I thought I would add one more thing to the saftey list, ear protection. Welding slag can get into your ear, especially if you are welding over head, (I learned this the hard way!) Also, I like to use automatic transmission fluid as a lubricant when drilling metal, it is designed to withstand high temps, and other lubricants like WD-40, are flamable.
Welding!
- Thread starter Brian McVickers
- Start date
Sweet! I stuck two pieces of metal together!!
I finally got around to setting up my stick welder.
I wanted to weld something but I did not have any raw metal around. My neighbor was throwing away this old iron chair that was painted so I used the grinder to cut it up into smaller pieces and then used an electric wire brush to quickly strip the paint. It wasn't too bad for practice material but I can see how good clean metal would be better.
It took a while of playing with the voltage levels but after a while I was able to make a bead, it was ugly but it stuck! Some of the metal was so thin that I burnt right through it if the voltage was too high.
So here are a few questions:
1- Is there a sure way to strike an arc? I could touch the rod to metal and no spark, other times it would spark even before I touched. Then sometimes it would spark and then get stuck!
2- How much does voltage have to do with the size rod you are using? I had a 1/16 and a 1/8 rod. The 1/16 was tough to strike an arc with 40V but at 75V it welded great but then again at 90+ Volts it would burn very quickly. Same with the 1/8 rod, It seemed as if you need at least 90V to even get an arc without getting stuck.
3- After welding a bit everything was black and dirty. I tried the wire brush and event the chipping hammer but never really got that shiny metal look I was expecting. How do you make things less messy or at least clean it up?
Thanks
Brian:ar15: :ar15: :victory:
I finally got around to setting up my stick welder.
I wanted to weld something but I did not have any raw metal around. My neighbor was throwing away this old iron chair that was painted so I used the grinder to cut it up into smaller pieces and then used an electric wire brush to quickly strip the paint. It wasn't too bad for practice material but I can see how good clean metal would be better.
It took a while of playing with the voltage levels but after a while I was able to make a bead, it was ugly but it stuck! Some of the metal was so thin that I burnt right through it if the voltage was too high.
So here are a few questions:
1- Is there a sure way to strike an arc? I could touch the rod to metal and no spark, other times it would spark even before I touched. Then sometimes it would spark and then get stuck!
2- How much does voltage have to do with the size rod you are using? I had a 1/16 and a 1/8 rod. The 1/16 was tough to strike an arc with 40V but at 75V it welded great but then again at 90+ Volts it would burn very quickly. Same with the 1/8 rod, It seemed as if you need at least 90V to even get an arc without getting stuck.
3- After welding a bit everything was black and dirty. I tried the wire brush and event the chipping hammer but never really got that shiny metal look I was expecting. How do you make things less messy or at least clean it up?
Thanks
Brian:ar15: :ar15: :victory:
goodtimes
Expedition Poseur
The easiest way I know of to consistantly strike an arc, is to rub the end of the electrode on the metal....imagine writing on a black board with a piece of chalk.....also, take a look at the end of the electrode. Every so often I manage to get some of the flux to solidify at the end (basically covering it)....when you are running low voltage (for thin material), the flux can act as a insulator. At higher voltages it doesn't seem to be a problem (at least in my limited experience with a arc welder).
I'll leave your other questions to someone who actually has a clue about arc welding (I have half of a clue about running a MIG, and 1/3 of a clue about running a TIG....but that is about it).
I'll leave your other questions to someone who actually has a clue about arc welding (I have half of a clue about running a MIG, and 1/3 of a clue about running a TIG....but that is about it).
Thanks,
I remember your advice from an earlier post about sometimes rubbing the electrode on the concrete to refresh the end. I tried that a few times and it worked well. I also tried running the rod along the metal trying to catch a spark but the downside of that is it is difficult to be precise with the weld as you are moving all over the place.
I remember your advice from an earlier post about sometimes rubbing the electrode on the concrete to refresh the end. I tried that a few times and it worked well. I also tried running the rod along the metal trying to catch a spark but the downside of that is it is difficult to be precise with the weld as you are moving all over the place.
Desertdude
Expedition Leader
This welding DVD link popped up on another board thread - thought you might like it 