Need advice on welding rods

Rafter-S

I need to know what different welding rods are used for. I have been teaching myself to use an electric welder (Linclon crackerbox) and, up until now, have used 6011 rods for everything--they are what the salesman told me would be a basic all-around rod. I weld on farm equipment, make fence braces, and the like.

Are there better suited rods for different applications, like welding on thin metal such as pipe and barrels?

Harleeman1030

Rafter..I have a welder on the job right now when he wakes up in the morning i will have him help..If someone else helps before then good deal

Harleeman1030@aol.com

cowdoc

i mainly use 7018 rod with welder on dc to fix farm equipment but you need to have metal clean for that 6011 works good to burn through paint rust ect not as strong as 7018 though ....when welding thin metal use a smaller diam rod


I dont give my guns without somebody getting hurt!

jltrent

On AC the best rod for general use is the 6013 and like someone else said the thinner the metal the smaller the rod you should use. The best size all around rod to use if you have a stick welder is the 1/8 inch. On DC use the 7018 low hydergen rod for vertical and overhead welding, but from my experience the AC doesn't look as pretty, but will hold better.

Daddy2B8162

Rafter, on the old stuff your going to have at the farm, doing the best job at preping is half the battle, which I am surew you already know. The 6010 rod is what I have found to be one of the most versital. It does a good job of burning through old paint or surface rust that you may not be able to grind away.The 6010 also works well in inverted positions. It won't be the prettyiest weld, but will be tough. The 7018 is a great rod, but the metal will need to be pretty clean to get it to dig and hold well. If you have not tried cast iron yet, there are some awsome nickel cadmium rods that work good. You will just need to pre heat and post cool properly which can be done using a sand bed or regular lime.

Hope this helps a bit Ed

TOOLS1

The numbers on the rods tell all about them.
The first 2 numbers are the tensil strength. 60 = Sixty thousand pounds.
The third number is what positions it can be used in. 1 = all. 2 = flat and vertical. 3 = flat only,
The fourth number tells you the about the rod itself and what it can be used for. And wether it is AC or DC or DC reverse. Youre welding rod supplier should have some lititure that will tell you thease things.
As for what you are doing stick with the 1/8 inch 6011. It will burn through paint and rust. And even its own *. The 6013 is useless on any thing buy new clean metal.
The 6010 is for DC use and the 7018 is for DC reverse.
Hope this helps you out. I used te be certified in several types of welding. Till Eye Doc told me to quit. Not due to welding though Rare eye desise.
Oh one last thing use a number 12 lens.
TOOLS

barto

tools- ive been welding more years than i care to count but
ive never been able to get 7024 to run vertical(jet rod).
ive heard this before but i believe the 2 means flat only.
also i dont ever remember seeing any rod w/a 3 as the third number.
no offense intended
barto

the hard stuff we do right away - the impossible takes a little longer

homer4

If you can grind off the painted surface...try the 6011 for the root pass, then come over with 7018 for the covering and cap passes.

"...Abby someone""Abby who"..."Abby Normal"

Edited by - homer4 on 08/12/2002 16:27:18

BlueTic

Normally the pipers at work will use (now this is for x-ray work) 6010 for the first/root pass then cap with 7018 high/low (just regular old 7018). Us structural hands tend to forget the root pass and just hog in the 7018. For work at home and what your uses are I use both, reasons are: 1. 6010 will burn off your impurities and give you something for the 7018 to burn through. 2. 7018 has a tendency to throw off more * and pop and sputter when you just have a the two pieces of metal (the air in the gap kinda makes small explosions) so the 6010 reduces your problems with the 7018. 3. makes for a nice smooth finish. Most of my work around home, I use 3/32 rod, it is nice and easy to control and you can keep the heat down with the thinner materials. I run my heat from 80 - 95 amps with that size. If you go with 1/8th then you can crank the heat up and and work with the heavier stuff, lets say over 1/4" material. Any overhead use the 3/32 rod because of the control.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY RIGHTS - GET OUT OF MY COUNTRY (this includes politicians)

Warpig883

Weld H13 tool steel at work all the time. It is very high nickel. We use Super Missile Weld 1/16 and 1/8 rods. They do not have a number designation on them. They are red. We preheat it and also heat it after welding.

moc.murofsmraerifeht.www

Norman Dog

Rafter - lots of good advice so far, but here's my take on it:

First, so you know where I'm coming from, I am a hobbyist, not an expert. I took a vocational course at the local JC that introduced me to several different types of rod during the stick welding unit. At home, I have an AC cracker box that does everything I require in a welder.

I have found that 6011 works well, but for a novice such as myself who only arc welds once in a while, the 6011 requires a technique that have to kind of relearn each time. 6013 is a good drag rod that works as long as everything is prepped properly. My favorite, though, is 7018AC. The regular 7018 will work on the AC machine but, as mentioned before, is messy. The 7018AC is made to be used on an AC machine and is very easy to handle and makes a great weld that sheds its flux coating with a minimum of work. The joint has to be prepped, but all rods benefit from this.

There is good info at this website:

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/

Click on "Knowledge" and go to the articles section. Good luck!

Veritas morsum, autem veritas est verus

WOOF.

Edited by - Norman Dog on 08/12/2002 13:49:38

TOOLS1

Barto
If you ever get to a ship yard Im sure that you will be able to find some rods with a 3.
Last one I seen was about 3 feet long and 2 1/2 inches thick. It was put into a fixture like a teater toter on wheels. Was something to see.
TOOLS

dads-freehold

greetings, tools i believe your talking about a carbon arc rod. and i have never had any success with the 7018 in ac, dc is fine . the low hydrogen give a strong weld. we use both the 6011 and 7018 on bridges. respt submitted dads-freehold

Judge Dread

If your intent is Gun building be carefull what you weld, if
you loose your temper on the work piece,"Like a shotgun barrel"
,it will just explode in your face at try out...
common plactice is bronze blazing welding and retempering piece at
the proper hardness ...

JD

400 million cows can't be wrong ( EAT GRASS !!! )

TOOLS1

Dads Freehold
No it wasent a carbon arc rod. It looks just like a 7018 rod on super steriods. About the size of a baseball bat.
Thay weld that 6 inch plate togather with it.
The last time I saw it was at least 20 years ago. Thay might be using a submerged arc set up now or something else. However it is hard to beat stick welding for strength.
TOOLS

Rafter-S

Many thanks, guys--I appreciate your input. I live way out in the boonies so I don't have the ability to ask many people technical questions. This forum has a remarkable accumulation of talent and experience. It's good to be a part of it.