Need advice on welding thicker metals

Yep, most certainly a stick welding job here. you need to practice this first. you're first welds will looks like chicken s&^t and have poor penetration. Weld two pieces together for two inches then put in a vice and try to break it by bending.

6011 rod gives best penetration especially on rusty poorly prepped metal. hard to get a good looking bead.

6013 has penetration problems, easy to drag and get a nice looking weld. I sometimes root pass with 6011, then weld over it with 6013

A "V" grind is a great idea on 1/4" and thicker.

here's a chart for settings
 

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On thicker material...grind a V groove so the rod can flow into the metal on both sides I used to move the in a small sweeping motion as I moved it sideways. I have not wilded a lot of thick stuff on a wirefeed. I used to have a stick welder. Loved to weld and see the flux curl up and have that pretty weld. Also the smoke from the rod really worked good with hangovers the day after...lol
Want a good fix weld some galvanized steel. That stuff will mess YA up even but good if inhaled to long.
 
There right use some 7014 , 7018 , it'll weld good on trailer work , it's good for rusty or dirty welding. Flows good for me , I hate 6010_11 rods seems all they do is stick and drip. Just my preference with my old craftsmen 230 ?? Welder usually run at 165 with 1/8" rods 185 with 3/16".
I'm no pro but never ever had a weld break , even when rear ended by a car on a hitch haul I built for my power scooter . The metal bent but not one corner or bracing weld cracked or busted. Go old times use stick on jobs like that , really does work better . Grind fillets to be welded up it'll make you look like a pro. With multiple passes 3/4" can be welded successfully.
 
For a gee-whiz welding process on structural steel, you could try pushing FCAW wire through your MIG, using Ar/CO2/O2 mix for a deep penetrating profile. Set your dials for spray transfer with high amps and high feed. Does a beautiful job, best in the flat position but okay for all positions.

That said, I'd probably go straight for the stick electrodes as already mentioned above. That's the rule for heavy structural applications with the high degree of liability that comes with any catastrophic failure involving road equipment.
 
+1 for stick/wire

Stick is probably best unless the material is pretty clean and rust free.

This is not a TIG job, even with more amperage and water-cooled torch. Not to say it can't be done, you just wouldn't want to.
 
I'd find me an old Lincoln tombstone. You can probably find an A/C tombstone for $100 on Craigslist if you keep your eyes open. Quarter inch steel plate could be welded with a 1/8 6011 at about 90 amps without chamfering the plate.

The old tombstones will last for a couple of lifetimes with minimal care. I've got one my dad bought for the farm in the '50s. It needs new leads now, but you can still burn 5/32 7018 with it all day long.
 
I'd find me an old Lincoln tombstone. You can probably find an A/C tombstone for $100 on Craigslist if you keep your eyes open. Quarter inch steel plate could be welded with a 1/8 6011 at about 90 amps without chamfering the plate.

The old tombstones will last for a couple of lifetimes with minimal care. I've got one my dad bought for the farm in the '50s. It needs new leads now, but you can still burn 5/32 7018 with it all day long.

I paid $50 for mine, a 1974 model in beautiful condition.
 
he already has a welder capable of stick welding , just needs leads .

I do agree with it being a job for stick , I am a fan if 6011 myself , easy to use and strike an arc . I don't have an issue with getting nice looking welds , once I practice with a rod and a piece of scrap beforehand anyways . but if you aren't used to using it it can be a bit tricky as mentioned but it does penetrate good , good looking beads or not
if your machine has high frequency striking an arc wont be a problem with most rods a home welder will use .

maybe already mentioned but its a heck of a lot easier to stick weld dc then ac
 
Stick weld it . 6010 ( dc only ) or 6011 ( ac or dc ) is a fast freeze rod that is good for minimal prep because they burn through paint, rust , ect well . If you can prep it well 7018 is the go to rod of " real welders " though it can be a problem on restarts for inexperienced and really needs to be used fresh or stored in a rod oven . Farmer rod ( 6013 ) is forgiving of technique and plenty good for most applications though it does not burn through poorly prepped areas as well as 6010/11.
 
A good MIG welder is best
Need at less 100 amp 20% duty cycle MIG
If planning on doing a lot welding a 200 amp 60% duty cycle would better but will cost lot more.

Dave

I am a welding novice. I have been welding for years, but I don't do enough welding to maintain proficiency or gather a wide pool of experience. My main welder is an Eastwood TIG200, AC/DC 200A TIG/Stick machine. I also have an old craftsman MIG (125A? I believe) that's pretty much useless for anything outside of sheet metal. I opted for TIG as my main machine because I wanted the cheapest (larger/more capable) machine I could get, that I could also use to weld aluminum. I have done lots of smaller jobs with it and have been happy with it so far.

I had my first experience last week doing a larger job on thicker steel with the TIG, and I am not at all happy with how it went. I made some modifications to a friend's trailer, probably a total of 25 linear feet of weld on 3/16" and 1/4" steel, and it took over 12 hours. The welder has a rated 60% duty cycle, but I empirically discovered that the WP17 torch (or, maybe my hand) has its own duty cycle which is significantly less than that. After 1-2 minutes of welding at anything over 150A, the torch gets too hot to hold with a gloved hand, and takes 10 minutes sitting in front of a shop fan to cool down. Probably only an hour or two of the 12hr job was spent actually welding.

I did a bit of research and I'm still researching, but I thought I would post here for help in addition. One thing that I came across on someone else's post on another forum, was a suggestion to upgrade to an 18 series torch. I don't know much about parts interchangeability with these torches. I went to the Eastwood website looking for a bigger torch, or a water cooled torch, and they do sell some stuff, but they only advertise it as being compatible with their bigger machines. Will any welder that uses a 17 torch, also use an 18 torch? And what is meant by "series?" Is there a specific 18 torch I need? What about a water cooled torch? What would fit my machine?

One thing I did find on the Eastwood website that they guarantee fit, is the stick holder torch for this machine. The specs that Eastwood provides seem only to apply to the TIG process. Very little is said about its stick capabilities. Will stick welding give me better results on a project like I just did? Also as far as stick goes, I would like to know if I can weld even thicker materials with stick, than what the machine is rated for on TIG. I have a project coming up where I will need to weld 1/2" steel, possibly even 3/4"; I am pretty sure I know the answer for that - I'm going to need a bigger welder. But I thought I would ask just in case.

Thank You



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