suede or other type of coverage on the back of the hood to block ambient light from entering. This will reflect off of the lens and reduce your visibility (to virtually zero).

For what its worth, those welds seem to be coming along just fine.

PeteM wrote:

olek wrote: I will buy a less dark screen , (the actual is numb.11 but not recent )I suppose there are different qualities for those fixed darkening glasses, may I have advantage to buy them from 3M for instance ?

Regards

That is a good idea. 3M makes good products. A #10 shade is typical for most welding parameters. 11 gives me some problems.

Its also a good idea to have a piece of suede or other type of coverage on the back of the hood to block ambient light from entering. This will reflect off of the lens and reduce your visibility (to virtually zero).

For what its worth, those welds seem to be coming along just fine.

Hello, yes good idea to add a light cloth. Indeed light coming from the back is a big hassle. BTW ' I did use very often a strong light 500w on my left.
But when natural light Is available I try to avoid the 500w.
Is it a good idea to train to use' only', the light from the arc (which can be really small when I touch the puddle or drag)

Hopefully my fixed darkness hood 3M have filtered air intake this makes it much closed, a bit heavy but only with the lcd hood I have those light réflexions.

Happy to read that 11 is too dark for you, as it is the same for me.

Yes progress.. I did make a 3F with 6013 on an old support full of slag due to bad work done some time ago.
and repair on cast iron 'open root :, using inox electrode esab 308 on the iron Very happy I did get good full penetration with not too large keyhole,and re cap correctly that pipe made of grey cast-iron. (with my first jobs on that one despite small beads I did hear some crack sounds and when I tried the 308 I had also a hot crack the first time.)

Today all went well. Hammered with the slag hammer not too strong but immediately. Those electrodes are really easy to work with. Better than the NiFe electrodes.

BTW I will V shape grey iron with the plasma cutter, the disk grinder and also milling carbure tools, and try to check with a reactive to see if the HAZ is smaller with plasma than with carbide disks.

Regards

https://goo.gl/photos/kk56g2K7wqFVWT8g8

Is that 3h acceptable? 3vpasses, different beads for the last, stringer beads and descending from the top pics.

Are the stringer beads supposed to have no drops (or almost?)
Less or more amperage than when waving up ("I'm not happy of my stringer up l

When you have slag inclusions as I did have in the upper section , is it possible to burn them descending with a thick electrode. or more chances going up? Or grinding only solution?
I have seen a problem welder using big 7016 electrodes in 2h position (to weld new wear pieces on a rock breaking machine), and he did make 3 beads (4mm), on each joint, leaving the slag.

I did do so on the block with some 6013, and the slag seem to be burned correctly.

SS stick rods do not like to be whipped or weaved. That's why your getting a lot of entrapped slag.

Poland308 wrote:SS stick rods do not like to be whipped or weaved. That's why your getting a lot of entrapped slag.

Thank you. I will keep that in mind. But today I used 6013 for the 3F (not H sorry
I think there is always much slag with those rods, plus I had some yet entrapped on the support, I did grind but left some slag, hoping to burn it, obviously it did not work so well.

Until now I only used SS rods on grey cast iron. With beads asking as 1/2 inch at the max, I did not notice slag problems then.

You can burn some slag obviously, more easily with 6010 or 7018 than 6013, but I do not grasp the best process to do so out of the flat position where melted slag raise and do not interfere with the new weld eventually ("assuming enough heat can be used)
Regards

Kinda late to this thread, but here's my 2 cents worth.
A lot of the welding I've done I cant see squat after the hood goes down. just gotta take a look and go.
When you need to turn on your bedlamp at night, you dont have to paw around, after a while your hand goes right to the switch, same with the alarm clock. After a while of welding, you get to where you see where your hand needs to go, and you just do it.
Or you screw up and grind off the bead you ran off into left field and do it again. Such is life.
Maybe the cost of becoming a good welder can be measured in grinding disks...

Poleframer wrote:Kinda late to this thread, but here's my 2 cents worth.
A lot of the welding I've done I cant see squat after the hood goes down. just gotta take a look and go.
When you need to turn on your bedlamp at night, you dont have to paw around, after a while your hand goes right to the switch, same with the alarm clock. After a while of welding, you get to where you see where your hand needs to go, and you just do it.
Or you screw up and grind off the bead you ran off into left field and do it again. Such is life.
Maybe the cost of becoming a good welder can be measured in grinding disks...

Hello, there is no delay to answer, when one add a point of view or an information

When I train to go with straight beads from left to right, I think I stay in line for 2", then I tend to go there of there depending of the angles used (that is, when welding standing and with one hand, it is going better with 2 hands)

I am considering making a systematic restart at 2". That may give me the opportunity for another 2" eyeballing (and work restarts).

Good idea? When I confidently go straight Left right, thinking I am doing well just with muscular memory, results can be surprising and frustrating (I begin to be good at correcting the lining b y adding new small beads )

Regards

Help for training with stringer beads vertical up 3F

I did try for 2 hours, without great results
I have no big problems with manipulations, but making small weave or no weave I had trouble, difficult to see the puddle, only the upper part and nothing under the electrode

After different tests I seem to like to use a 95 degree angle and to "push" the electrode in the metal, almost as doing "automatic manual"
78 to 86A with 7018 3/32"
No slag problems and no undercut, but the beads make drops without me noticing

My impression is that you may have always perfect beads to use as guides, as soon as the precedent bead is uneven in height, or wave, it makes a lot of trouble to me

DO you have a few tricks or a basic method to work stringer beads ? May I train again on a flat piece of steel before switching to angled block ?
Or use a slightly stronger angle so to see more of the puddle?

See the last pic https://photos.app.goo.gl/doTHrkeA1PqWMAcL2

Thanks

The drops are just extra slag dripping off. You have to learn how to see past them on vertical up.

Poland308 wrote:The drops are just extra slag dripping off. You have to learn how to see past them on vertical up.

Looking a little from the side ? (I may see "normal" slag drips, or can the amount of metal be seen from the puddle?)

I tried a lot to fix the drops while doing the next bead, they can be melt somehow, but then I need to consider where the extra metal is going and add less where there is yet enough,

is it Ok to "flatten" a precedent bead that way ? (enlarging the arc on a drop,then going a little faster on its top to avoid adding more - more where there are misses, more heat on drops)
,
ALso, do I have less slag with 80° than with 85 (less thick slag as with flat beads ?)

Vertical up takes lots of practice with 7018. There's no method to use to make it drip less, or to get it to look like like it does when your welding flat. You just have to practice with all those variables. Try to be consistent and do everything the same for 1 whole day. Then the next day change the way you do just 1 thing, practice for the day, and then the next day change 1 more thing.

Poland308 wrote:Vertical up takes lots of practice with 7018. There's no method to use to make it drip less, or to get it to look like like it does when your welding flat. You just have to practice with all those variables. Try to be consistent and do everything the same for 1 whole day. Then the next day change the way you do just 1 thing, practice for the day, and then the next day change 1 more thing.

Thank you Josh for the answer and method

DO you remind how you look at the puddle then (trying to be level or a little on the side to see under, for instance ) ?

I can see a puddle in drop shape, I can try to keep it consistent, but it is a very small puddle.

No doubt it takes a lot of practice a new challenge. I was relatively doing well vertical up with 6013 on flat steel (may be the thick slag help to maintain the puddle ) and with 7018 weaving, it does not drip so much, so I was surprised of my results I will first make a plate vertical up , the cooling is better but it may help to focus on parameters

Really I need a 9.5 or 10 hood

I switched to the lcd after the first passes as I really did not see well enough with the n11 screen. No puddle or if I see it well it is too hot

Better results today with an inverted smile.

Not perfect but I did see Mr president Trump, Mr macron and all those military lining, it may have influenced me

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wa9Hyh6pT4GGuiwi1

And finally Stringer beads.

They are not perfect indeed but I could evaluate the puddle.

Interesting feeling to feel on the edge of mastering the motion and temp. I did begin too cold at 100, but raised to 110 then115 and it is so much easier with enough amps it was a good lesson

The steel is thin at 4.5mm (3/16 ') blowed a hole at 100A, but this is soft steel.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fMgFkLCFAADWJRp63

I think that may be what created drops is working with too low amp and shortening the arc but not always so much.
I feel it create a huge contrast between too cold and good heat, and the metal flows suddenly more. (?)

When the precedent surface is not flat enough sometimes the arc is s really on the puddle (I try to melt the bumps, any method for such correction welcome)

I am not sure of the moment /size of arc where the arc force/dig function begin.
But at 115A the arc is strong but quiet enough, no need felt to shorten it more.

(the feel of that arc was also a good lesson learned, in the end it is good to work each day.)

Is it possible for instance, while using 100 amps and a very short arc (too short, the tone is as muffled), that one will work all the time at 100A + dig value ? or when dragging the rod in the puddle, the dig function must be on .(?)
I. e 30amp if 30% dig provide that amount.

Hello

today I tried 3F with 6013, working weaving, smiles and triangles.

I was surprised to burn the slag and have some inserted in the beads.

while with 7018 ascending,I did well with 115A, with the 6013 90A was still hot for the slag, difficult to get it out. 100A was hot for the metal

I wonder if this was not due to an angle about 90deg, may be less, while (I did not realise at the moment so I did not try stronger angle) I think 6013 ask for a stronger angle , as 80 degree.

I understand that those rods where developped for fast welding of sheet metal, so possibly 110A could work assuming one speed up enough. ?

any hint ?
Also, when doing christmas tree motion,(or triangle) are we raising each line, or is the top higher than one side (this can help by cooling, but the slag seem to be entrapped that way
each rod type is different ...
thanks

I run 1/8" (3.2mm) 6013, 7014 and 7018 all about the same amperage for vertical up. 120-125 amps.

About 90 degree angle to the base. Pointing up increases the chance of undercut.

Some 6013 brands have a thinner flux coating, I reduce amps as needed for those.

MinnesotaDave wrote:I run 1/8" (3.2mm) 6013, 7014 and 7018 all about the same amperage for vertical up. 120-125 amps.

About 90 degree angle to the base. Pointing up increases the chance of undercut.

Some 6013 brands have a thinner flux coating, I reduce amps as needed for those.

thank you, but do you reduce a little amps for vertical up ? The last person told me to use 2/3 of the amps used for welding flat

I think it is possible that I did go too slow , or that the dig function was causing trouble (at 30%)

I did regulate dig to zero. Very comfortable, I think I begin to see what it does to the arc )



I think thecoating is not thin (lincoln 46). a good surprise the day before , to feel at ease with the strong arc beginning at 115A, so I tried to get the same feeling with 6013.

The solution while keeping that strong tense arc seem to use a maipulation that allows some cooling, is not it?


someone told me to use "smile" to mount a bead with 6013 (in a corner) but to use an inverted smile with 7018, I believe that one cools the weld on the sides, the other in the upper round portion of the inverted smile?)

Does it ring something to you ? Also it is often on 3/8 thick plates assembly, is not it an obligation to use less than 120 a then?) I could see the deformed surface if the beads and I am pretty sure I was burning everything.

I was also explained to make a triangle for the first pass, a stop in the bottom of the angle then a left right wave.

smiles or z with stops right left only since the second pass

correct ?

PS source of uneven zones : correction of the angle on the run as I tend to point up when raising and realize, and correct...

What do you think?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7Zbq3h9l0W5srxyJ2

Christmas tree move. On thin metal.

I stopped 1/8 soon and took 3/32.
6013. 86A (too fluid) then 75A (OK but I had to enlarge up at some point, so I tried 70A and a little slowly

Is it possible that the slag is not cooked enough so it doesn't not go easily? This is really a poor quality steel.