First stick welds, advice? 2.5mm mild steel, quite thin e6013 electrodes, 50 amps. Why would they be ‘bad welds’ and what do I look for in good welds?

[MoeSizlak]

 

[Bornfree]

Get yourself some thicker material to practice on. And use 3.2 rod's running around 105 amps you will find it much easier.

 

[Erie Fred]

Push the rod in closer, and steeper drag angle, and stop moving around so much.

 

[Mark 2]

1.6 rods? If so, there'll be a suggestion of amperage on the packet.
If that's 2.5 sheet then I'd be looking at 2.5 rods.

 

[MoeSizlak]

1.6 rods? If so, there'll be a suggestion of amperage on the packet.
If that's 2.5 sheet then I'd be looking at 2.5 rods.

2mm sheet and I think 2mm rods

 

[voipio]

For 1.6mm rods as a first try, those aren't bad looking beads. I remember repairing an ironing board leg many years ago, using 1.6mm rod, as one of my first welds, after fatigue cracks had formed on the foot. The welds didn't really look any better than that, but it's held for many years. Keeping a shorter arc will reduce the splatter. Rest the flux coating on the metal, so it acts as a spacer, and keeps a nice short arc going.

 

[premmington]

Get yourself some thicker material to practice on. And use 3.2 rod's running around 105 amps you will find it much easier.

6mm plate - 3.2mm 6013's - 100+ amps.

Bead after bead - run after run - downhand - overlapping each other

Get the feel for it... Tighten your arc length - watch the weld pool and what it does!

Thin rods just burn away too quickly for a learner to see what it happening - too fast to take control!


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Even I do this every now and again - "to keep my hand in". But I will stick test plate in vice vertical - short arc vertical up. After a session of downhand.

 

[premmington]

Get yourself some thicker material to practice on. And use 3.2 rod's running around 105 amps you will find it much easier.

Listen to the "farm boy from Norfolk" - it good advice!

 

[MoeSizlak]

6mm plate - 3.2mm 6013's - 100+ amps.

Bead after bead - run after run - downhand - overlapping each other

Get the feel for it... Tighten your arc length - watch the weld pool and what it does!

Thin rods just burn away too quickly for a learner to see what it happening - too fast to take control!


------------


Even I do this every now and again - "to keep my hand in". But I will stick test plate in vice vertical - short arc vertical up. After a session of downhand.

Right! Will do. My welder is 120a but wired to a 13a plug - I think it’s supposed to be on a 16a plug but I don’t have any sockets for them. 100a won’t pop any fuses right?

 

[bourbon]

one way to find out! Turn it up! it may pop a fuse, or maybe not. Which welder is it? 120 amps is the maximum on a 13 amp plug

 

[MoeSizlak]

one way to find out! Turn it up! it may pop a fuse, or maybe not. Which welder is it? 120 amps is the maximum on a 13 amp plug

Stormforce draper 120a arc welder

 

[MoeSizlak]

one way to find out! Turn it up! it may pop a fuse, or maybe not. Which welder is it? 120 amps is the maximum on a 13 amp plug

That will only pop the plug fuse right it won’t mess with anything else?!

 

[bourbon]

@brightspark will be able to advise better

 

[brightspark]

if its supposed to be on a 16 amp socket and feed and your plugged in to a 13 amp socket the worst that can happen it will blow the 13 amp fuse in the plug at its full load after a while of running . if so reduce the amperage

 

[bourbon]

@brightspark, Thanks for replying. I thought it was that, but I didn't want to give unsafe advise.

 

[aesmith]

Actually given that fuses are quite slow to blow, it might trip the MCB for the circuit instead. That's what a friends MIG used to do, it would trip the 32A MCB without blowing the 13A fuse.

 

[brightspark]

Actually given that fuses are quite slow to blow, it might trip the MCB for the circuit instead. That's what a friends MIG used to do, it would trip the 32A MCB without blowing the 13A fuse.

the inrush current can easily trip a b type 32 amp mcb . should realy be a c type

 

[tom2207]

go watch some of Jody at Welding tips and tricks , on you tube ,,, his arc shots are an education on their own , above all dont beat yourself up over it all , enjoy the learning process and after that its just seat time , patience and practice . Remember non of us could weld when we started.