Welding Tips and Tricks

Total newbie here. Using 6013 on 140 amps in the video.

I just got a new AC stick welder and some 1\8 electrodes. It's supposed to run 110v and 220v. I hooked up a 110 plug since I don't have a 220 atm. I tried to practice with some scrap but, I get nothing but sparks, no arc. The electrode doesn't burn or deposit much of anything, even when I get it red hot. It just sort of zaps the metal. I must've tried 1000 times over the past few days and got nothing but sparks.

I cranked it up to 250 amps and it burns the metal a bit more, gets hotter and sometimes I can get a drop of weld on it but, it doesn't start a bead.. It's not the metal. I couldn't get an arc going on the ground clamp.

I'm thinking 110v isn't enough or I just suck. Given the amount of tries I've gave it and all the TUT videos I've seen though, I'd like to think there's more than poor skills at play here.

(Video removed)

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Link to welder : http://www.ebay.com/itm/191832561715?_t ... RK%3AMEBID

Try to lower the amps. For 75 bucks you can't expect much. Sorry.

I've tried. I know, you get what you pay for... Think I should get a 220 plug? I'm thinking with it being so cheap, maybe it wasn't wired properly for 110. If it only has 220 wiring, I pretty sure the power from a 110 would be split in half. Is that correct?

I would just return it but, I have something that needs welding and can't really afford a better welder.

Hi Tom94 welcome to the forum.

Good news is I don't think it's you ! I don't see how a transformer welder rated @14 odd KW can ever run on 110 power or even why they'd attempt to make one that did - even a good inverter if limited to 110 will struggle with 1/8" rods - it's just about heat input / KW available - so the obvious thing is find a way of plugging into 220 / 240 volt even if on a temporary basis - then have a look at the welding leads - the price you paid seems so low I imagine the leads are very thin & the earth clamp looks like it's from a battery charger & may need changing ( just to test you can take it off & clamp cable end direct to work with vise grips ) - smaller rods will also help but if the welder works & has correct input power it should burn 1/8" easily - worst thing running that style welder on low input power is I bet it's got very low OCV which will play havoc learning especially with some rods - ( the rods you have are designed to run AC ? ) a drag rod such as 7014 may help.

Having looked quickly at your video I got to ask - is it my imagination or were you trying to weld indoors on what appears to be a wooden table ? unless you are directly related to Shelby Stanga that has to be a really really bad idea !

Good luck - hope it all comes together for you.

Now that's a 5 star answer. Thank you. I'm going to try a 220 plug. Will it be ok to use the dryer socket?

Don't worry, it was a fairly save area that I had to use for filming because it was raining. Plus, I had a fire extinguisher on hand just in case.

Tom94 wrote:Now that's a 5 star answer. Thank you. I'm going to try a 220 plug. Will it be ok to use the dryer socket?

Don't worry, it was a fairly save area that I had to use for filming because it was raining. Plus, I had a fire extinguisher on hand just in case.

Yes its fine. Like suggested above beef up your ground and leads will prob help a lot. Just don't expect much.

Trust me I shopped for a 110 machine for weeks and finally gave up when I realized I couldn't burn more than 4 1/8" rods in a row. Because of the duty cycle.

Like the other post I would check it on 220 and check the stinger and ground cables may not be connected good.also could be reversed.check that you have access rods aswell.

Even "setting" it at 140A, there's no way you're getting that much on a 110V, 20A circuit. At most, you'll get around 90A on 110V, 20A. No way you're gonna efficiently burn 1/8" 6013s on 110V. At most, you can burn 5/64" 6013s, as they need a lot of amperage. You could, however, get by on 3/32" 6011s. Try it.