Welding Tips and Tricks

I use a Lincoln idealarc 400 machine and run 3/16" 7018 rods.I run about 215amps according to the machine(I know it's a good temp,when the machine does right the slag comes right off and I can hold the rod in my fingers til it's too short to hold). HERE IS MY PROBLEM: the flux on the rod is burning off backwards(if that makes sense)and causing it to long arc and spatter everywhere and it will not deposit weld metal.it only does this when making a fillet weld but does fine on a butt joint.I can be using a slight drag angle running left to right an the angle at which the flux burns off looks like I was burning right to left. Can u picture what I'm talking about? An do u have any idea of what may be going on? Ground? Machine? It's not the rods cause I've tried different diameter rods of different batch numbers. ALSO I can twist the stinger and rod 180° when the flux starts burning backwards an it'll straighten out for about a half inch an then start burning crazy again.it doesn't help to adjust the temp or the arc force.it's rly driving me nuts

How close is your ground? What kind of place are you welding in?

It's set up just like a normal production/fabrication shop except we work outside and use stick welding.the ground wires are ran under the dirt (replaced a few yrs ago) to the various benches where the beams sit.there are 6 machines and all are stored in a storage building about 50 feet away from the furtherest bench but it just started this about a week or so ago.

Talk 'em into opening another can, to see if it's the batch of rod... Unlikely, if butt joints are fine, but it's one thing to rule out. Otherwise, it sounds like a magnetic effect from the batch of steel you're working... What's the edge prep? Sheared, plasma cut, original mill edge?

Is anyone else having similar trouble, and have you tried a different machine with the same rod and material?

I do get what you mean about the flux burning off the wrong side.

Steve S

Try running an above ground ground just to check but you may have a bad one somewhere.

Yea I've opened a few kegs already goin by the batch # on the can.5/32's do it too.we fabricate for steel erection crews so jus stuff like base plates,stiffeners, clips...that sorta thing.all cuts by shear,plasma, or saw. I seem to catch the worst of it,they sometimes talk about their puddle trying to get in front of them, but ive never seen it burn the flux off the way it is an all.I'll try it Monday an see if I need to get a length of wire for the ground an try that.

It sounds like you are describing arc blow.

Here is a decent article of the subject: http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/su ... etail.aspx

Can you back step the welds?
Switch to AC?
Move the ground to the other end of the piece?

Here is one of my favorite videos on the subject: http://youtu.be/CW7I-ymfINU

This isn't like any arc blow I've ever seen.arc blow is just when the arc moves around and outside of the joint your trying to weld.I guess it could be if the force was so severe it was making my arc do a back flip before it got to the puddle.really,my arc is trying to burn parallel because of the way the flux is burning off instead of burning straight into the work.

Back at work today. So today I ran a ground straight from the machine to the piece of square tubing I'm working on.still no luck.it's still burning the flux off as if I were using a push angle on the rod and it's just making a mess.I don't know what else to do.I even burnt some 6011's on the crisp side this mornin an it does the same to them.the flux will just not cooperate and burn off like it should.

Did you try switching to AC? If that fixes it, then it's magnetic arc blow.

Did you try moving the ground to the other end?

Yea I tried the ground on both ends.it does a little better with the ground at the other end an progressing right to left vs. Left to right. I actually told a guy at work I was gonna pick up a few AC 7018 rods an try it but I don't see how to switch the machine to AC.just an "A" side "B" side and a remote switch.pretty basic machine, bout all you can do is adjust the amps and arc force.

Yea I moved the ground around.can't figure out how to switch the machine to AC.pretty basic set up with jus amps an arc force.also an A side and a B side and a remote switch. Even tried some 6011s on the crisp side.still acts up

I moved the ground around.machine won't switch to AC

If there are multiple machines see if you can trade with someone for a test to see if they have the same problems with yours of see if you don't have troubles with there's. It may be a bad machine.