Fun and games welding sheet metal with an arc welder - learning to weld - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Stretch · #1 12-11-2011, 01:48 PM

G'day Folks,

I thought I'd start a thread here before I go and embarrass myself at weldingweb. I mean why embarrass yourself there when you can do it here?

I'm in the middle of getting better at welding with my arc welder. I've reached the "I can make it stick mate" stage - I can even stick two bits of 0.7mm sheet together (butt weld) but it isn't pretty and so now I want to try and teach myself how to do a better job.

Now I know that most welders here only use MIG - perhaps there's a few of you with gas ot TIG? - I don't know... but whenever I say I'm using an arc welder / stick welder I seem to get a lot of grief. If you'd like to join in with the giving of grief could you please do so in this thread http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/body-repair-restoration/303669-my-w123-saloon-sedan-old-accident-repair-bit-rust-repair-thread.html I'm happy to hear your views!

My reason for using an arc welder is twofold.

1) I've already got an arc welder and about 400 1.6mm welding rods to practice with.

2) I reckon if I can get almost good at arc welding I'll have learnt a lot of transferable knowledge for other types of welding.

I've started this thread to try and get some tips from those of you out there with some experience with arc welding.

This could be an empty thread! We'll have to wait and see.

Stretch · #2 12-11-2011, 01:49 PM

Here are some examples of the welds I can lay down on to 0.7mm thick sheet steel.

I'm using 1.6mm 6013 flux coated rods.

For this series of welds I had the current set just above 40 amps

After the runs with slag

Without slag

On the other side

Please note the last picture shows powdery white stuff all over it because I didn't remove the grey paint from the steel from that side.

I think I need to practice a bit more and try to

1) Move the electrode at a steadier rate
2) Move the electrode at a slower rate

Can anyone with experience confirm this or not?

dseretakis · #3 12-16-2011, 10:41 PM

Not too shabby! Let's see some butt welds. That's where you will meet your challenge!

whunter · #4 12-17-2011, 12:36 AM

Not bad for a beginner.

It looks like you need more penetration = run the power up 5-10 or go slower.
Another skill you need to practice is filling up to 5mm holes.

How to arc weld: Laying a weld bead with an arc welder - YouTube

How to Use an Arc Weld : Basics of Shielded Metal Arc Welding - YouTube

How to Use an Arc Weld : Direction of Travel for Arc Welding - YouTube

Stretch · #5 12-17-2011, 02:55 AM

Thanks for the encouragement.

I think the video showing the concentric circles / dots on the sheet is a good idea. I'm going to give that a go. I'll post up a picture of the results.

Stretch · #6 12-17-2011, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whunter

...
How to Use an Arc Weld : Basics of Shielded Metal Arc Welding - YouTube

...

Thanks for posting this link - best bit of welding advice I've had to date!

I'm now getting a better feel for it.

A great starter's exercise

Like the title of this post says - welding is fun! It isn't all bad language and welding rods sticking to a work piece.

There is also a massive difference in the time you have when welding on 1.5mm steel plate instead of 0.7mm plate.

The spots on the plate shown in the picture above are done on 1.5mm plate with a 2mm 6013 rod - at about 60 amps.

LandYaghtLover · #7 12-17-2011, 11:37 AM

Good thread. I just picked up an older Lincoln wire welder. It what my grandfathers but he never used it, its still new in box. But I have never welded before. Going to practice on my office chair first!

Stretch · #8 12-17-2011, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LandYaghtLover

Good thread. I just picked up an older Lincoln wire welder. It what my grandfathers but he never used it, its still new in box. But I have never welded before. Going to practice on my office chair first!

Post up some pictures as you go - I'd like to see some smoldering upholstery!

EDIT:-

Seriously start on a practice piece first - don't skip that step and go straight to the work piece.

dseretakis · #9 12-17-2011, 04:28 PM

Show me the butt welds!

dseretakis · #10 12-17-2011, 04:47 PM

You will be duplicating a lot of spot welds with a technique called plug or rosette welding. This is done by drilling a small hole maybe 7mm in diameter in a panel and then placing that panel over another to which you want to weld it to. Clamp the two panels together tightly and then weld the hole shut by slowly welding around the periphery and then towards the center until it's closed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Army

Thanks for posting this link - best bit of welding advice I've had to date!

I'm now getting a better feel for it.

A great starter's exercise

Like the title of this post says - welding is fun! It isn't all bad language and welding rods sticking to a work piece.

There is also a massive difference in the time you have when welding on 1.5mm steel plate instead of 0.7mm plate.

The spots on the plate shown in the picture above are done on 1.5mm plate with a 2mm 6013 rod - at about 60 amps.

Stretch · #11 12-19-2011, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dseretakis

You will be duplicating a lot of spot welds with a technique called plug or rosette welding. This is done by drilling a small hole maybe 7mm in diameter in a panel and then placing that panel over another to which you want to weld it to. Clamp the two panels together tightly and then weld the hole shut by slowly welding around the periphery and then towards the center until it's closed.

Not the plan - I'll be buying a spot welder for making spot welds. All I'm trying to do at this stage is to make some sound good quality beads.

I'm not showing the butt weld messes I've made. I'm embarrassed enough with what I've shown so far.

I'm going to practice making some bead welds with 2mm rods on this 1.5mm sheet I've got. When I've worked out how that is meant to go then I'll try the butt welds again.

Once that has been mastered I'll go back to the 1.6mm rods on the 0.7mm sheet and see if I can do it any better. I've got a feeling that I'll need thinner rods to weld properly on the 0.7mm sheet. I think the spark is way too hot.

Question:-

Does anyone know if - on planet earth - you can obtain 1mm flux coated welding rods?

Stretch · #12 12-19-2011, 08:41 AM

This is my next step

How to Use an Arc Weld : Running a Bead of Weld When Arc Welding - YouTube

dseretakis · #13 12-19-2011, 08:47 AM

Good spot welders are very expensive. The resistance type can't be used in areas where there is limited access. The other cheap type that hook up to an arc welder and you push down have not worked for me! I've therefore resorted to the simple and effective plug weld technique.

dseretakis · #14 12-19-2011, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Army

Question:-

Does anyone know if - on planet earth - you can obtain 1mm flux coated welding rods?

I wonder if you could use a section of flux cored mig wire and clamp it into your stick welder?

whunter · #15 12-19-2011, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Army

Not the plan - I'll be buying a spot welder for making spot welds. All I'm trying to do at this stage is to make some sound good quality beads.

I'm not showing the butt weld messes I've made. I'm embarrassed enough with what I've shown so far.

I'm going to practice making some bead welds with 2mm rods on this 1.5mm sheet I've got. When I've worked out how that is meant to go then I'll try the butt welds again.

Once that has been mastered I'll go back to the 1.6mm rods on the 0.7mm sheet and see if I can do it any better. I've got a feeling that I'll need thinner rods to weld properly on the 0.7mm sheet. I think the spark is way too hot.

Question:-

Does anyone know if - on planet earth - you can obtain 1mm flux coated welding rods?

The issue with a spot welder is the jaws must be large enough and long enough to reach top + bottom of the weld point.

I sold all five of my spot welders twenty seven years ago, as a total waste of storage space.

Plug welding is simple.
I have trained (random) high school students to make effective plug welds in the morning, and had them welding roof decking on commercial buildings in the afternoon.

.