Welding Rods for beginners

[Big Barn]

Daugen, I took some college courses in welding. The instructor made us start with 1/4" steel butt welds in all configurations. He said that we had to learn that before we'd ever have a chance to weld on anything smaller with a stick because thinner metal burns through to fast for a beginner.
My two cents.
Lenny

Actually that makes a lot of sense.

Terry

 

[dragoneggs]

Funny thing is that for me the things I wanted to weld as a beginner tended to be thin structure. Naturally I thought that would be easier. I quickly learned thin is definitely not easier. Been doing MIG for awhile and am getting better but I don't have enough projects to really improve. Too much down time between projects causes 'rust'. The more I do, the more I want to learn TIG. But that is another machine!

 

[daugen]

in the relative cool of this morning I'm having another go at it.
first thing to do is adjust the settings in the helmet, I really had a hard time seeing what was going on

the main hanging frame of this mower is in pretty good shape, except where an entire hanger was ripped out.
I have to put a plate over the hole and then will weld this new hanger bracket in place.
I have a real appreciation for how hard hardened steel is when cutting some of these pieces.

 

[LD1]

Dont look like the shade on your helmet is adjustable for shade. Only delay and sensitivity.

 

[daugen]

Dont look like the shade on your helmet is adjustable for shade. Only delay and sensitivity.

you're absolutely right, but I should have shown you the nice big dial on the outside for darkness...:ashamed:
first time...and the instructions were lost long ago. So I turned that dial to half way and oh yeah, now I can see. What a difference.
And I did well for almost two hours. Welded and grinded and rewelded and regrinded and did that twice more and was pretty happy with what
I saw. Mostly smooth clean metal with no evidence of old cracks. A few places the cracks were still there but structurally the job was done.
Except for the big holes.

And then I decided to make one more pass with just a little more penetration on one crack with a lot of old crack shining through.
Of course I put a big hole in the deck. And I couldn't close it. Nor could I close two others. I was tired, filthy, soaked in sweat, getting frustrated,
and decided that now was the time to call it a day. Believe I will stock up on the large economy size of JB Weld...

I was running at 80 amps with a little start sticking so I don't think I was running too hot. Spatter at times, probably holding it too far off the metal.
In one of those iterations I quickly learned that leaving a nicely laid down black line of slag on top really doesn't do anything about the crack underneath...
as one grinds away and are back to square one. Boy that's tricky when the whole thing can collapse under you like standing on thin ice.

Will post pics later. Had to come in and take a shower and get all that metal dust off me. Even with a full face shield it sure makes a mess.

I'm actually looking forward to when I weld that thick piece of hardened steel to another thick piece of deck metal.

 

[Deere Dude]

I have used old welding rods as filler and used my share of bolts with the heads cut off to use as filler. The thinner stuff is a bear to weld on without poking through and expanding the hole especially using stick welders. For my very thin stuff I bought a 110 volt stick welder and some 1/16" rods or I can't weld it. Not great but works for me. Good luck

 

[daugen]

I have used old welding rods as filler and used my share of bolts with the heads cut off to use as filler. The thinner stuff is a bear to weld on without poking through and expanding the hole especially using stick welders. For my very thin stuff I bought a 110 volt stick welder and some 1/16" rods or I can't weld it. Not great but works for me. Good luck

thanks. yeah I'm getting an education under dripping fire here. Here I am thinking about nice little back and forth wiggles and z patterns when
reality is more how low do you go before complete disaster strikes. I may make some metal patches from below and use one of those products not to be spoken of
to smooth things out. I'm a realist on my abilities...

 

[k0ua]

Hold a tight arc. And with 7014, tighter still. Bury that sucker. If still no success, go to Lowes and get some of those Lincoln 1/16 6013 rods. I use them occasionally on very light stuff. Start at about 28 amps. The trick will be to get them struck, the will be a little harder to light off at that current range. Then still hold a tight arc, but don't touch the puddle with them. It sounds to me like you are long arcing. Which is the thing that EVERY rookie does.

 

[PJSprog]

Harbor Freight usually carries 1/16" 7014 rods, too.

 

[k0ua]

Harbor Freight usually carries 1/16" 7014 rods, too.

Yes, but I tried some of them, and maybe I got a bad batch, but I was not impressed with the quality of the flux on them. They seemed to sputter and spatter and not do all that well. The Lincolns are 6013, and I am not a big fan of 6013, but their quality seemed good.