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Need advice on welding thicker metals
- Thread starter strantor
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!/8 to 1/4 steel is ideal for learning / refining your skills with stick welder. Light rust is not really a problem unless you are looking for pressure vessel quality welds, but heavy rust, paint, and especially galvanizing should always be removed before welding.
Sure an experienced welder can weld in these situations, but usually will refuse. Rust will detract from the quality of the weld, Paint will make it hard to strike an arc, and also detract from the weld quality, and may give of toxic fumes depending on the paint. Galvanised steel will be difficult to weld, and give poor results, but most importantly the fumes given off are extremely toxic, so just don't do it.
For your amp settings be guided by the advice on the electrode packet. Also most important is that the electrodes are in good condition and have been kept dry, even atmospheric moisture can be a problem especially in some of the high humidity areas of US. A warm dry place is best for storing them. A metal cabinet with a small light globe placed in the bottom works very well.
Time to bite the bullet, and learn to stick weld, you'll never regret it. Stick TIG and MIG all have their places.
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Thank you, yes you are quite right electrons are nearly indestructible. I suspect auto spell checker is the culprit here.I had no idea, I thought electrons were nearly indestructible.
Agreed ... Clean off any paint or rust that you can . 6010/6011 is fairly tolerant of bad surfaces but that is not a license to weld through paint or heavy rust because you just can't be bothered to prep a joint . Materials do not need to be tig weldable cleaned up but you want good shiny steel in your weld area if possible no matter what rod you use .
ETA
If you are really having a hard time sticking rods , and are NOT seeing any undercutting on the edge of the weld you might try turning up the amperage a bit . Sometimes its amazing the difference even 5 amps makes when striking off . Of course this is not advisable for thin materials which stick welding pretty much wants to burn through anyway .
ETA
If you are really having a hard time sticking rods , and are NOT seeing any undercutting on the edge of the weld you might try turning up the amperage a bit . Sometimes its amazing the difference even 5 amps makes when striking off . Of course this is not advisable for thin materials which stick welding pretty much wants to burn through anyway .
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Welding is a bit like painting, prep is half the job. what sort of machine are you using, can you adjust the voltage as well as the amps or just the amps. If you can adjust the voltage try increasing the volts. and or amps, what size metal are you welding and what size rods, wire dia, not over the flux.
Also depending on the rods, some tend to get a glazed over surface on the end and you need to knock or grind that off between welds. Try to strike the rod like a match, don't stab it onto the work.
Also depending on the rods, some tend to get a glazed over surface on the end and you need to knock or grind that off between welds. Try to strike the rod like a match, don't stab it onto the work.
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I'm currently no welding expert but i'm not afraid to stick two pieces of metal together. Arc welding is still widely used in heavy industry and i prefer it when welding thick pieces, they require less prep and when working outside aren't affected by the wind as much. Best advice i can give for welding thick steel is to chamfer the edges better than trying to burn it in deeper.
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Welding it's a subject longer than your arm, IMHO a decent mig machine is a hobby oriented man's best friend. when I say decent I mean something with at least 170-180 A capacity and maybe up to 220-230 A if you're doing heavier work like repairing farm machinery, and a reasonable duty cycle.
I have been asked by many friends to help them use their cheap asian machines. Usually only around 130 A and not well made. These machines are at best barely acceptable. Often displaying poor wire drive mechanism, leaky solenoid gas valves and inconsistent current and wire feed controls. In some cases the importers do not back the machines with parts and service. I now tell them go buy a decent machine first.
Even some of the low powered machines from brand name makers, are so low in power they are really only suitable for very light work.
A decent home MIG machine can comfortably weld up to half inch plate, and even thicker if you're prepared to use multi pass on the rare occasion you need it. They are however excellent for light work sheet metal is so much easier with them than stick. Tig is also excellent at light work and especially aluminium and stainless steel
MIG machines do have their limitations, wind is probably the main problem, they don't like even a slight breeze.
Stick welding comes into it's own in windy conditions, that occasional special purpose job like hard facing and other high tensile applications, very heavy structural jobs, where a variety of rods can be obtained without having to use a special machine.
My choice is a multi purpose machine 175 A and able to run MIG, stick and TIG, I do occasionally use it for stick welding when the need arises, but have not yet ventured into Tig with it, as I don't have the need. 90% of my needs are covered with MIG and I have welded 1/4 plate to 5/8 plate without any difficulty.