Welding Tips and Tricks

First, let me thank the forum for the feedback during my time in school. I appreciate the replies to my various threads.

Secondly, I got hired the day I left school by a construction company working a lengthy water facility sewer pipe project.

Today was actually my first day on the job site and due to circumstances beyond my control, I ran stringers on scrap metal all day.

I was using a Whisperweld DLW-400SEA welding generator.



Running Inweld 7018 3/16" rods at 230 amps.



Ran some stringers on scrap metal and here's the result....





Being that I've never used 3/16" rods before, I am posting for some feedback on how the welds look. My tie-ins were a little sketchy as I was welding with one hand for most of it due to my setup.

Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I'd hire you in a heartbeat.

A couple of hiccups in the first weld photo but it looks like the selection (crop) in the second photo was the best example of what you can do.

I'd be tempted to run it just a bit hotter to reduce crowning but that's just me.

Looks a tiny cold as above stated, and what is your rod angle? Running a steeper drag angle can produce a flatter, more uniform bead. I tend to get the same bead profile and stretched ripples running stringers on flat plate if my drag angle is off a tad (on the slack side). The 7018 slag covering isn't too intense, it doesn't have a habit of running up arc compared to 7014 or even worse, 7024.

On another note, I find I got used to running somewhere near a 55 degree drag angle when i was running a lot of 6013, and when i burned my first 7018 the other day i was surprised how much nicer the rod ran, and how much nicer your bead can be when you can run a decent rod angle without the epic flux race. (My machine has no arc force setting, so rod angle or heat is my only way on controlling the ludicrous slag) I can even run a 90 degree rod without flux interference or inclusions. Yum.

What did you think of that machine? I've seen several of them up on eBay but never talked to someone who welded off of one.

Looks good.

Big rods can get annoying.

GWD wrote:I'd hire you in a heartbeat.

A couple of hiccups in the first weld photo but it looks like the selection (crop) in the second photo was the best example of what you can do.

I'd be tempted to run it just a bit hotter to reduce crowning but that's just me.

I can run these rods up to 260A. If I have downtime today I'll run some more stringers and post the results....and thanks for the compliment.

VincenzioVonHook wrote:Looks a tiny cold as above stated, and what is your rod angle? Running a steeper drag angle can produce a flatter, more uniform bead. I tend to get the same bead profile and stretched ripples running stringers on flat plate if my drag angle is off a tad (on the slack side). The 7018 slag covering isn't too intense, it doesn't have a habit of running up arc compared to 7014 or even worse, 7024.

On another note, I find I got used to running somewhere near a 55 degree drag angle when i was running a lot of 6013, and when i burned my first 7018 the other day i was surprised how much nicer the rod ran, and how much nicer your bead can be when you can run a decent rod angle without the epic flux race. (My machine has no arc force setting, so rod angle or heat is my only way on controlling the ludicrous slag) I can even run a 90 degree rod without flux interference or inclusions. Yum.

5 to 10 degree drag angle. I did get a little lazy with it at first then decided to experiment with it so I could see the difference. Slag covering came off really easy by just dragging my chipping hammer over it. Not too many spots I actually had to hammer on.

Poland308 wrote:What did you think of that machine? I've seen several of them up on eBay but never talked to someone who welded off of one.

Whisper quite. I was surprised at how quiet the machine was compared to everything else on the job site. I'd never used this machine before and was left to my own devices so I had to figure it out. Pretty straight forward set up. Turn the key, start, wait 5 minutes and you're ready to weld.

AKweldshop wrote:Looks good.

Big rods can get annoying.

When these rods stick, I needed Moljnir to get them free.

I was supposed to me measuring and cutting 12x58s to weld up walers. Unfortunately, it was a comedy of errors yesterday with trucks making deliveries and dropping loads in the wrong spots, a crane that slipped a chain/track and lack of a cutting torch.

I'm using metal from the old walers to create the new ones. It should be a fun week provided I can get a cutting torch on site today.

Well, if THAT ain't "Merry Christmas", landing such a job. Congratulations!

I can't wait to see what you do when they actually put you to real work on the job, with what they're exercising you on.

Keep us updated!

Steve S