Welding Rods for beginners

[daugen]

daugen a project like that, a Tig rig would be the way to go.
TIG Welding Torch Set 2A 25' Valve Head Air-Cool 26V-25R w/ Gloves | US Seller

I already have that and a foot pedal but no gas.
wanted to learn on stick. I can always turn the whole thing over when I'm done recovering that area and fix it from the other side.
I can also clamp a piece of metal underneath where this hole now is and attempt to fill it from the top.
I'm just starting...
thanks

 

[k0ua]

I already have that and a foot pedal but no gas.
wanted to learn on stick. I can always turn the whole thing over when I'm done recovering that area and fix it from the other side.
I can also clamp a piece of metal underneath where this hole now is and attempt to fill it from the top.
I'm just starting...
thanks

OH, I didn't know you had a torch and valve..OK then.

 

[daugen]

OH, I didn't know you had a torch and valve..OK then.

combi unit, Everlast 160 something
no, not sure I have a torch, valve yes. Lines yes. Foot pedal yes.

 

[Spanner]

Well, Good on you for trying and for posting pics. Nobody is laughing as we all had to start somewhere and we've all been there with the holes and chasing them all over the work-piece. :thumbsup:

"Shininess" is next to "Weldyness" I was told. Make sure your work is rust-free (and paint-free) along the edges you're joining/filling and make sure your Earth return (Ground) clamp is on a shiny area also. The angle grinder is your friend here and those sandpaper 'flap' discs or Scotch-Brite (pot scrub stuff) discs remove rust/paint but don't gouge the metal as much as 'stone' discs. Gotta be shiny.

Rusted mower decks are hard work. They are often/always rusted from underneath and the metal is of varying thickness as a result. That's why you can be going along nicely and all of a sudden you burn a hole at a thin bit. Then you try and recover that when it's hot and burn some more...etc. Sometimes you just have to cut the area of rusted/thin steel out and make a patch piece to 'let into' the resultant large hole. You can't repair all rust holes all the time.

I had great success while in the UK welding sheetmetal with very thin 1.6mm rods and my Inverter Welder.

Back home here and the 1.6mm aren't available so I have to work with 2.5mm upwards. I sure miss those 1.6mm's.

The Auto-darkening helmets are a godsend for part-time welders. You can see your rod at the starting point. All Pro welders should start with the old 'Nod' type helmet and they learn to hold their rods still as second nature. But they are welding all day. The magnifier lens is great too.

We maybe get the welder out once a month and have to re-learn the 'feel' and the settings etc. So the Auto helmets help a lot.

One other thing I found to help with welding poor quality steel is to use the Stainless Steel rods. They seem more forgiving. Also they leave lovely shiny silver beads which look a million bucks on a customers repair.

A tip I was given was to get a pile of off-cuts from a sheetmetal fabrication shop and just join them together at random angles to practice. Make a modern-art sculpture. If you ask, they will give you the off-cuts and you can return the sculpture to their scrap bin to hide your efforts. When you get good, make useful items from old horseshoes etc.

When you get really good, your slag will self-detach from the bead so always wear safety glasses as it sometimes 'pops' off and can hurt.

Keep at it. :blacksmith:

 

[LD1]

Yep, of all welding methods, filling holes, on thin stuff is the least desirable.

But you at least have chosen the same rod I would have.

Certainly don't try to close that all in one pass or you will just keep making it bigger.

Move fast enough to prevent burning metal away. What's deposited is deposited and it will get smaller with each passing.

Trying to fill a gap like that, the tough part is getting slag trapped in the thin crack. Everything will look welded until you chip slag. Gotta make sure you get all the slag cleaned off before next pass. A needle scaler is a great asset for stick welding

 

[Shield Arc]

without a doubt I would attack it with the TIG too, but given what he has, would you make some recommendations for trying to get those holes closed with stick? I would try to do it with 7014. But you have a lot more experience than I do.. what say you.

Well first off, I wouldn't have even attempted it with stick! Being a structural welder. I've never been good at welding thin material. There was a time in my life, where I thought 3/8-inch steel was sheet metal.
To fix that now, I would use a copper flat bar backing. And a 3/32-inch rod. 7014 or 6013.

 

[daugen]

I thought I was doing pretty well for a newbie, until I wasn't...
ok, I actually feel a little better that welding thin steel like this isn't so simple.
I'm going to put another piece of metal there, underneath, to create a "floor" of sorts, since the top has to remain
level and smooth to get the reinforcing plate over that area.

am looking forward to another shot at this today. Will start off practicing a little more.
Slowly and patiently...

 

[PJSprog]

Also watch your fan placement. It might be blowing your shield away.

 

[yomax4]

Easy fix with a 1/16 6013.

 

[CincyFlyer]

I would Tig weld the cracks!

Yeah, I have found that when using TIG, you can "follow" the crack as it magically grows longer than you imagined it to be! You can certainly find the end of it (then no holes required!)