bwstout
New member
Welding is a process. I was teaching my grandson 17 how to weld. His thought is how pretty a bead looks. Running a bead is not welding it is one small part of the proces.
1st what is the proprities of the metal that i am welding mild still high carbon cass or alloy.
2 what is the grade of metal now i understand many home shop may not have all of the information. So most of the stuff we use will be cold roll mild steel. 6011 is good all purpose rod for around the shop good for root pass on pipe. but when it comse to strenght then i would move away from it. Not saying that i know more than anyone that is posted on this thread. I am not a pipe welder spent most of my 40 years welding high pressure tankers big stuff. We used LH rods before migs became the thing mostly 11018 due to the tensile strength this is what the first numbers of your rods will tell you 60,000 or 70,000 or 110,000 ect of what tensile strenght the rod is. So if i am going to weld something what will i do with it will decided on what i use this will help me dediced on what type rod to use. Now for the last 10 years using just migs.
3. now that i have made a choice do i have the right machine for the job. Most home shops will have a standard craker box AC machine hard to use LH on one of these but now they do make AC LH rods that you can make a good looking weld with.
but the machine of choce for LH would be a DC machine set in R/P now you have something that will make a LH purr. In my shop no longer use the craker boxes but have move to the modren world of migs 180 miller. This machine is good up to 3/16 maybe 5/16 with 035 wire now anything after that you can still use but preheating would be requried. This is the issue with a lot of home welders not knowing thier machine abilty and what rods to use. Wire not so hard most and easy to find is 70 sires wire, now here is where the break down happens not all wire is created equal. Most will just go to thier local hardware store or depto and by wire, now it may cost a bit more but try your local welding shop supplier you will find that mig not bad your machine will run good not hard to set.
4 All said know the process and you too can make some welds that you would not be afraid to trust with your life.
1st what is the proprities of the metal that i am welding mild still high carbon cass or alloy.
2 what is the grade of metal now i understand many home shop may not have all of the information. So most of the stuff we use will be cold roll mild steel. 6011 is good all purpose rod for around the shop good for root pass on pipe. but when it comse to strenght then i would move away from it. Not saying that i know more than anyone that is posted on this thread. I am not a pipe welder spent most of my 40 years welding high pressure tankers big stuff. We used LH rods before migs became the thing mostly 11018 due to the tensile strength this is what the first numbers of your rods will tell you 60,000 or 70,000 or 110,000 ect of what tensile strenght the rod is. So if i am going to weld something what will i do with it will decided on what i use this will help me dediced on what type rod to use. Now for the last 10 years using just migs.
3. now that i have made a choice do i have the right machine for the job. Most home shops will have a standard craker box AC machine hard to use LH on one of these but now they do make AC LH rods that you can make a good looking weld with.
but the machine of choce for LH would be a DC machine set in R/P now you have something that will make a LH purr. In my shop no longer use the craker boxes but have move to the modren world of migs 180 miller. This machine is good up to 3/16 maybe 5/16 with 035 wire now anything after that you can still use but preheating would be requried. This is the issue with a lot of home welders not knowing thier machine abilty and what rods to use. Wire not so hard most and easy to find is 70 sires wire, now here is where the break down happens not all wire is created equal. Most will just go to thier local hardware store or depto and by wire, now it may cost a bit more but try your local welding shop supplier you will find that mig not bad your machine will run good not hard to set.
4 All said know the process and you too can make some welds that you would not be afraid to trust with your life.
