Stick welding is difficult. Who knew.

[MikeBs]

Been MIGing very badly for a few years and earlier this year got an RTech 181 which has improved my welding to ‘almost OK’ now.
I was in the Cheltenham area recently and thought I’d drop into the RTech shop and get the bits needed to have a go at MMA.
Some 6013 rods at 2.5mm to practice with and also some Stainless Steel 2.5mm rods for when I get better at it.
I reckon the SS rods will never see the light of day. Who knew that MMA is so difficult.
I will post some pictures when I manage to run a bead. I spent the first ten minutes just sticking my rod to the scrap I was practicing on. Eventually watched a video that used the phrase ‘striking a match’ which helped.
My practice piece is some 2mm box section and I’m just letting the welder set the power yet the beads are almost flat. I’ve got great penetration, but if I travel slower to build up a pool, I seem to blow through.
I’m probably not consistent enough yet to try changing power, but would the general consensus be more amps or less?
Also I assume the welder is clever enough to know it is being used by an idiot and the constant sticking my rod to the workpiece will not do too much harm to it’s workings.

 

[premmington]

3.2mm rods easier to learn with (don't burn off as quick).

6013's the devils work - slag running everywhere.

Tight arc - look at the weld pool - I can hear my teachers voice now...

Bit of flat plate - bead after bead next to each other.

 

[Richiew]

Obtain some thicker material. A small bit of 6mm will do. You won't blow through and can keep running beads on top of each other ad infinitum.

2mm is making things very hard for yourself.

 

[premmington]

Obtain some thicker material. A small bit of 6mm will do. You won't blow through and can keep running beads on top of each other ad infinitum.

2mm is making things very hard for yourself.

Yeah a bit of thick ish flat plate - learn how to strike - restrike - run a bead downhand - fill in the stop at the end of the bead.

Keep doing it till you can do it - this is the way to learn.

 

[Richiew]

6013s are terrible but at least they restart without protest. I'm glad I learned using those. 7018 feels like cheating.

 

[Agroshield]

...I’m just letting the welder set the power...

Could you please expand on that statement. I have not seen an arc welder which sets its own current so it is not quite clear what you are describing.

You would normally set the amperage yourself and possibly the only other setting you would have is a hot start.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I found stick welding with my buzz box impossible...but it turned out that the power adjuster had snapped inside the welder so I really had zero chance of success .

Anything less than 5mm and I use MIG!...also if you are re-striking a rod then I'd suggest cleaning the end of the rod with a file or bit of sand paper otherwise you might struggle.

Some welding machines are just better than others...my Hyundai seemed to really struggle but my Paton is a breeze. I think some machines have features which make the initial strike a lot easier.

 

[premmington]

I found stick welding with my buzz box impossible...but it turned out that the power adjuster had snapped inside the welder so I really had zero chance of success .

Anything less than 5mm and I use MIG!...also if you are re-striking a rod then I'd suggest cleaning the end of the rod with a file or bit of sand paper otherwise you might struggle.

Some welding machines are just better than others...my Hyundai seemed to really struggle but my Paton is a breeze. I think some machines have features which make the initial strike a lot easier.

Higher OCV helps.

 

[aesmith]

I’m probably not consistent enough yet to try changing power, but would the general consensus be more amps or less?

More. In as much as anyone can comment without knowing what's set at the moment.

 

[Memmeddu]

I reckon the SS rods will never see the light of day.

Wait till you learn, those are very flexible rods.
We use them a lot in the machine shop and not just for stainless.
You can weld snapped bolts with them because they works better with torsional loads.
Zinc coated stuff, HSS bits, things subject to heat cycles
Unknown steel welding and even cast iron if you're on a budget.
Stainless steel rods are great for all that stuff
I'd suggest you to learn with 7018 or at least 2.5mm electrodes

 

[Memmeddu]

More. In as much as anyone can comment without knowing what's set at the moment.

Exactly.
More Amps doesn't always mean better.
Sometimes lower currents work better some others not

 

[cocker]

Obtain some thicker material. A small bit of 6mm will do. You won't blow through and can keep running beads on top of each other ad infinitum.

2mm is making things very hard for yourself.

This .
Keep at it with the 6013 rods , you will see your improvements .
I don't know the welder your using but you'd be good at about 100 amps - on some 6 mm stuff first .

 

[MikeBs]

Could you please expand on that statement. I have not seen an arc welder which sets its own current so it is not quite clear what you are describing.

You would normally set the amperage yourself and possibly the only other setting you would have is a hot start.

The welder is synergic, hence I set what rods I am using and the thickness of the material and it sets the expected amperage needed.
I can adjust it up or down from there if I feel it needs it. However for an absolute beginner knowing if I need more or less is difficult.

 

[MikeBs]

I was wondering if my machine although great for MIG might just be an OK stick welder, but possibly not a great stick welder.
It’s not that I expect to do a lot of stick welding, but just fancied a go at it and there have been times when I wanted to do stuff outside without having to drag the gas with me or change to flux cored.
I’ll get some thicker scrap and post a picture next week.

 

[Richiew]

Inverters are usually very smooth for stick welding with. Don't go blaming the machine just yet.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

The welder is synergic, hence I set what rods I am using and the thickness of the material

Never heard of a synergetic stick welder...how do you input the rod type?...or does it just use for example mild steel 2.5mm...so just a basic setup?

 

[Memmeddu]

However for an absolute beginner knowing if I need more or less is difficult.

If you are getting a flatish weld, weld pool wide 2 to tree times the rod diameter you're spot on.
If a lot wider obtaining V ripples pattern on the bead without whipping the rod you are using way to much current

 

[dieselsamurai]

Never heard of a synergetic stick welder...how do you input the rod type?...or does it just use for example mild steel 2.5mm...so just a basic setup?

My GYS Mig Synergetic has stick welding mode just put in the rod diameter and metal thickness and it works out the rest you can manually do it of course but when I tried it it was just right at the setting it worked out

 

[Erie Fred]

Yes, it's been a hot button years ago.
Learn stick welding first, do the practice time, burn rod, burn rod.

Then move to MIG.

Other way around, same results as your seeing.

 

[Turbo]

I have the Rtech 180 mig and it is a really good stick welder.