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Stick Welding- what’s your favourite rod?

7014 / 7024 ( iron powder ) for flat big gap non structural weldments, I can lay a bead that self peels the slag with out looking once at the weld.

Otherwise 7018 for anything half critical. Any position. Best all round.

6013 DCEN for thin wall or sheet metals.

Gluck
 
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Downwindtracker2 said:
1/8" 7018 is the millwrights' rod. Most times if we were welding up something, it's because it broke. 7018 has good elongation. The only brand used was LA. Except for one mill, they used Arctec 223,(?) because it had better elongation numbers. It wasn't as nice to burn as 7018. If I was repairing flimsy guards, 3/32" 6013. We called it tinbasher rod. At home I use 3/32" 7014 a lot.
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I didn't think any one else used this stuff, Makes sense as a millwright - I have welded many a boxes of 223. Great stuff
It was in a sawmill I used it in too. Interesting.
 
Dan Dubeau said:
I struggle with overhead, but am getting better with vertical. When I built the sawmill frame I tried to force myself to get better at welding in all positions. Not happy with my progress, I soon dragged the engine hoist out, and rotated the frame so I could do all the welds in horizontal lol. I really need to practice more. I would love to take an actual course, and have some hands on instruction.
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What is the issue, Perhaps we can advise? I find after a long day of idiot head ( over head ) my arm gets tired and my mind wanders and I always long arc. lol
 
Susquatch said:
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
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One of my favorite sayings as well, but I heard it a little differently.......
"Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those that pissed me off. "
 
Susquatch said:
Hmmmmmm.......

And here I was thinking the opposite extreme. I think @JustaDB was giving "some of us" WAY TOO MUCH credit! LOL!

Maybe later this summer, I'll try to post a video of me trying to stick weld. I have the perfect job waiting for me. I broke a tail guide off of my land levellor by turning too fast. Basically a 4 ft long piece of 3x3 angle iron. I know I can get it to stick, but it might take a box of rods and a stack of grinding wheels to do 12" of weld. The dirt under the levellor will also be highly iron rich. The biggest problem will be finding someone who can hold the camera steady while they laugh themselves silly.

Edit after seeing @Chicken lights post. He is too kind.......

Edit 2 - maybe I can get chicken lights to hold the camera......
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Haha, well i didnt say ALL hobby welders :p

but in all seriousness i have ran into many hobby/part timers who are quite good at welding the things they like to weld, they may not have the experience/knowledge to throw them on a jobsite, but there is skill there

Chicken lights said:
Agreed. Personally I don’t think welding is that tricky
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I agree, its just practice, anyone can learn how to weld, they just need to practice. I have taught many guys and girls over the years, so long as the desire is there and they are willing to put in the time, anyone can learn. However, some people have more of knack for it and pick it up quicker than others, and, having a calm temperament doesn't hurt.
 
Proxule said:
What is the issue, Perhaps we can advise? I find after a long day of idiot head ( over head ) my arm gets tired and my mind wanders and I always long arc. lol
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The big thing is that I've never done enough out of position welding practice to develop good habits, and experience. Whenever I need to do it, it's always been after a long hiatus and I need to relearn a bunch of stuff in a hurry. That's why I'd love to take a class, with hands on instruction, to develop the habits, knowledge, and muscle memory under ideal circumstances, so that I can revisit them when I need to.

Back when I was first learning how to weld, I'd burn rod after rod, padding beads, and then comparing my results to stuff from the internet, and you tube (weldingtipsandtricks was very handy). Mostly flat and vertical, and once I felt I was proficient enough, I moved on to projects, and have never really found the time to keep practicing again. For me, welding is a practice and repetition thing, and the more I do, the better I get. Then I won't do it for a while......
 
DPittman said:
However poor eyesight and depth perception are a very difficult obstacle to overcome.
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Not all welders have perfect eye sight, I wouldn't let that deter you, glasses, cheater lenses all help. The depth perception issue can be overcome with practice, you will just have to learn the visual cue's, just like anything else when you have that particular handicap.

Besides that, not many welder's finish their career with good eyesight. I have worked with a few guy's in their late 60's, still welding, but with cheater lenses so powerful you need to be careful where you set it down for fear of starting a forest fire

@Dan Dubeau are you trying to do your virts with 3/32 or 1/8 ? im guessing by the sawmill comment your welding like 2x2 tube, and that sort of stuff? if thats the case 3/32 is considerably easier to weld up hand
 
Dan Dubeau said:
The big thing is that I've never done enough out of position welding practice to develop good habits, and experience. Whenever I need to do it, it's always been after a long hiatus and I need to relearn a bunch of stuff in a hurry. That's why I'd love to take a class, with hands on instruction, to develop the habits, knowledge, and muscle memory under ideal circumstances, so that I can revisit them when I need to.

Back when I was first learning how to weld, I'd burn rod after rod, padding beads, and then comparing my results to stuff from the internet, and you tube (weldingtipsandtricks was very handy). Mostly flat and vertical, and once I felt I was proficient enough, I moved on to projects, and have never really found the time to keep practicing again. For me, welding is a practice and repetition thing, and the more I do, the better I get. Then I won't do it for a while......
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If you don't use it you loose it, I find it holds true with most things.
It seems that stinger time is required to pickup welding, No other way about it. You can do weld pattern or metallurgy theory until you are blue in the face - It simply wont replace stinger time. As you have noticed and commented your self.

I suppose nothing left to do but fire up that 6013 or 7018 3/32 rod and burn it overhead.

goodluck
 
phaxtris said:
Not all welders have perfect eye sight, I wouldn't let that deter you, glasses, cheater lenses all help. The depth perception issue can be overcome with practice, you will just have to learn the visual cue's, just like anything else when you have that particular handicap.

Besides that, not many welder's finish their career with good eyesight. I have worked with a few guy's in their late 60's, still welding, but with cheater lenses so powerful you need to be careful where you set it down for fear of starting a forest fire

@Dan Dubeau are you trying to do your virts with 3/32 or 1/8 ? im guessing by the sawmill comment your welding like 2x2 tube, and that sort of stuff? if thats the case 3/32 is considerably easier to weld up hand
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1/8" 7018. It was 1/4" wall 3x6" tube. I only attempted a couple joints, and I'm sure if I would have stuck with it, I would have had some acceptable ones by the end, but I didn't want to turn it into a "practice project", I just wanted it done nice the first time. It was easier and quicker to just rotate it, than to get good at vertical welding lol.

I need to pickup some 3/32 to give it a try. Next time I have a project like that, I'll post up, and solicit some advice. Sounds like you have a lot of in welding experience, and I'd love to steal some of it from you :D. I'm contemplating a change of careers to Millwright, and I'm sure I'll get lots of welding experience (and education) If I go that route.
 
Dan Dubeau said:
1/8" 7018. It was 1/4" wall 3x6" tube. I only attempted a couple joints, and I'm sure if I would have stuck with it, I would have had some acceptable ones by the end, but I didn't want to turn it into a "practice project", I just wanted it done nice the first time. It was easier and quicker to just rotate it, than to get good at vertical welding lol.

I need to pickup some 3/32 to give it a try. Next time I have a project like that, I'll post up, and solicit some advice. Sounds like you have a lot of in welding experience, and I'd love to steal some of it from you :D. I'm contemplating a change of careers to Millwright, and I'm sure I'll get lots of welding experience (and education) If I go that route.
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I advise againt the millwright route. Consider electrical or perhaps heavy duty mechanic.

My 1.6 cents opinion.

Gluck
 
Susquatch said:
Any one eyed guys in their late 70s?...... If so, that would give me the hope I don't seem to be able to muster today.....
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ha, no i dont know any guys in there 70's still welding for a living! but ask me in about a year and half, im sure one of the guys i work with now will still be at it, by then he will be 70!

A friend of mine's father still welds the odd thing up with his little miller buzz box (dc stick), and it looks ok, i believe he is 72 now, he was/is an electrician

Dan Dubeau said:
I need to pickup some 3/32 to give it a try. Next time I have a project like that, I'll post up, and solicit some advice. Sounds like you have a lot of in welding experience, and I'd love to steal some of it from you :D.
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Any time, ill be over here ;)
 
Ive got some motivation for you @Susquatch !

funny-motivational-memes.jpg
 
After our wire mill shut down, all the tradesmen got jobs without any days off at better pay, except me, I retired. Millwrights and electricians. But with all the electronics, the industrial electricians are super important . If you lose your electricians, your mill shuts down. I would pass on HD mechanic. Out in bush,in mud, heavy machinery, big tools, cold and wet .
 
phaxtris said:
ha, no i dont know any guys in there 70's still welding for a living! but ask me in about a year and half, im sure one of the guys i work with now will still be at it, by then he will be 70!

A friend of mine's father still welds the odd thing up with his little miller buzz box (dc stick), and it looks ok, i believe he is 72 now, he was/is an electrician
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Don't forget we are talking one eyed late 70s guys who shake like a big willow in a hurricane. Otherwise I call foul!

This afternoon, I'm thinking the Lincoln 220 AC/DC 225/125 stick welder will go but I'll keep my MIG 180 for a while yet. If I haven't glued anything together in a year or so, it will go too.

I'll also see how I feel tomorrow. I had hoped to hard face a few plow blades this summer. But maybe that's asking for too much and I just need to learn to let go of a few stupid young ideas. TBDL
 
My tongue frame broke loose on my utility trailer. It's a 1958 U-Built ex Kingsway trailer rental. Rather than mickey mouse it, I made another. I cut the old one off. But welding it on, laying on my back, overhead, I couldn't maintain the tight arc 7018 required. Not enough strength in my old arm. Lucky for me , the queens death gave my son a day off.
 
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