Stick Welding 101 - AC Buzzbox and 5/32 7018

[k0ua]

They are not 7018AC.. they are not the optimized flux for AC.. and like every one says, they are too big for ordinary use.. Not that you couldn't run them on about 200 amps. but your welders duty cycle is such that you don't want to do that long. So long story short, really not a good rod for the machine. 6011, good penetrator, and good for less than the cleanest metal or 7018AC good strength, and optimized for AC or 7014, very easy to run and very pretty welds, but not quite as strong. either 3/32 or 1/8.

 

[rankrank1]

Is what I have not 7018AC? I assumed that it was because it says "DCEP or AC" on the box....

No you have regular 7018. 7018AC will say "7018AC" where your box says "7018". While regular 7018 says it can be run on AC it simply does not run well on all AC power sources even when brand new and dry. Let alone after it has been stored for years improperly and drawn moisture. Also your welder would be considered more on the lower end of power sources in a spectrum rating.

A toaster oven is a good compromise for 7018 or 7018AC. I typically do not burn much 7018 but when I do I always use 7018AC and I put it in a salvaged toaster oven for a bit before I use it to help dry it out some. Most of the smaller packages of rod are not properly sealed even from factory. Toaster oven is not suitable for code work but good enough for a back yard hack. No way am I paying the electricity to run a rod oven year round for my projects even if someone gave me a rod oven for free.

Also 7014 is not brittle. Yes it is more brittle than 7018 but it is more ductile than 6013 or 6010 even (6010 is DC Only rod so forget I mentioned it but it has a big time following in code work for root passes).

With your welding power source, these rods will all be your friends:

a) 6011 for dirty nasty rusty metal or deep penetration. (takes skill to run this rod)
b) 7014 for misc general stuff and cap passes. (idiot rod will almost weld itself and a monkey can do it)
c) 6013 for thin sheetmetal if no wire feeder handy.
d) 7018AC if you feel you need max strength and ductility. Or if you feel you are welding some alloy steel instead of plain ole mild steel. (but is has storage hassles).

 

[Arc weld]

6010/6011 and 7018 are designed for dynamic loading while 7014 is designed for static loading. An easy way to tell which rods are the strongest is to see if they list low temperature impact strength. Also keep in mind you can get XX10 and XX18 rods in higher tensile versions like 8010 or 11018. No such thing as 8013 or 10014.

 

[rankrank1]

6010/6011 and 7018 are designed for dynamic loading while 7014 is designed for static loading. An easy way to tell which rods are the strongest is to see if they list low temperature impact strength. Also keep in mind you can get XX10 and XX18 rods in higher tensile versions like 8010 or 11018. No such thing as 8013 or 10014.

Oh there rods similar to 8013 and 10014 but they are not recognized by the American Welding Society so they do not receive the AWS 4-digit classification number. They are usually just fall under a "maintenance rod", "mechanics repair rod", or a "specialty rod" so often only get a 2 digit designation.

Messer 80T AC is just one of many examples out there. Yomax claims it is a modified 6013 where I think it is more of a hybrid between 6013 and 7014 as it is very easy to run like 7014 and seems to have a bit more penetration that plain ole 6013. Regardless it does run pretty sweet on a low end buzzbox but not so well on a high end expensive inverter machines (according to Shieldarc and his $5000 Miller Dynasty). The rod is pricey though and sometimes hard to find short of mail ordering it or paying through the nose for a 1 lb tiny job pack at Menards.

McMaster, Grainger, MSC and others often sell many specialty rods with only the 2 digit designation number....Are they suitable for code work no.....suitable for a repair from a backyard hack and a buzzbox? Maybe depending on the degree and circumstances of the repair....

 

[Arc weld]

Shield Arc said that stick in general doesn't run very well on his Dynasty but he didn't buy it for that. I'm guessing the newer Dynasty 350 is better for stick but for AC TIG, Dynasty's are outstanding. If someone wants to buy specialty/maintenance rods to get a stronger 6013/7014 rather than just go to low hydrogen, they must have so much money it's burning a hole in their pocket. That then begs the question, why didn't they buy a better welding machine in the first place since they have all this disposable money?

 

[rankrank1]

.... If someone wants to buy specialty/maintenance rods to get a stronger 6013/7014 rather than just go to low hydrogen, they must have so much money it's burning a hole in their pocket. That then begs the question, why didn't they buy a better welding machine in the first place since they have all this disposable money?...

Maintenance and repair guys typically do not weld for a living and rarely do they build large projects from scratch (although there are exceptions). Additionally, rarely do they practice much on their welding skills - it is not necessarily their craft but something they simply have to do sometimes to complete a job. Typically something is broken down and it needs a repair to be usable again. A rod that is very easy for the unskilled operator to use on even on a lowly machine is very desirable in a situation like this. Even if the rods are $4 a piece and the lowly welder was $200 but it only takes 3 rods to complete the job then it was still a cheap repair compared to using a $5000 machine and 3 rods that cost $0.20 a piece to make the same repair.

Pay as you go or pay more up front for better, you still going to pay the piper. Frequent jobs or large scale jobs will likely pencil out for better equipment up front, but not so for the little guy infrequent user.

 

[CNC Dan]

Shield Arc said that stick in general doesn't run very well on his Dynasty but he didn't buy it for that. I'm guessing the newer Dynasty 350 is better for stick but for AC TIG, Dynasty's are outstanding.

I'm a bit surprised that he doesn't like the Dynasty200DX for stick welding. I have the same machine and it is a great stick welder.
I wonder if they made changes, and they improved the stick performance after his, and before mine.

 

[massey50]

Reading back through I see lots of good advice Being a mechanic for almost 40 years and welding lots of different things over the years I found a fix for welding rods that stick-often was using 7018. One person talks about drying the rods in an oven That's all well and good if you have done so but lots of times it is a job you want to get done right away.
I found let the rod stick. then watch it until the steam stops coming off it-the rod will get fairly hot. Then break it free and strike the arc. The trick is to not leave it to long and to make sure you don't break the rod away while looking at it without your helmet on

 

[Arc weld]

Shield Arc has a Dynasty 300. It is no longer available but the Dynasty 350 is the newer model. If maintenance and repair guys require specialty welding rods, maybe they should practice their welding more? Specialty rods have their place but if you need a specialty rod because you have trouble running 7014, someone else should be doing the welding or you really do need a better welding machine.

 

[CNC Dan]

If maintenance and repair guys require specialty welding rods, maybe they should practice their welding more? Specialty rods have their place but if you need a specialty rod because you have trouble running 7014, someone else should be doing the welding or you really do need a better welding machine.

I have to agree. I use two types. 6010/6011 and 7018.