Running a rod too hot

[Haywire]

What are the results of running a rod too hot? I had the welder set at 110a and rather than put back a partial stick of 3/32 6011 I laid aside earlier, I decided to burn it and see what happened. It actually looked pretty good considering the nut behind the stinger.

Ian

 

[Shield Arc]

I'd say 110-amps for 3/32 6011 is screaming hot! I'd guess you should be down around 50 60-amps.

Couple ways to know you're running to hot: Lot of splatter, BB size splatter is way too much heat, and if the rod stub is glowing red when you finish your weld. I've worked with guys who run so hot with wire feeds I think you could trip over the marble sized BB's they left behind!:laughing:

 

[deereman75]

I normaly run a 3/32 6011 at 75 amps AC. Seems to run it perfectly, and my machine is a 100% duty cycle at that amperage.

 

[SandburRanch]

Undercutting, which can weaken the joint, is common with current adjustment that's too high. Google undercut(ing) - several examples to choose from there.

 

[Haywire]

I'd say 110-amps for 3/32 6011 is screaming hot! I'd guess you should be down around 50 60-amps.

Yep, I usually run that at 50-55. I just wanted to see what it did at twice that.

thanks guys,
Ian

 

[Gary Fowler]

I remember once a machinist brought me a coupling and said, "Run me a hot bead on the inside" to joint the coupling to a shaft. He was going to machine it out smooth later. I ran him a Hot 1/8" 6010 root pass at about 175 amps which really gave some penetration. He came back after I gave him the coupling and asked me what I did. I did just like you said, ran a hot bead in it. He said the weld was so hard that it was breaking his cobalt cutting tools on the lathe.
I dont think the weld was that good due to the lack of ductility from running too hot. Since the piece was heavy, the weld cooled quickly and was like super tempered.
Any time you run a rod so hot that you are getting buckshot thrown off, it is too many amps and the weld quality will suffer. Best to reach a balance where you get good easy starts, good penetration and small sparks rather than big buckshot sparks flying everywhere. Since every welder dial is a little different, each person will have to determine where that sweet spot is on their machine. There are guidelines for each size rod, but your machine dial may not be calibrated to the numbers shown. The new machines with digital amp meters,I have found to be pretty accurate when checking with calibrated amp meters that clamp around the lead.

 

[jake98]

I remember once a machinist brought me a coupling and said, "Run me a hot bead on the inside"

Why would he request 'hot' ?

 

[Haywire]

I'm going to guess (and it's worth about that much) that he was a little like me. When I walk into a place like that, I like to know just a little about what they do so I can use their terms and appear like I know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I ask for stuff that really isn't what I want. I just don't know it till I get the result back.

Ian

 

[jake98]

I'm going to guess (and it's worth about that much) that he was a little like me. When I walk into a place like that, I like to know just a little about what they do so I can use their terms and appear like I know what I'm talking about. Sometimes I ask for stuff that really isn't what I want. I just don't know it till I get the result back.

Ian

Pretty funny, you see that a lot in the lumber yards.:laughing:

Are you trying any TIG with that PA 200 yet? I have a PowerTig 200 DX coming this week and I'm climbing the walls over it.

ps, when I go in a plumbing supply, I always talk really low.. don't want anybody to suspect I don't have a license..
and speaking of hot, anybody else have that 'peak life' ad coming up on the side of the page?? 'smokin' hot'

 

[Haywire]

TIG? Heck no, I've got more than my hands full trying to learn how to stick weld. LOL

Ian

 

[k0ua]

Pretty funny, you see that a lot in the lumber yards.:laughing:

Are you trying any TIG with that PA 200 yet? I have a PowerTig 200 DX coming this week and I'm climbing the walls over it.

ps, when I go in a plumbing supply, I always talk really low.. don't want anybody to suspect I don't have a license..
and speaking of hot, anybody else have that 'peak life' ad coming up on the side of the page?? 'smokin' hot'

I am TIGing with my PA160.. taking my baby steps, it is different, kinda neat though. I have a loooong way to go

James K0UA

 

[jake98]

I am TIGing with my PA160.. taking my baby steps, it is different, kinda neat though. I have a loooong way to go

James K0UA

I was agonizing over which to get with all the different features, gave up the 120v input I thought would be handy (plus a couple parameter controls), with the I Tig 200? for the AC output of the PowerTig 200. Mark was telling me I might want to try a smaller torch to start with, now I see the little PA 140 comes with a small torch and fits behind the seat, 120v., that may be my next acquisition.. if I ever get paid.

James, you ever talk to K1QQ ? He's an old beer-drinking buddy. KC2BWF

 

[k0ua]

Well I bought a little 17V series torch off of Northern tool, and its power plug is a 3/8 Dinse so it plugs right in to the PA160, and the gas hose is a direct connect to a little regulator (floating ball type) I found on e-bay for $26. I found it all kind of confusing on what parts to get and how it all the torch parts went together, but now after getting one, it all seems so simple. Like everything else, it is " easy if you know how". Finally found a good price locally on an argon cylinder and I was ready to "light it up". Now learning the technique and making pretty welds.. well that is a horse of a different color. But I am working on it and getting better.

James K0UA

 

[Gary Fowler]

Regarding the run me a hot bead issue: The machinist just wanted a deep penetration weld as he was going to machine it out a bit. We had to heat it up red hot and slow cool it to soften it enough for him to machine.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Regarding the run me a hot bead issue: The machinist just wanted a deep penetration weld as he was going to machine it out a bit. We had to heat it up red hot and slow cool it to soften it enough for him to machine.

Musta been a good bit of carbon in the piece.
larry

 

[Gary Fowler]

Actually no, it was an A105 coupling and a piece of cold rolled steel. It was just such a big heat sink the the weld cooled so fast that it super hardened it.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Far as I know low carbon steels wont harden.
larry

 

[Gary Fowler]

The steels wont but the weld will go to a crystalline structure if ran too hot. Then it gets super hard and very brittle.

 

[ramzee1]

I've been accused of welding hot most of my life. Early on I was told if you can't weld good weld hot.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Back a couple of centuries ago when I was welding, we had this old man called him "Alligator Joe" who believed in welding hot. A 350 amp machine wouldnt give him enough amps so he jumped two of them together to get 700 amps capacity to burn a 3/16" 6010 downhill. He would turn them up to about 200 on each machine ( 400 amps) on the filler and you couldnt get within 25 feet of his welding without getting buckshot on you. He couldnt understand how we could beat him welding the same size when we were running 1/8 and 5/32 rods and 150 amps. The more we finished ahead of him the hotter he ran but most of it was just vaporizing or going off as buckshot.