My First Stick Welding Project

[Gordon Gould]

I bought myself an old tombstone AC welder and I am learning how to use it. This is my "ventilation" system plus I have the cellar door open a crack. Works good. I can see all the smoke going into the "hood" as I weld. I don't even set the smoke detector off and my wife says there is no smell upstairs.



Anyway, I thought I should do something that doesn't matter for a first project. But I wanted to do something heavy. So I built up some worn down plow shoes. Harmless enough. These are utilitarian welds not those of a craftsman. Doing this is a lot more interesting than just laying beads like I have been doing.





gg

 

[Shield Arc]

If you go to buy some 6011, I really like Hobart's 335A 6011.

 

[ovrszd]

I agree. When my shop burned I replaced my Hobart rod with Radnor rod. Not impressed at all

 

[Gordon Gould]

That is Lincoln Fleetweld 180 (6011). An almost full 5 lb box came with the welder along with some 6013 and 7014 which I have not tried yet. The 6011 is just about gone now I might try the Hobart. I have been keeping everything the same so I can see if I am getting any better at it. Which I am, even thought you can see from my work I have a long way to go.

 

[Arc weld]

A shop vac isn't really a substitute for a fume extractor as it can catch on fire.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Second on Arc Weld. Also looks like you have a lot wood around that welding. Hope you have a big fire extinguisher.

Ron

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Second on Arc Weld. Also looks like you have a lot wood around that welding. Hope you have a big fire extinguisher.

Ron

 

[dragoneggs]

Looks like a very nice welding table GG! Way to dive in on a big weld... at least for some of us. Yeah not you, SA.

 

[Gordon Gould]

A shop vac isn't really a substitute for a fume extractor as it can catch on fire.

No argument from me on this. It is one of those Do Not Try This At Home Yourself things.

And yes I have two good size fire extinguishers within an arms length and I stay down in the shop for an hour after I am through welding to make sure everything is still good. I agree it is a very poor welding environment but it is better than out in the snow.

Thanks Dragoneggs. I built the table with my torch set along with some advise I got here. In the same "shop". It is one of the handiest things I have. I use it for everything it seems. It was my first major welding project.



gg

 

[stuckmotor]

Anybody know why we're getting so many double posts in the last couple of days? There must be a glitch in the system.

Second on Arc Weld. Also looks like you have a lot wood around that welding. Hope you have a big fire extinguisher.

Ron

 

[groundcover]

I love the hinge on the vice Gordon ! If you take the filter out of the shop vac you may have less chance of sparks lodging in it and starting a fire from the fanning action. Had a case where someone used a shop vac to take ash out of a pellet stove and a fire started in the filter. They do make a ash vac that has a 'fire proof' filter.

 

[robstaples]

GG, as groundcover said , take filter out, add some water to vacuum base and you should be ok. Still have plastic hoses. Nice start. At any level, welding can be fun.

 

[Gary Fowler]

That fume extractor looks to work well. You put much more into it than I would have, likely just a fan at the window sucking the smoke out would have been my lazy way but then I don't work in a basement either so my smoke extracting is just to keep it down to breathable conditions. I don't do a lot of welding in my shop anymore and when I do, I roll my table to the edge of the doorway so smoke isn't a consideration so much.

Very nice table build by the way.

Get some 7018 AC rods and try them, I think you will like the ease of welding with them. The only real drawback to 7018 welding is the re-start which is a bit hard to break off the slag from the end but the smooth welding, less sparking is more than offset to the hard starting.

 

[flusher]

No argument from me on this. It is one of those Do Not Try This At Home Yourself things.

And yes I have two good size fire extinguishers within an arms length and I stay down in the shop for an hour after I am through welding to make sure everything is still good. I agree it is a very poor welding environment but it is better than out in the snow.

Thanks Dragoneggs. I built the table with my torch set along with some advise I got here. In the same "shop". It is one of the handiest things I have. I use it for everything it seems. It was my first major welding project.

View attachment 453927

gg

Nice welding table. Only thing I would have done differently is use non-swiveling casters with locking capability.

Good luck

 

[aczlan]

GG, as groundcover said , take filter out, add some water to vacuum base and you should be ok. Still have plastic hoses. Nice start. At any level, welding can be fun.

Here is a different idea. Take a 5 gal bucket, drill 2 holes in the top, in one put a piece of PVC the same size as your hose, long enough to get 1" off of the bottom of the bucket. In the other, just a threaded PVC coupler.
Put 2-3" of water in the bucket, hook the vacuum to the coupler and the hose coming from the vent hood to the long pipe.
Then the air coming from the fume hood has to go through the water to get into the vacuum.
That way anything hot will end up in the water, not in your shop vac.
It also works well when vacuuming up drywall dust.

I can snap a picture later if that would be clearer.

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

Get some 7018 AC rods and try them, I think you will like the ease of welding with them. The only real drawback to 7018 welding is the re-start which is a bit hard to break off the slag from the end but the smooth welding, less sparking is more than offset to the hard starting.

I tried 7018 AC on my tombstone, but I MUCH prefer 6011. Easier to lay a bead and no fussing with the slag from the end.

Aaron Z

 

[4570Man]

That fume extractor looks to work well. You put much more into it than I would have, likely just a fan at the window sucking the smoke out would have been my lazy way but then I don't work in a basement either so my smoke extracting is just to keep it down to breathable conditions. I don't do a lot of welding in my shop anymore and when I do, I roll my table to the edge of the doorway so smoke isn't a consideration so much. Very nice table build by the way. Get some 7018 AC rods and try them, I think you will like the ease of welding with them. The only real drawback to 7018 welding is the re-start which is a bit hard to break off the slag from the end but the smooth welding, less sparking is more than offset to the hard starting.

I find rubbing the rods on a piece of rusty metal works well for knocking the slag off the end. I can say from experience DO NOT lay the piece of rusty metal on your metal welding table because it is grounded.

 

[Big Barn]

I've only recently tried 7018. Had a sheltered life on the farm with my buzz box for the last 50 years...

I find it easiest to just break the nub off with my (gloved) thumb.

 

[ovrszd]

I've only recently tried 7018. Had a sheltered life on the farm with my buzz box for the last 50 years...

I find it easiest to just break the nub off with my (gloved) thumb.

Or if you can remember, tap the end of the rod on something right after welding while it's still hot. The excess flux will chip off easily.

I really like how 7018 works, once I get past the flux issue.

 

[4570Man]

Or if you can remember, tap the end of the rod on something right after welding while it's still hot. The excess flux will chip off easily. I really like how 7018 works, once I get past the flux issue.

Something besides the grounded work table. The concrete floor works good.