Welding Rods for beginners

[daugen]

I am learning how to weld in retirement, and have a mower deck project I am cutting steel for right now that will be part of
my learning process. I have watched the YouTube videos, got a big Welding how to book, and also have all the hardware and tools.
My machine is an everlast stick tig, 160 something, about four years old, bought from vendor here and never used due to family
emergencies. Now I have time to learn to weld, and know that I have some training welding to do. I bought some rods years ago for this, and
when a friend/pro welder helped me fire up the machine for the first time, it welded quite nicely at 85-100 amps using a 7014 rod.

So here's my primary question. I have two boxes of 6011, two boxes of 7014 and one box of 7018.
What should I have as a basic supply?
At one time I knew why I bought them...the characteristics etc. I'm doing very simple steel welding.
Once I learn stick I will likely try the TIG half of the welder, all the parts including the foot pedal are here except for the gas bottle.

I'm not going to be welding aluminum or stainless steel. I have done a lot of soldering and understand molten metal but this is clearly
a different process with different rules.

To begin with, what should I train with on moderately clean steel?
thanks Drew

 

[M5farms]

6013 are great rods for general purpose welding. Easy to strike and use. Clean steel is always best.

 

[nikdfish]

The 6011 is a deep penetrating rod & can punch through surface rust & paint if needed. It is a lot more likely to blow through thin material than 6013. 6013 is good for sheet metal & times when appearance is a big concern, it can make for a prettier (though not necessarily better) bead than 6011.

6011 & 6013 are the rods I keep on hand (in 1/8 & 3/32 sizes for each) for use with an old AC Lincoln.

Nick

 

[Deere Dude]

Any advice I give will be wrong according to the welding guru's, but I have 10# of 6013 and hate them. They don't start easy and the welds don't look very pretty.

The kind I always come back to for ease of use seems to be 1/8" 7014. It starts somewhat easy and easy to weld overhead or vertical. Supposedly it is a strong weld but for everything I stick together almost any kind of rod would work. Even though I have the 6013s I would still get more 7014s to burn.

I have a 225 amp John Deere stick welder and I can hook two pieces of metal together with very few problems. I just put the amps at about 115-130 and weld all day long.

 

[lilranch2001]

My first welding job was as a helper at a shop that did a lot of heavy sheet metal and structural.
The owner of the company did not like mig, tig was mostly for very fine work, everything that could be done with stick was done with Atom Arc 7018.
At the time I was not a "welder", in high school shop class I learned some basics, and learned a little more from the Iron and Sheet metal boys in the shop.
I went to school at night for 3 months and learned how to weld with 7018, and never regretted it.
Became more than proficient at it, before I moved on I had become the go to guy for out of position welding with it.

 

[daugen]

thanks. I haven't even begun to prep for welding, the pics just show the "before".
Have a Dewalt hand grinder and expect to do a lot of cleaning first.
Strong believer in importance of prep based on a lifetime of painting and seeing the results
of various degrees of prep.

is there a solvent/cleaner I should use on steel to be welded other than paint thinner and then denatured alcohol?
That is my usual approach after a primary degreasing.

Ok, 6013 and 7018 go on my list. I'm looking forward to trying a few out.

 

[Gordon Gould]

You might try this basic Lincoln lesson sequence. When you are done you will have a feel for when to use 6013, 6011, and 7018 and what the benefits for each are. I found it very helpful.

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/education-center/documents/smawfacilitatorguide.pdf

gg

 

[Shield Arc]

Majority of the rod I keep on hand is 6010, and 7018. I do have some stainless steel, and aluminum rod too.

 

[daugen]

Any advice I give will be wrong according to the welding guru's, but I have 10# of 6013 and hate them. They don't start easy and the welds don't look very pretty.

The kind I always come back to for ease of use seems to be 1/8" 7014. It starts somewhat easy and easy to weld overhead or vertical. Supposedly it is a strong weld but for everything I stick together almost any kind of rod would work. Even though I have the 6013s I would still get more 7014s to burn.



I did buy two boxes of 7014 for a reason, probably because the welding book suggested it.
I know there are issues of light metal vs heavy hardened steel, clean steel vs rusty (I would always clean it up somewhat before hand)
and perhaps how easy some of these types are to start off.

 

[daugen]

You might try this basic Lincoln lesson sequence. When you are done you will have a feel for when to use 6013, 6011, and 7018 and what the benefits for each are. I found it very helpful.

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/education-center/documents/smawfacilitatorguide.pdf

gg

thanks Gordon I will.