What am I doing wrong?

[Pilot]

New to stick welding, Lincoln 225 set for 90 amps. Rod is 6011. Practicing on steel about 1/32 inch thick. Can run an arc for about 10 inches ( some of the time) which uses up most of the rod but burns a hole in the part much of the time. On some passes it deposits metal and on other passes or if I try to join 2 pieces or if I try to fill a hole, I get more holes.
I'm doing something wrong, what is it?
Thanks

 

[Oldoak]

Are you joking? If not, the amperage is too high and the metal is really too thin for stick welding.

 

[4570Man]

1/32 is too thin for stick welding.

 

[koshari]

old oak has a point here, if you want to stick weld thin stuff, you really need an inverter welder, thin rod , low amps, (40 to 60) and need to lay 1/4 inch , pull off, let it cool chip slag and start again. this is exactly how i fives my shuttle drive lever yesterday.

 

[AWSubie]

If you need to weld thin gauge you should look into either TIG or oxy-acetylene welding.

 

[yomax4]

You couldn't go that far with any stick rod on 1/32 material. Redial and re-ask. There are some pretty cool 5/64" and 1/16 stick rods out there but 1/32 has to be a typo.

 

[ruffdog]

New to stick welding, Lincoln 225 set for 90 amps. Rod is 6011. Practicing on steel about 1/32 inch thick. Can run an arc for about 10 inches ( some of the time) which uses up most of the rod but burns a hole in the part much of the time. On some passes it deposits metal and on other passes or if I try to join 2 pieces or if I try to fill a hole, I get more holes.
I'm doing something wrong, what is it?
Thanks

What diameter rod are you using? I might set for 90 amps while using 1/8" 6011 rod on much thicker plate, but, would never use 1/8" on thin plate. Thinner rod will use less amps...even less amps with thin material. Also, I use a whip/pause technique to control depth.

6011 rod is a digging rod good for burning through rust and good for penetration. If your plate is only 1/32, you don't have far for the rod to penetrate through.

6 Root Pass - Whip and Pause Technique - Plate/Pipe - YouTube

 

[k0ua]

Surely that was a typo... surely... "quit calling me Shirley"

 

[k0ua]

Maybe he intended to use the 1/8 inch 6011 at 90 amps as a crude method to cut the metal not weld it? (though he did mention trying to weld 2 pieces together..hmmm).

Miller has a nice welding calculator that you can use on their web site or load on your smartphone as an app (I recommend doing that)

Stick Weld Setting Calculator | MillerWelds

If you get some 1/16 inch 6013 rods, (6013 has lower penetration, and was made for thin metal) and set for 25 amps or so, and DO NOT linger, but always keep moving, you might be able to do a fair job . BUT this is not a beginner technique. When you start out, don't start with steel much smaller than 3/16, and 1/4 is better. Also don't start with the 1/8 inch rods, use 3/32 rods to start, and if you are having control issues cut the rods in half to make them less "whippy" If you truly are trying to weld 1/32 material, you are pizzing up the proverbial rope with large rods and 90 amps.

 

[k0ua]

You couldn't go that far with any stick rod on 1/32 material. Redial and re-ask. There are some pretty cool 5/64" and 1/16 stick rods out there but 1/32 has to be a typo.

I would definitely have switched to TIG for 1/32 sheet metal. :shocked: