New to welding building 25mm sq mild shelves in garage on sincro 200 gen dc help

[Face]

Hi. This is my first post. I'm building shelves in my garage I have a whopper 200 amp sincro generator welding unit. I'm struggling to find consistency. I've found using a blowtorch is the key to it striking and not blowing. It either sticks or blows. Using mainly 6013. 2.5

Question. What's best rod for 3mm inch square tube in mild steel.

Is tack welding ok?
I have superon 2.5mm 6010 and 7018
Is my welder a stroppy pig? Or am I just not very good at reading the plop yet?
Much obliged

 

[chrismac]

7018's would be my choice and keep the arc tight, break the flux before you start your 2nd weld/tack, there is usually something on the end of the flux to help strike an arc on the initial strike. you certainly aren't lacking power thats for sure!

 

[Face]

Should I use electrode negative to prevent chewing it up or gor positive..

I say this because it's 3mm steel with 2.5 rod.
I'm new and love the unit but wonder. Are these sincro engines good or what? Prone to issues? I'd love to know about how they like to run. Or what they are best suited for?
MYbe I should have bought a 90 quid amazon inverter and a generator . It's heavy but is gonna be doing fence and gate repairs in landscaping at some point

 

[Barking Mat]

2.5mm 6013, get practice on scrap and find the sweet setting on your welder which gives you nice beads.

Have you done welding before ?

Welcome, anyway.

 

[Face]

Did a few beads the other day. Found my unit sticks. And then when I turn it up it eats the metal. I found that heating the work with a blow torch allows it to strike a good arc and run right. Is this typical of stick welding.?

 

[Barking Mat]

Did a few beads the other day. Found my unit sticks. And then when I turn it up it eats the metal. I found that heating the work with a blow torch allows it to strike a good arc and run right. Is this typical of stick welding.?

No, not in my experience.

 

[gaz1]

get your rod hot and you will weld better

as goes for welding those type of shelves wrong way to go as using angle iron would have been better just for the box and the box can be bolted to the uprights

my shelf was different as higher so had to be welded arc welder

1.5-2mm box section welded with 2.5s oxford arc welder


these welds was done by someone else there block welds i think there 2mm box section could be less

 

[chrismac]

Should I use electrode negative to prevent chewing it up or gor positive..

I say this because it's 3mm steel with 2.5 rod.
I'm new and love the unit but wonder. Are these sincro engines good or what? Prone to issues? I'd love to know about how they like to run. Or what they are best suited for?
MYbe I should have bought a 90 quid amazon inverter and a generator . It's heavy but is gonna be doing fence and gate repairs in landscaping at some point

Electrode positive yes.

Nope if your machine is good, you have a better set up than a generator and inverter.

Can you get a link to one the same or photo of your machine

 

[Wozzaaah]

get your rod hot and you will weld better

as goes for welding those type of shelves wrong way to go as using angle iron would have been better just for the box and the box can be bolted to the uprights

my shelf was different as higher so had to be welded arc welder

1.5-2mm box section welded with 2.5s oxford arc welder

View attachment 475454
these welds was done by someone else there block welds i think there 2mm box section could be less
View attachment 475458View attachment 475459

Grinding with no eye protection??

 

[Face]

My favorite subject. Looking at my welder. Which I suspect is a serious unit. Or is it? That's my concern
Starts and runs ok. Are these machines known as good welders or regarded as difficult to get a good weld with etc..
I believe my technique needs more experience which will happen once I get the shelves up so I can work in the garage properly

 

[chrismac]

My favorite subject. Looking at my welder. Which I suspect is a serious unit. Or is it? That's my concern
Starts and runs ok. Are these machines known as good welders or regarded as difficult to get a good weld with etc..
I believe my technique needs more experience which will happen once I get the shelves up so I can work in the garage properly

View attachment 475490 View attachment 475491 View attachment 475492

Thats the one I thought it was, I have no experience of them did try to buy one a while back, so hopefully yours is doing what it should and you dont have any issues,
From what I read up about them they are decent,

 

[tom2207]

turn the idle screw up half a turn and it will all get a lot easier ,,,

 

[Barking Mat]

You have got the rod going on some scrap first, I often do this.

Is everything shiny, cleaned up and prepped ?

 

[Face]

No it's not all shiny cleaned and prepped. It's on raw mild steel.

I have found d the sticks start ok but then won't restart. Even if I faff with the nds a bit.
Wondered if the u it was temperamental.

I'm gonna be working g with it Tuesday. The key to it all is carry a blowtorch torch I reckon

 

[chrismac]

with 6013's you should just have the smallest of touches for it to fire up, 7018's can be a bit more tricky until you knock the flux off, does the end of the rod using the 6013's have the bare metal poking out the end?

 

[Face]

I tried 6010 and found them to be pokey on the metal bit. Superons. Wasn't sure if it was a cheapo stick
The 6013s seem to be easier to knock the cherry off and restart. It's just they get sticky. Is there a good thread on making off ends of the jumpmleads.
I reckon the leads need new terminations. And a wee sand . Is this common practice?

 

[chrismac]

if the leads are getting hot at the connectors/torch/earth you will smell if there is an issue, not something I have needed to change out unless its smoking or glowing red.
But I guess a clean up wont do any harm.

 

[gaz1]

what arc rods are you using as they can have as much issues as anything else cheap rods are cheap

now i know that i sue the esab rods but sometimes there difficult to start and restart but ive had worse with arc rods

 

[Face]

Thanks for all advice. I found that this welder is very useful. I realized the knock to getting a good arc is to tap the stick a while and allow the engine to kick in and build some revs before committing to the pass. On a scrap piece etc or just near by in my case. Once the revs are there it's got the momentum and doesn't stick. Also holding off the a gap of 2mm. . Thanks I feel I really got a level up today on the basics. It's very addictive.

 

[marlinspike]

I've only done mig welding but I know how frustrating it is when you start, getting used to the equipment, changing settings, trial and error over and over. Usually once you get the gear set up correctly though it's just practise, practise, practise. Put some pics up when you've finished your project.