[xtal_01]

After 15 years ( or more ) of being lazy and using a mig welder, I am trying to weld structural steel with an old ( my first welder when I was 14 ... Simpson Sears ac buzz box ) welder.

I know I am rusty but I tried 7018 rods and just could not maintain an arc.

I was able to use 6011's and stick everything together running an pretty good looking bead with no problems ... although I am running them way to hot ( 1/8 rod running at 150 amps).

My first question ... why would I be having so many problems with a 7018 rod? I though these rods were suppose to be easier to use than 6011's?

Second question ... for "relatively" clean metal, is it better to use a 6011 or 6013 rod ( local Lowes only cares 3 rods ... 6011, 6013 and 7018)?

Final question .... I have not run a vertical weld in years and I need to run 16 of them 2" long. I always thought ( remembering from welding class 28 years ago) that you run from down to up. I watched a video though where the guy ran from up to down .... why? I thought the dripping slag would contaminate the weld?

Nothing I weld must meet code but I am building an elevator for my wife so I want everything to hold together! We are building a house ( two years now in an RV .... in VT ) and she is paralyzed and confined to an electric wheelchair. A commercial elevator costs $35K - $40K ... way out of our budget. I bought a forklift for $850. The mast is in the house and I just finished welding up "feet". So far it has been relatively simple as I could build the parts outside and make sure I placed them so that I was always horizontal welding. Now I need to weld tabs onto the mast so that I can attach the feet.

Thanks .... Mike

[MinnesotaDave]

For your AC welder you would need 7018AC rods.

1/8" 7014 is a really easy rod to run on AC at 125-140 amps, and a better rod than 6013.

1/8 6011 would nearly be a blow torch at the amps you're talking. 90-125 work well.

Yes, run vertical up.

But vertical down works good with 6011 for metal about 1/8" thick and under or for filling a gap.

Try this video for a little tune up: http://youtu.be/fGkkCpKkM7g

And a vertical video: http://welding-tv.com/2013/07/30/weldin ... tons-more/

[Louie1961]

Everything Dave said. Plus, 7018 is not a good choice on AC, even with the 7018AC rods. I hear nothing but horror stories about it. 7014 is a very easy rod to run. I like it a lot. You may find that it needs to be run at the high end of its recommended amp range before it runs very well though.

For relatively clean metal, you can run 6013 or 7014 on clean metal but neither has super penetration. I am not sure how thick the material is you are welding but you could always run a first pass with 6011, and cover pas with 6013, 7014, or 7018. That is akin to the way pipe welders work (6010 open but root pass, 7018 hot pass and cover passes). There is nothing wrong with going 6011 all the way as well. It just doesn't make nice smooth weld beads like the others.

Some people really HATE 6013 rods. I don't mind them so much. I do prefer 7018s (in DC) and 7014s (in AC) but I find nothing wrong per se with 6013s. People say you will get lots of slag inclusions but I have never had that experience. Dumb luck probably.

[xtal_01]

I should have said, the forklift mast is all heavy material ... 8" channel, 3" x 3" solid metal legs.

The new material I am using is at least 1/8" ( 2 x 2 x 1/8 square tubing ) but most of it is 2 x 2 x 1/4 angle.

I have just always used 6011's and run them hot to make sure I get penetration.

I can only guess ( and I have never asked ) but since the welder is 28 years old, I can only imagine everything degrades. Even if the welder itself does not, the lead plugs are tarnished, I am using the original ( and very dinky ) leads, the handle is very burnt and I am not sure how good the connection is between it and the rod. I am not sure but if it is like all other electrical devices, I may not be getting 150 amps to actual arc.

Thanks again .... Mike

[Otto Nobedder]

I should have said, the forklift mast is all heavy material ... 8" channel, 3" x 3" solid metal legs.

Umm, NO! If you are asking these questions, you are not a "qualified person" to repair a forklift mast.

This absolutely should not be done with an AC buzz-box. This weld requires an established procedure. I would assume first a defined bevel and gap, just like a pipe weld, so get your grinder ready. Then, you'll need a DC machine that is capable of welding 8010 or higher rod at a minimum of 115A for 1/8" or 155A for 5/32.

If this forklift hurts someone somehow, OSHA will first look at the maintenance and repair records...

PLEASE do not repair a forklift mast if you do not have the proper equipment and appropriate experience.

Steve S

[weldin mike 27]

Fork lift mast is being used for a single person elevator. A huge amount below its designed abilities.

Mick

[Otto Nobedder]

Fork lift mast is being used for a single person elevator. A huge amount below its designed abilities.

Mick

Ahh, I guess I didn't read deep enough. I missed that this was a "re-purpose".

Steve S

[xtal_01]

Exactly what I was writing ....

Scary, not really if you see what you can buy for $40K .... thin tin junk. I am sure a lot of the $40K is just because of liability and such.

In realistic terms, the forklift I stripped was rated at 3000 lbs.

I am lifting a maximum load of 500 lbs.

This is the first elevator but the third lift I have now built.

The first one is on the RV we are living in while building the house. Same problem. I bought a 10 year old RV for $18K. We "needed" one because my wife ( I actually just finished the RV a week before our wedding ) need medical care in a hospital bed every 4 hours. Since her accident at age 12 ( she is 34 now ) she had never traveled or left home for more than 4 hours. One night I got the idea of converting an RV so we could do her care while on the road.

Anyway, I went to have a lift put into it .... $25K !!!!!!!!

So I gutted the inside, cut a new larger door into it. Designed and built my own lift ( it actually folds up and stores below the floor so it does not take up any room inside ). I built a track running from the front to the back of the RV and using a 12 volt winch built a lift to take her from the wheelchair to the back where I installed a hospital bed.

We have lived in it for over two years now ... used the lift every day and all is well!

You can see pictures of this project at: https://mcsele.shutterfly.com/2299

As soon as you put the word "medical" on anything the price goes through the roof!

I have no fears about using the mast and hydraulics off this forklift to build an elevator. It will only be for personal use so no fears of liability.

Being hydraulic, it is probably the safest lifting device anyone will ever have. Even if a line breaks, I have installed a limiter so it will not "drop". It runs off 24 volts so no worries during a power outage. I can even let it down with a manual valve if I need to.

My biggest "safety" concerns are actually not with the lift but with automatic doors and such. I need to make sure doors stay "locked" so no one can go under it when it comes down, upper door stays locked unless the lift is up, motor shuts off when up ( even putting in a second contactor on a timer just in case the primary contactor welds itself on ) .... lots of little things like that to worry about. I have worked as an instrumentation designer so this will not be a problem for me.

Thanks .... Mike

[xwrench]

That setup you made on the RV is awesome. I have been brainstorming about converting one someday so I can travel the country. I may want to pick your brain some in the future. Also, welcome to the forum

[Artie F. Emm]

Second question ... for "relatively" clean metal, is it better to use a 6011 or 6013 rod ( local Lowes only cares 3 rods ... 6011, 6013 and 7018)?

Welcome, Mike. 6011 rods are more tolerant of surface rust / mild paint.

[dsmabe]

You might be better off ordering rods offline. Depending on where you get Em, might be cheaper and better rods, and a lot more options. 7014, 7018