[TheForge] Stick welding question]

Sun Aug 10 00:30:15 2003

Ralph,

That's a good trick for a light whip.  We used to make our light whips 
from cable that the companies who used to come into the oil refineries 
to stress relieve our welds  would use for their gear.(if you could talk 
them out of it which you usually could if you didn't get greedy).  Can't 
say I ever appreciated those twist handles mostly because I would have 
to use half a rod  if I was in a bad position or I was running the 
machine way hot for one reason or another.  I have a 110 V Miller Mig 
for installation work but I much prefer stick or Tig welding any day. 
 It certainly has it's place and is totally indespensible for production 
work and low amp stuff but I'm just not a big fan.  If I could find a 
stick rod  that runs on low amps for welding  14-16 guage tubing etc. 
that has a nice smooth appearance like 7018 I'd be all over it.  Any 
suggestions?

cheers,
Bill Woolley

Ralph Sproul wrote:

>        Bill, Thanks for the reply.  I have seen this white powder on the
>rods you mention and there are cases of them that I was going to put in the
>oven "some day".........now I think I'll put them in the scrap pile.
>        I've been on jobs that required ovens for the 7018 in building
>towers and large machinery set ups (sawmills, cement plants, and chip
>plants).  Cheap insurance as far as I'm concerned.........as we often welded
>rain or shine to complete the jobs on time for the customer to get working.
>        I've always thougth 6010 was the DC version of an AC 6011.......hard
>digging, fast freeze, good mild steel, and general repair rod.  The 6011
>running thru some of the most crudy situations(oil, grease, paint, rust etc)
>and holding that I could not believe it at times.
>        On the other hand the 7014 I've used for real nice flowing beads and
>is more of an "overlay bead" than a penetrator or for using in stringer bead
>applications(on AC).  The 6013 being the DC version of that build up rod for
>repairs or surface welding.  I'd use it on thin wall tubing with stick
>welding to not blow thru like the 6010 would tend to do(in the past).  Now
>I'd just use a mig for surface treatment for repairs or for surface welding
>of thinner parts to keep from blowing holes.    This isn't from looking
>anything up, but more on what I remember when I did nothing but stick
>welding.  Now I have three mig welders so using stick welding now just seems
>like working at 1/4 of the results which is what the customer is interested
>in.  Heavy winds being the definite case where I'll break out the Electorde
>stinger.  I actually enjoy stick welding on occassion to keep my hand at it.
>        While I'm on the topic of stick welding and we're talking tricks of
>the trade here, I have a stinger that I use that you may appreciate.  I took
>a TIG gun cable that has the gas and woven copper conductor in it........it
>is very light as far as a cable goes.......and that is just the trick.  Cut
>the damaged or burnt out old TIG torch off and hook up a stick electrode
>holder of your favorite configuration to it (I happen to like the twist top
>heads).  It makes a real light 10-15 foot whip (which is all you have to
>hold up all day) and it will more than carry the 75-125 amps you usually
>weld stick with outside.  Most of our root passes were 1/8 and that light
>welding whip at the end of the day makes your hands ache less.  Hope you
>find it helpful.
>
>Ralph
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Woolley" <[email protected]>
>To: "Ralph Sproul" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
>Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 6:06 PM
>Subject: [Fwd: Re: [TheForge] Stick welding question]
>
>
>  
>
>>-------- Original Message --------
>>Subject: Re: [TheForge] Stick welding question
>>Date: Sat, 09 Aug 2003 17:56:27 -0400
>>From: Woolley <[email protected]>
>>To: [email protected]
>>References: <003201c35cee$63877760$50aa62d1@oemcomputer>
>><[email protected]> <001201c35da0$b1a16200$cccb2340@brhlbsmtnh>
>>
>>
>>
>>Ralph,
>> In my experience, 7018, 8018, 9018 et al  can be stored in a dry place
>>without a problem.  When I was working as a boilermaker, I worked on
>>Limerick II when it was being built( one of PECO's nukes in PA).  I had
>>a pipe welding certification there.  You could not draw rod from the
>>designated place where it was dispensed without it coming from an oven.
>> You wouldn't  need to keep it in an oven before welding for most plate
>>jobs but you would for pipe welding.  So keeping the rod at certain
>>temperatures is only a must for certain applications.  The one thing I
>>know for sure is it aids in striking the arc initially, which will help
>>keep your starts free from porosity. As far as 6010 goes, if it gets wet
>>the flux is ruined.  It will just come off the rod.  If you heat it in
>>an oven the flux gets  a chalky  white deposit of some kind.  IMO, if it
>>gets wet, it's done.  Low hydrogen rod can be dried in an oven to take
>>moisture out or probably just used but if it gets soaked it's shot from
>>what I've been told.  I've never been so hard up for rod to try to use
>>rod that's been soaked.  I also don't own a rod oven.  I haven't used
>>much AC/DC  or strictly AC rod since all I ever use my AC machine for
>>was  Tig welding AL.  The little 6013 rod that I've used has had
>>characteristics very similiar to 6010 from a welding standpoint so I
>>would assume you would have to treat it the same way although I'm not
>>sure.  Now I'm curious.
>>
>>Cheers,
>>Bill Woolley
>>    
>>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
>theforge mail list group photo site is
>http://www.photoaccess.com
>Login:  [email protected]
>password:  anvil
>___________
>
>
>
>  
>

--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
multipart/alternative
  text/plain (text body -- kept)
  text/html
The reason this message is shown is because the post was in HTML
or had an attachment.  Attachments are not allowed.  To learn how
to post in Plain-Text go to: http://www.expita.com/nomime.html  ---