Need advice on welding thicker metals

[strantor]

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.

My welder is an Eastwood TIG200. It doesn't have voltage adjustment, just amps. I am running 140A, what I think is close to the higher limit of the 1/8" 7018 rods I'm using. I found it works better on the DC setting, but I need to verify if I'm welding electrode positive or negative; I just watched a video that said that matters. I am welding 1/8 flat bar to 4" channel which is about 1/4 thick or more in spots.

 

[Downunder Bob]

Not familiar with that machine, but the general recommendation for those rods is DC+ 90 to 130 A. Are you sure they are clean and dry, how old are they, and how have they been stored. I suspect you might live in a high humidity area, so if the pack has been open for more than a few days, you might want to try drying them.

7018 rods and others in the same class can be prone to humidity problems and are difficult, if not impossible to dry correctly. storing rods for hobby use is very important because a pack may be expected to last for years. Once a new pack is opened remove the rods you need seal it up again in a new plastic bag preferably with some activated desiccant in there. if you have a vacuum sealing device use it.

Unless you are doing specific structural welding you should avoid specialised rods. talk to your local welding supplies people and get a recommendation for a wide range general purpose rod. that is pretty forgiving.

 

[brino]

I am welding 1/8 flat bar to 4" channel which is about 1/4 thick or more in spots.

As you make your C-shaped or zig-zag pass, dwell a little longer on the thicker piece. It needs more heat than the thin piece.
-brino

 

[strantor]

As you make your C-shaped or zig-zag pass, dwell a little longer on the thicker piece. It needs more heat than the thin piece.
-brino

I am used to doing those kinds of motions with MIG and TIG, and started doing them with stick, and it seemed like my puddle was getting way too big, full of inclusions, and I was burning too much rod. I went back to YouTube and watched some more stick welding tutorials; they don't do any motion with the stick. They just drag it in a straight line. So I stopped trying to do any motions and drag it straight, controlling which material I burn in more, with the angle of the stick. I can't get it just right yet, so I'm still doing some motions.

 

[strantor]

Not familiar with that machine, but the general recommendation for those rods is DC+ 90 to 130 A. Are you sure they are clean and dry, how old are they, and how have they been stored. I suspect you might live in a high humidity area, so if the pack has been open for more than a few days, you might want to try drying them.

7018 rods and others in the same class can be prone to humidity problems and are difficult, if not impossible to dry correctly. storing rods for hobby use is very important because a pack may be expected to last for years. Once a new pack is opened remove the rods you need seal it up again in a new plastic bag preferably with some activated desiccant in there. if you have a vacuum sealing device use it.

Unless you are doing specific structural welding you should avoid specialised rods. talk to your local welding supplies people and get a recommendation for a wide range general purpose rod. that is pretty forgiving.

My rods were bought new and opened on the day I bought the stick holder, which has been nearly a week now. I removed a few rods and closed the box back. Each day after that, I open the box, remove a few rods, close it back, weld. I figured as long as keep the box open just long enough to remove rods and immediately close it back, they should stay ok. But that's probably just wishful thinking. It's so humid here that I may as well have just poured water in the box the first day I opened it. I need to make a rod oven. It's on the to do list.

 

[GoceKU]

It's so humid here that I may as well have just poured water in the box the first day I opened it. I need to make a rod oven. It's on the to do list.

If you are planning on welding nuclear reactors then yes everything needs to be perfect, but for the home shop, just don't worry about it, i've welded with soaking wet electrodes onboard boat in a storm, without any porosity and it still holds, just keep them in a box on a shelf and don't worry about them.

 

[Old Mud]

Yes you should know your polarity, and yes it matters. Electrode-positive (reversed polarity) results in deeper penetration. Electrode-negative (straight polarity) results in faster melt-off of the electrode and, therefore, faster deposition rate. . 7018 likes reverse polarity, especially out of position as in Vertical or overhead. Try it you'll see the difference. You will have to change the heat though when you switch back and forth.

 

[MrWhoopee]

If you are planning on welding nuclear reactors then yes everything needs to be perfect, but for the home shop, just don't worry about it, i've welded with soaking wet electrodes onboard boat in a storm, without any porosity and it still holds, just keep them in a box on a shelf and don't worry about them.

This is true for 6010/6011, a little moisture does not affect them seriously. 7018 is a different matter.

"Storing Low Hydrogen Stick Electrodes
Low hydrogen stick electrodes must be dry to perform properly. Unopened Lincoln hermetically sealed containers provide excellent protection in good storage conditions. Opened cans should be stored in a cabinet at 250 to 300°F (120 to 150°C)
Low hydrogen stick electrode coatings that have picked up moisture may result in hydrogen induced cracking, particularly in steels with a yield strength of 80,000 psi (550 MPa) and higher.
Moisture resistant electrodes with an "R" suffix in their AWS classification have a high resistance to moisture pickup coating and, if properly stored, will be less susceptible to this problem, regardless of the yield strength of the steel being welded. Specific code requirements may indicate exposure limits different from these guidelines.
All low hydrogen stick electrodes should be stored properly, even those with an "R" suffix. Standard EXX18 electrodes should be supplied to welders twice per shift. Moisture resistant types may be exposed for up to 9 hours.
When containers are punctured or opened, low hydrogen electrodes may pick up moisture. Depending upon the amount of moisture, it will damage weld quality in the following ways:
1. A greater amount of moisture in low hydrogen electrodes may cause porosity. Detection of this condition requires x-ray inspection or destructive testing. If the base metal or weld metal exceeds 80,000 psi (550 MPa) yield strength, this moisture may contribute to under-bead or weld cracking.
2. A relatively high amount of moisture in low hydrogen electrodes causes visible external porosity in addition to internal porosity. It also may cause excessive slag fluidity, a rough weld surface, difficult slag removal, and cracking.
3. Severe moisture pickup can cause weld cracks in addition to under-bead cracking, severe porosity, poor appearance and slag problems.

Storing and Redrying Non-Low Hydrogen Electrodes
Electrodes in unopened Lincoln cans or cartons retain the proper moisture content indefinitely when stored in good condition.
If exposed to humid air for long periods of time, stick electrodes from opened containers may pick up enough moisture to affect operating characteristics or weld quality. If moisture appears to be a problem, store electrodes from the opened containers in heated cabinets at 100 to 120°F (40 to 50°C). DO NOT use higher temperatures, particularly for electrodes from the "Fast Freeze" group.
Some electrodes from wet containers or long exposure to high humidity can be re-dried."

https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-how-to/pages/storing-electrodes-detail.aspx

I was given a bundle of assorted rods when I bought my Lincoln AC225. Don't know how long they had been stored in the open. The 309 stainless rods were fine. The flux was falling off the 7018. Humidity in California is generally quite low.

 

[Downunder Bob]

If you are planning on welding nuclear reactors then yes everything needs to be perfect, but for the home shop, just don't worry about it, i've welded with soaking wet electrodes onboard boat in a storm, without any porosity and it still holds, just keep them in a box on a shelf and don't worry about them.

Yes some electrodes are pretty tolerant of moisture, others are not in particular the ones he was using. I also have welded on board ship in heavy weather while up the mast and being subjected to salt water spray, it was a horrific job, but had to be done. Not recommended for beginners.

My fave rod for general purpose and very forgiving is satin craft 13.

 

[GoceKU]

No job is fun under pressure and bad weather conditions, i was in freshwater and can't remember if i used 6013 or 7018 electrodes, but managed to hummer out the deep gash on the hole shut and weld it at the last moments as one engine was already underwalter the other was half way the engine block it was one of those moment do you bail or keep working and save the boat.