Oh baby, where you been all my life?

[Gizmo2]

No switch to choose betwee AC/DC.

The only swich is the Main On/OFF at the top.

One thing kinda puzzling though, if it were an AC only machine, why would it matter which hole the singer and which the ground is plugged into??? Because they ARE different sizes.

I can remember which one is which, But one has the A and B option, And the other has about 10 or 12 different holes to choose from. Beside each of those holes is two amperage ratings, one for A, and one for B.

I'll have to see if I can find some pics. The welder isnt at my house currently:confused2:

The stinger connection may be bigger to accommodate a larger cable for longer distance were as the ground cable usually can be much shorter and would not need to go up in size.

 

[LD1]

On AC there is no such thing as polarity since polarity is autimatically alternating back and forth at 60 hertz. My guess is the original maunfacturer made the plug on the ground wire different to idiot proof it so to speak. It keeps someone from accidentally plugging the ground clamp into a hot tap right right next to a stinger hot tap. This would not weld and might even damage tranformer if someone accidentally did this. With AC you theoretically could move your stinger to end of the wire with the unique tap and move the ground clamp to the wire that changes tap ports for amp selection and it will not alter welding performance.

The stinger connection may be bigger to accommodate a larger cable for longer distance were as the ground cable usually can be much shorter and would not need to go up in size.

I know that there is no such thing as polarity on AC.

That is why i found it puzzling that they were different sizes.

The front of the welder is actually VERY similer to this one Google Image Result for http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3644/3583134742_357213b59a.jpg
Only mine has a few more selections. Since this one says AC, I'd assume mine is too. But the A and B ports are a slightly different size than the ports with the amperage:confused2: If it is an AC machine, I should be able to switch them (if they were the same size) and it wouldnt matter. Of for that matter, use the stinger as the grounding clamp and put a rod in the ground clamp and it shouldnt matter either.

And I dont believe it is to accomidate larger cables. There isnt THAT much difference in size. One is maybe 1/2" and the other 7/16". It's not much.

But I guess It seems that I have been welding with AC all along and not even knowing it. Either way, that welder does a heck of a job. Actually, when using the miller tig/stick at work (which is a DC stick) I really cant tell much difference.

 

[Gizmo2]

And I dont believe it is to accomidate larger cables. There isnt THAT much difference in size. One is maybe 1/2" and the other 7/16". It's not much.

Electrically speaking that is a big difference.

 

[rankrank1]

That is why i found it puzzling that they were different sizes.

The front of the welder is actually VERY similer to this one Google Image Result for http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3644/3583134742_357213b59a.jpg
Only mine has a few more selections. Since this one says AC, I'd assume mine is too. But the A and B ports are a slightly different size than the ports with the amperage:confused2: If it is an AC machine, I should be able to switch them (if they were the same size) and it wouldnt matter. Of for that matter, use the stinger as the grounding clamp and put a rod in the ground clamp and it shouldnt matter either.
.

As I mentioned previous post, having the tap plugs two different sizes prevents one from accidentically plugging the leads in to the wrong place. Regardless of what is on the end of each wire, you have to put one wire in a "letter" port and one wire in a "number" port (i.e. 2 differnt tap sizes makes it utterly impossible to have both wires in "letter" ports only, or makes it utterly impossible to have both wires in "number" ports only since the taps are sized different. With AC makes no difference what is on the end of each wire - stinger or groundclamp).

Forney and Marquette were the two most prominent manufacturers that used taps instead of a selector switch or a rotary dial to change amps.

Of the older vintage transformer based welders, AC will be by far the most common as it was cheapest to buy. To get DC capability on this grade of welder the same AC transformer was still used and then a DC rectifier bridge was added to provide DC power so the welder now had both AC power and DC power, but for extra cost. On lower price AC/DC welders there is amp loss in the rectification proccess so you will usually see something like 225 amps on AC and 125 amps on DC due to the rectification loss in the conversion of the AC to DC. Higher priced welders might have the AC/DC power outputs more equal in power output, but they will be bigger than an average buzzbox and cost even more.

For the record, you must be a pretty good welder as I have always been told that good welders with skill can achieve the same results with AC power as DC power. I myself am a hack of welder, but AC power works fine for my needs. Much less to wrong on an AC welder too as they are so simple. Look how old that welder you are currently using is and it is likely to still be working for your grandkids - hard to argue with that kind of durability and reliability.

 

[LD1]

As I mentioned previous post, having the tap plugs two different sizes prevents one from accidentically plugging the leads in to the wrong place. Regardless of what is on the end of each wire, you have to put one wire in a "letter" port and one wire in a "number" port (i.e. 2 differnt tap sizes makes it utterly impossible to have both wires in "letter" ports only, or makes it utterly impossible to have both wires in "number" ports only since the taps are sized different. With AC makes no difference what is on the end of each wire - stinger or groundclamp).

Forney and Marquette were the two most prominent manufacturers that used taps instead of a selector switch or a rotary dial to change amps.

Of the older vintage transformer based welders, AC will be by far the most common as it was cheapest to buy. To get DC capability on this grade of welder the same AC transformer was still used and then a DC rectifier bridge was added to provide DC power so the welder now had both AC power and DC power, but for extra cost. On lower price AC/DC welders there is amp loss in the rectification proccess so you will usually see something like 225 amps on AC and 125 amps on DC due to the rectification loss in the conversion of the AC to DC. Higher priced welders might have the AC/DC power outputs more equal in power output, but they will be bigger than an average buzzbox and cost even more.

For the record, you must be a pretty good welder as I have always been told that good welders with skill can achieve the same results with AC power as DC power. I myself am a hack of welder, but AC power works fine for my needs. Much less to wrong on an AC welder too as they are so simple. Look how old that welder you are currently using is and it is likely to still be working for your grandkids - hard to argue with that kind of durability and reliability.

Well I guess that makes sense for them being different sizes. I just figured that if you "could" plug two of them into either letter or number ports, nothing would happen. Not completeing the curcuit. But I could be wrong.

And thanks for the kind words I do consider myself a profeccient welder, but I dont consider myself a pro. I have to give credit to my father. As I have never had any formal training or schooling. Just learn by doing. And talking about longjevity, this is the same welder he grew up learning on:thumbsup:

Here is a pics of a weld I just did this weekend on this machine. Not bragging or anything:laughing: The first ones are a before and after repair on the Bushhog 306 deck. The pic really doesnt do it justice. But it is all 7014 rod:thumbsup: Not to mention the two trailers that we have built that I have posted on this site several times over the years. All done on that machine and all still going strong:thumbsup: I have some pics of some better welds I have done, I just cant find them at the moment.

 

[Gary Fowler]

You guys can bring out all the charts etc that you want to show the characteristics of each welding rod and such. I didnt say it didnt make a pretty weld. That is why that shop foreman liked them because he was a somewhat welder in that he could put a hood on with the lens facing the right direction and he could lay a pretty bead with the 7014 but not so much with anything else. The fact that ShieldArc made a coupon bend with them is also not surprising given his welding skills. If you can keep the slag out of the puddle, it looks OK. As long as they are welded slightly uphill, and with a wide gap when in a V groove they work ok. Slag entrapment is a problem in thick specimens and you can end up with a slag line down the middle of your weld sometimes and never see it forming. For your average Joe welding of sheet metal, they will do ok. I merely provided my 40+ years of professional welding experience to the forum. What you find in charts and text does not alway equate to what you get in real life, like the Murex chart that gave 6010 a 4 for open butt groove welds. I would guess that several thousand pipeline welders would disagree with that as nearly all of the gas pipelines in the world prior to 1980's were welded with 6010 electrodes downhill. My advice: Use whatever electrode you find does the trick for you, if it breaks, you still own both pieces and can weld it again. The welding done in your shop is not going to release a toxic gas cloud into the air should it fail. That is the reason 7018 is specified for 99% of all carbon steel SMAW filler welding in pressure piping.
By the way, 7014 rods should also be kept in a moisture controlled atmosphere for optimum shelf life and porosity free welds.
By the way, I am a certified welding inspector with American Welding Society and ASNT-TC-1A and have held pressure pipe welding certifications in practically every weld metal used in modern construction and have been a certified welding instructor for many years. For the last 25 years I have managed Quality programs for a major engineering and construction company. I am not a metallurgist, but I can make two pieces of metal stick together and can pretty much tell when a welder is doing something wrong by just listening to the arc, but feel free to disagree with my findings through experience if you so desire.

 

[LD1]

My advice: Use whatever electrode you find does the trick for you, if it breaks, you still own both pieces and can weld it again.

:thumbsup: I like this statement. Especially comming from a professional welder and instructor such as yourself.

For me, the trick is 7014. And maybe it is just because I have an AC machine.

I have tried the 7018AC and have had no luck.

But when required to run 7018 at work, on the DC machine, and properly stored rod, I can run it just as well as 7014 or 6013. And as a matter of fact, I personally cant tell much difference. If I were welding on the DC machine, and you handed me a 7014 and a 7018, I would be none the wiser. But on my AC machine, a different story alltogether.

And I have said it before, a good weld with 7014 will hold better and is stronger than a bad weld with 7018.:thumbsup:

And I have never looked at any charts or read up on any of the characteristics of the various rods. All I know is from my own personal experience. And that tells me to use 7014 on my machine. If I ever have a weld fail with 7014, I highly doubt that 7018 would have made a lick of difference.

 

[Shield Arc]

If you can keep the slag out of the puddle, it looks OK. As long as they are welded slightly uphill, and with a wide gap when in a V groove they work ok. Slag entrapment is a problem in thick specimens and you can end up with a slag line down the middle of your weld sometimes and never see it forming.

This is a fact right here!:thumbsup:
When I first started, (root pass) on the backing plate I thought OK here we go, soon as the rod / puddle got into the V-groove I knew I was gonna have to be on my toes! Things didn't get comfortable until the third pass. As I stated before, (post #36) 7014 doesn't like being down in a tight groove. You really have to watch the slag!
Can't tell you how many tests I've taken with 7018 that I wasn't half a sleep with pure boredom while taken them. But maybe the reason for that is I've run so much 7018 over the years.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

You guys can bring out all the charts etc that you want to show the characteristics of each welding rod and such. I didnt say it didnt make a pretty weld. That is why that shop foreman liked them because he was a somewhat welder in that he could put a hood on with the lens facing the right direction and he could lay a pretty bead with the 7014 but not so much with anything else. The fact that ShieldArc made a coupon bend with them is also not surprising given his welding skills. If you can keep the slag out of the puddle, it looks OK. As long as they are welded slightly uphill, and with a wide gap when in a V groove they work ok. Slag entrapment is a problem in thick specimens and you can end up with a slag line down the middle of your weld sometimes and never see it forming. For your average Joe welding of sheet metal, they will do ok. I merely provided my 40+ years of professional welding experience to the forum. What you find in charts and text does not alway equate to what you get in real life, like the Murex chart that gave 6010 a 4 for open butt groove welds. I would guess that several thousand pipeline welders would disagree with that as nearly all of the gas pipelines in the world prior to 1980's were welded with 6010 electrodes downhill. My advice: Use whatever electrode you find does the trick for you, if it breaks, you still own both pieces and can weld it again. The welding done in your shop is not going to release a toxic gas cloud into the air should it fail. That is the reason 7018 is specified for 99% of all carbon steel SMAW filler welding in pressure piping.
By the way, 7014 rods should also be kept in a moisture controlled atmosphere for optimum shelf life and porosity free welds.
By the way, I am a certified welding inspector with American Welding Society and ASNT-TC-1A and have held pressure pipe welding certifications in practically every weld metal used in modern construction and have been a certified welding instructor for many years. For the last 25 years I have managed Quality programs for a major engineering and construction company. I am not a metallurgist, but I can make two pieces of metal stick together and can pretty much tell when a welder is doing something wrong by just listening to the arc, but feel free to disagree with my findings through experience if you so desire.

In my experience with 7014, if you get slag entrapment down the center with 7014, you are welding too cold. I was thinking back to your comment you said about it being brittle. I have seen "brittle" 7018 welds fail too, where something wasn't done right. Also, slag behavior varies with the brand as well. I would never go so far to say its a 100% substitute for it, but given the baking requirements for 7018, and its ticklish handling requirements, for most commercial and non commercial welding that isn't a code requirement, 7014 is a good rod to use.

I'm not saying that 7018 isn't the best rod to use if all things are right, but the fact that so much of it is sold "unsealed" and pawned off in home improvement stores, so carelessly handled, without so much as a rod oven for sale in sight, tells me that there is a lot of over promotion of the rod at other rods expense. 7014 does benefit from dry storage, just as 6010 does. These are candidates for the old refrigerator warmers easily built in so many farm shops.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Mark is totally on the button with electrode purchases from box stored etc. First of all they are outrageously priced at around $5 per pound and the little thin plastic bag protection is not enough for 7018 rods. I prefer to buy mine in 50# cans from a welding supply and check them for mishandling. Once dented, they stay dented so you can see if they are mishandled. The 10# heavy plastic boxs are next best, but it is hard to see if they were mishandled as they dont retain the dents and the best part is that you can find them for around #1.25 per pound in 50 # cans.
On moisture control, I just picked up a nice 300# Phoenix dry rod oven on Craigslist from a welding shop going out of business for $200. I find 10# and 50# ovens for sale lots of times for $75 and $100 and am glad I waited for this bargain. Now I can put all my stock in temperature controlled condition.