Technical Stick welders, help me out please

I've had a Mig for 30+ years, cheapie from Italy. But a good cheapie, claims to be 140A, uses a 20A 120v circuit as it has the 20A plug. The name escapes me right now, but that brand was purchased by Lincoln and is now their low end product. But, I only use it for thin stuff as I prefer my stick machine, an even older AC-DC machine with the sliding, no stops, amperage adjustment. Before that I had the normal AC tombstone. Once I tried the DC side, I don't think I've ever gone back to AC, except to use high amps to cut some heavy s****.
With it and 7014 I can finally make welds that look presentable! At least when horizontal. Even 6011 doesn't look too bad and sticking is minimized at least. I've adopted a drag/lift start movement that seems to work better than just tap/lift.

I'm no welder and need all the help I can get and DC seems to help a lot

 

Is it a Cebora?

 

I have had a Tig for 51 years, and a Mig for 45. My Lincoln 300, has always had a stinger hanging on it. I recreated a ch***is for a Belly Tank that was built in 52, a while back, and stick welded it for correctness. I was able to give lessons to a young friend, who had never stick welded before.

 

Not a recommended practice, however in a pinch I was shown this trick by an old pipeline welder. Your rod is wet, you're out in the middle of nowhere, and the job has to get finished. Oh, and there's no way you're going to get frexh rod in time. What do you do?

Stick the rod on purpose to ground, no arc. Watch it doesn't get red hot, and it will "bake" out the moisture. It's a timing kind of thing. You need to let it get hot enough to evaporate the moisture, seen as steam coming off the rod, but not damage the flux.

Like I said, not recommended, but in that pinch...

 

Well, I must be practicing that technique several times while arc welding

 

This is why it can be a downward spiral with the inexperienced. Too much heat generated in the rod from constantly sticking it to the work piece, which degenerates the rod and can cause it to stick more....... and around and around we go....

 

Use 7018. Stronger than 6010. But make sure your gaps are pretty tight.

 

Like I said, not recommended...

Also, in context, in a situation where the job has to be done, we do whatever it takes.

I don't stick weld much these days. And I wonder how many of us keep our mig wire dry. I tend to buy small spools so it doesn't rust, as I can go a couple of months without welding anything. Thank god for tig. I can keep that rod dry...

 

Since I started stick welding 60 years if I get anything that is "out of position" and absolutely, positively has to be a good weld I'll go with 7018 and plug the stinger into my Lincoln tig machine on DC. Anything else I'll go back to tig or mig. I've had a couple of AC buzz boxes over the years and did a lot of welding with 7018 AC with good results.

 

7018 was a recent revelation for me. In HS and in a college welding course, it was 6011 (snap, crackle & pop) all the way.

In college I did required practice welds that were handed in and graded, for those who struggled. I guaranteed them a B grade in exchange for a pitcher of beer at the campus bar.. a whole $2.50 value...

 

And this is why Boilermakers have a drink named after them. Alcohol calms the nerves, steadies the hands and allows one to make picture perfect welds using 3 or more mirrors with 100 % penetration every time. You must have been coached by a pipefighter.

 

Thanks... but my question was whether you could build a safe ch***is welding downhill... I'm guessing no?

 

Welding down hill is really only safe for thin gauge material.
Welding down hill on a strength required application is unsafe. It will trap slag, cause cold lap and not add enough material for proper strength. Any weld at its throat should at least be as thick as the parent material.

 

What you said is what I should have said instead of trying to impress him with something unrelated to what he asked. Dammit

 

Budget 36
Thanks for the Thread
Saw some cool pics and learned a bunch.
Did you get your project welded up?
Dan

 

Not yet, going to make some strides on it today. I’ve been getting some great info from @alanp561 I hope to put to practice this afternoon.

 

We’ll like the commercial says “Your in good hands”

 

I seen a stick welding rod laying in the parking lot at Menards today, I didn't pick it up as it has been snowing.

 

A few months ago I was cleaning up a cabinet I'm getting rid of that was in my old welding shop. Way back in the corner of the bottom shelf was a plastic box of stick welding rod that has never been opened. I'd have to look at it to be sure which rod it is, but I'm betting that box is nearly 20 years old. The box has been on the shelf in the mostly closed up steel cabinet, in my basically dry shop (heated in the winter, garage door open in the summer). I have 10 year old sheet metal in here with almost no surface rust on it. I wonder if that box of rod would be any good?

 

I'd use it , but then again , I'll use anything " usable" . 40+ years ago a guy gave me a new can of a eutectic SS rod , , I've used it for various projects over the years , welds look god , haven't failed , I'll keep using it !

 

I did some welding with one of these, Sears carbon Arc welder. Welded a lot of exhaust pipes and some fenders on my race car. Dad was pretty good with holding the arc just right in one hand and the rod in the other. I couldn't get the arc to stay steady, so I used the arc welder portion.

 

Oh man, remember all of the different versions of that sold in the back of all of the magazines? For something like $29.95+s&h? I always wondered if they actually worked. Now I know...

 

The arc welding rods were something like 1/16" diameter, I went through a ton of them welding pipes together, then went really fast!

 

I had a box to yours. I could weld ok with it , was really terrible if I used any thing other than a 12 gauge extension cord I’m guessing anything other than 12 gauge caused enough voltage drop to cause problems with the arc. The welding I did with it was probably marginal at best, a pro would’ve done better I’m sure. I think I payed $90 for it, did what I needed at the time - welding up leaks on an underground water line ,I’m positive that old water line was/is HAMB appropriate lol
Dan

 

One of these was a Christmas present from my first wife in 1969. Finally threw it out when I moved 11 years ago. Those 1/16" rods burned real fast...

 

I have this 110 welder, probably from the 30's-40's. It is wood framed, with a Masonite front panel. I tried it out, and it still works. I still have a stash of stick rods of all sizes and strength from the 70's, kept close to the furnace, and they always weld just fine.

 

It would depend on how it was sealed. Is it airtight? If so, I'd throw it in the oven at 250 degrees for four hours and use it without thinking a thing about it.

 

@Budget36, still waiting for those pictures. I don't know about these other guys, but I promise I won't laugh, honest.

 

lol. Weather moved in for a bit on Saturday, and just too much muck to deal with out back.
But I have a plan, kinda, I think. Well maybe…