What am I doing wrong... (1 Viewer)

[mercfan]

dont be frustrated or mad.just walk away for awhile.hey i bet you learned that 6011 and 7018 dont work so well on ac do they,6013is made for ac 6011 and 7018 are not. post photos of all your welds in question ie crappy looking,maybe someone who had welds that look like yours will see them and tell you how they got better.everyone is different on how they learn,but with pics we can get an idea of what you r doing or not doing.just practice and relax try to lean on something or prop your arm some how,maybe hold stinger with one hand and rest eletrode on other.if your body is stiff youll weld like **** everytime.when you walkaway maybe watch some viedos on welding. try weldingtipsandtricks.com this guy has good pointers on all types of welding.just dont give up practice!

Thanks for the encouragement - I'll keep trying. I'm having a really hard time keeping the electrode running steady and straight with the constant distance between the material and the end of the electrode. Since the movement must be controlled along three axis (X, Y and Z) as the electrode gets consumed it gets shorter, so trying to focus on all three axis while watching the puddle is a tall order for me at this point...

Is there anyone in the Denver, Ft. Collins, Colo Springs are that would be willing to show me how to do this at least once?! Would be great. I'll post more photos after I make another run at this (soon). Meanwhile - thx for all the 'moral support'...

 

[Pin_Head]

I'm having a really hard time keeping the electrode running steady and straight with the constant distance between the material and the end of the electrode. Since the movement must be controlled along three axis (X, Y and Z) as the electrode gets consumed it gets shorter, so trying to focus on all three axis while watching the puddle is a tall order for me at this point...
.

You can use your off hand to steady the rod until it gets short. Another trick is to put the rod in the 45 degree notch so the end of the rod is closer to your hand on the stinger. This makes it easier to hold the end of the rod steady.

If you have DC, fuggedabout running any of these rods on AC unless you have a problem with arc blow.

 

[mercfan]

If you have DC, fuggedabout running any of these rods on AC unless you have a problem with arc blow.

Thanks Pin - yeah, I keep it on DC+ all the time now... but yes, I got all kinds of problems - and I believe arc blow is included.

 

[Brasco20]

I like to keep my rod in the straight groove and bend my wrist, this helps me keep my arc length pretty constant, you want the rod leaning forward, so you are dragging the rod and the puddle. With 7018 1/8, i like to be right around 110. Also with 7018 you dont need any weaving or whipping back and forth, just drag it, but not too fast, let the metal build up and fill the gaps. If all of your settings are correct, you should be able to make a pretty nice weld with 7018 as a beginner. Im no pro, im currently going to school for a degree in metals fabrication, and my 7018 always comes out pretty cherry, but it does help to have a teacher standing over your shoulder.
How close is your ground to your work?

 

[mercfan]

... but it does help to have a teacher standing over your shoulder. How close is your ground to your work?

Yes, it would be great to have someone look over my shoulder providing real-time instruction as they watch me butcher these pieces. Ground is very close to the arc everytime.... I ground right to the pieces. I really think my major issues are due to my stiff movements and bad speed control.

Judging from some of the videos I've watched on You Tube and some helpful hints on weldingweb I'm sure majority of my faults are long arks - not close enough to the material and dragging the electrode across my body, instead of towards me. I'll try these tonight and report back. Thx everybody.

 

[mercfan]

Today's work...

Today I used 7018 1/8'' electrode in DCEP (DC+) mode exlusively.

Here are some pics from today. Not great, but I've experienced that little Aha! moment, where the slag finally was flat as it should be. My biggest improvement came when I set my left elbow down and used my left hand to steady the end of the long electrode on the piece. I also jammed the rod against the surface (while maintaining 15-20 deg off vertical). I am slowly learning that I can gently raise the ark just slightly above the surface to make it glow nicely:

I'm still crooked and all over the place but at least I know what to look for now:

Not great, I know, but at least it's better than the last 4 days, believe me...

 

[Pin_Head]

Looking much better. The travel may be a little fast, so try slowing down a bit. It also looks like there is a little under cut on the vertical side, so pay attention to the top of the puddle too. Try scribing a soap stone line parallel to the weld. It is easier to see, so it helps keep your bead straight.

 

[mercfan]

It also looks like there is a little under cut on the vertical side, so pay attention to the top of the puddle too. Try scribing a soap stone line parallel to the weld. It is easier to see, so it helps keep your bead straight.

I see what you mean about the undercut - yep. I creates a weak point. This was the very first 'clean' run where I jammed the electrode in the groove and just dragged it there - hence the undercut. The speed is still a factor - the pics show still fast travel - I know... but I've made a lot of holes too when I went much slower, so somehow I have to find a happy medium.

 

[Brasco20]

I was also going to comment on the under cut. Thats at the top where the bead meets the base metal, at the last few inches of your weld, its not flush right there, there wasnt total fusion. I had a ton of issues with this learning to weld a cert plate in the 2g, or horizontal position. If you slow down and watch that top side you will see the base metal flow down into the puddle and become one. It will be nice and smooth instead of having an overhang. That undercut is where your weld will break. When i first saw that base metal become molten and flow into the puddle, i was like. ahhhh, Sweet! Keep practicing, you'll get it!

 

[Brasco20]

sorry for explaining what you already know, i must have been typing at the same time you were.

 

[Pin_Head]

If you are burning through the 1/8, concentrate the arc on the thicker piece and then "wash" the puddle on to the thinner part with a slight weave. Looks good though and it isn't likely to break. Test it by bending it over just to make sure that it bends without breaking the weld. If you don't test, you don't know it is good. Once you have tested enough good ones, chances are the next one will be good and you will know when it isn't.

 

[neufab]

soap stone works well as a guide i agree,also maybe try a dry run before you lite up(machine off )helps you set up line of sight ,travel direction,rod pos. arm pos.body pos.this really helps if you have alot of welds to do or hard to get at.rember to relax and be comfortable while welding it helps tons.you are well on your way keep up the practice!

 

[mercfan]

soap stone works well as a guide i agree,also maybe try a dry run before you lite up(machine off )helps you set up line of sight ,travel direction,rod pos. arm pos.body pos.this really helps if you have alot of welds to do or hard to get at.rember to relax and be comfortable while welding it helps tons.you are well on your way keep up the practice!

Thx for all the good tips.

 

[davegonz]

Thanks for that soap stone tip. I'll have to try that.