Hi... everyone/anyone,
I’m currently taking a class learning how to weld. I was told stick was the hardest, so that’s what I started out with. We’ve been practicing with 3/16” plain carbon steel and 6010 rod. I can do fairly decen lap welds and my outside corner welds look almost professional, not bad for only welding for a couple of weeks. My problem that I need help with is that I am unable to make an inside corner weld without undercut using the 6010 electrodes. I’ve tried playing with the amps, ranging between 70-90A, but 90A seems to get way more penetration than I need while creating huge undercut. At the lower end of the range, i don’t get as much penetration into the inside corner, but still finish the bead with undercut. I’ve tried welding from different angles and still cannot get it. I’ve tried going slower, which didn’t work well at the higher amp range. At the lower end, I can move slower, but that just allows me to watch the undercut form as I move along. I was told by my instructor that maybe I was too far away from the seam and that’s why I’m getting undercut, so I changed my distance to what I imagine is a 1/16” or less, which worked a little better, but still having undercut. If anyone can help me figure out what’s going on with my technique, I’d be grateful. Thanks!
Is your base metal clean? Mill scale or rust can cause undercut. 6010 is a great rod but if you want easygoing you might try 6013 or 7018. Depending on what your trying to do.
I have more questions than answers
Josh
Josh