Welding Tips and Tricks

So I finally have a proper stick welder.

I'm having issues just touching the rod to the piece. Basically it wants to stick. In the past when I just rigged a TIG welder I just long arc briefly and it worked, but is this really the way to do it? Also restarting a rod seems to be a little tricky. Merely touching doesn't always work, sometimes I have to actually scratch the surface first. Is that how it's done?

To start a Stick, you "lightly scratch" the rod along the surface. This requires a LOT of practice to develop the right "touch". A trick you can use, is to touch the side of the rod along the edge end of the practice material, then drag the rod along that edge until the end of the rod where the exposed filler is just makes contact and initiates the arc.

Long arcing shouldn't be required. You might also be a touch low on your amperage. Despite what the package says, ever machine welds slightly differently. I use 93 amps for 3/32 7018 which by the box, is quite hot. Its how my machine likes to burn that rod.

For restarts, before you scratch, look at the end of the rod. There is likely to be a coating of flux on it preventing the rod from restarting. Tricks are: as you finish the prior weld, pinch the flux off the rod with your gloved hands. Use a spare file/rasp to scratch the end of the rod to remove the flux. "Peck" the rod at the material which can cause the flux on the end to chip free.

jody has heaps of video's on this.
basically you want to scratch the rod like lighting a match. do this where your going to weld so the weld will hide the arc marks. after the strike your probably going to be long arcing a bit, which is ok. just keep it long, bring it back to where you want to start welding and then drop it down to a tight arc.

if you have trouble holding it steady, use your other hand to hold the tip of the rod.

some rods will melt over the tip of the rod and need scrapping or hitting on concrete, a brick or a file to clear it off. others will burn back into the flux a fair way which needs to be filed down or knocked off to get at the tip of the rod. just be careful not to break a big chunk of flux off.

Today I saw someone outside a scooter shop stick welding something, and he's not even wearing a mask. I told them aren't they going to end up blind? I got no idea what arc flash will do to you but if you can't even see your arc, how would you weld?

Never mind they're welding thin looking pieces of steel with 3/32" sticks at 90 amps.

thats how you end up with bad welds.
don't be those guys.