Ready to rock and roll.....

[neelpeel]

ok, so i have my welder (an ancient 100Amp Oerlikon oil-filled arcmeister), helmet (auto-darkening Parweld), rods (2.5mm & 3.2mm white box, probably Oerlikon, but could be Lidl own brand and i wouldn't tell the difference) and a few other bits and bobs.

never welded before and i can't even think that i've watched anyone weld before so this is like a whole new sport for me.
very keen but a wee bit apprehensive would be a fair assessment.

before i crack on and spark up my first weld...i'll be welding in my shed and i've just realised that the extension that i'm using only has a 10A fuse. will this be ok or will i have to pop out to B&Q? (say 90A with 2.5mm rods)
also, do i have to make sure i use an RCD every time?
i'll have a couple of buckets of water handy...any other safety tips??

first weld is going to put the ****s up me!! :full
this site has been a godsend though. wouldn't have known where to start without you guys.
will hopefully post an update soon

 

[lovelectricity]

ok well start with getting the machine set and going, use the thickest extension lead you can find(even make one buy thick 3 core cable, plug and socket). try to keep it as short as possible(cut to length not reel up the excess) and use a 13amp fuse. plug into a socket in the ring main dont use a socket that is spurred off the ring(if in doubt turn power off take the socket off the wall look behind 1 set of wires=spur, 2 sets=probably ring(unless some idiots spurred off a spur). i would take the welder outside as wind causes no problem to mma welding but mma welding can cause problems to sheds(and with the mask down you probably wont see the flames until you wonder where the heat is coming from). right then now the welder should be humming quietly, set as you say about 90 amps for 2.5. drag the stick across the steel, try to establish a nice arc(the gap after stricking arc should be kept at roughly the diameter of the rod you are using)then move VERY slowly leaving a nice slug on the plate. if it sticks, wiggle/tear/twist it off straight away. get used to holding a stable arc when you are happy with that, im sure other people will have written lots more for you to try. oh yes when you stop an arc be carefull with the end of the rod( it will just burn into people/things) good luck once you start it gets fun.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Just another couple of tips to add, water and electricity don't mix . Ditch the buckets and get yourself a decent sized co2 or dry powder fire extinguisher, a few quid spent on one could save you a fortune or your life.
Don't be frightened to steady the rod with your free hand, it won't hurt you.
If you haven't already seen them, check out miller's mma tips, it's a great printable booklet showing pretty much everything you need to know.
You have hundreds of rods to play with so don't be afraid to get stuck in, like lovelectricity says, if a rod sticks, a firm twist should free it, if it sticks again, throw it and use a new one.
Runnach pointed out in another thread that it can be hard to distinguish the molten flux from the actual weld pool, you'll understand what he means when you watch what's happening as you weld.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.

 

[Drains]

There's a few wee tricks to help you learn the arc np. One thing you can do if you have a non auto mask is draw a few small circles on a piece of steel and practice striking the arc in the circles.

Another, very good way to learn to lay a reliable bead is to do a pad weld. Take a piece of plate, as small as 5" square say, and build up the surface with weld. Lay bead after bead, side by side, trying to lay quality, smooth beads with no slag inclusion. After a wee while you might even get peelers. Once you've put on one layer, do the next layer at 90 degrees.

That might seem like a waste of rods, but believe me by the end you'll feel really happy about what you're doing.

Next, try some actual welds, rather than just laying a bead. On the flat, some butts then some fillets. Then try verticals - going up rather than down. You can do down with some 6013's but it takes a bit of practice for them to be any good.

One important thing to note - when doing "positional" welding (eg, not downhand), lower the amps a bit. Also, don't be afraid to play around with the amp settings and see what happens. 90A is at the top end for 2.5mm 6013's.

As Woz says, let us know how you get on.

And as lovelectricity says, use/make the chunkiest extension you can, as 10A will be a waste of time. And if it is at all overlength, don't leave it reeled up as it'll get hot and melt the insulation.

 

[lovelectricity]

hey there woz, still spreading? it must be 6 inches thick over there by now... men your gonna need waders today! back to the urmm thingy. yep the pad is a good one i forget about it everytime, be sure to remove all slag before the next run. oh yer and if you burn holes you need thicker plate about 6mm is good to start on. set your mask to the right shade(chart should be with it). oh and one wierd one, i dont know how they do it but when rods are made the have intelligence installed in them, they know when chipping the slag off exactly where your eyes are!(use googles) many a wasted hour down the hospital having it dug out with a needle...great with a phobia of needles.

 

[neelpeel]

Thanks again for all the advice.
I finally got the chance to lay some welds at the weekend. The auto helmet works a treat and can't imagine trying to start a weld without it.

I've attached some pics of my first attempts for your critique.

Was all at 75A with 2.5mm rods.
Will have a play at different amps next time.

 

[neelpeel]

Was wondering actually...when practicing something like above should I be trying to get each weld to layover the last or to be a separate line?

 

[Wozzaaah]

I would suggest your amps look a little on the low side, the welds look quite tall. Good start though .

 

[Drains]

Was wondering actually...when practicing something like above should I be trying to get each weld to layover the last or to be a separate line?

Aye, you want to merge the welds - no gap.

As Woz says, 75A is a little low for downhand. In that position (also known as 1G), you can get away with maximum current for those rods, which will be 90A. In position - eg vertical, horizontal/vertical. overhead, you would be looking at less amps.

Definitely worth playing around with the current, especially with that set, cos it's so easy to change the setting!

Getting there!

 

[snowcat]

I like that, could be in the Tate modern........

 

[runnach]

I like that, could be in the Tate modern........

Next to your stuff Snowie

 

[neelpeel]

I like that, could be in the Tate modern........

Well its for sale if you're looking to buy some art. Would usually ask £40k but £35k for you since its through the forum.


In hindsight I think 90Amps is definitely better. At the time I only did about 6 inches of weld at 90A, but it felt less controllable and more spattery. Looking back its actually the best weld of the lot.
Will try some more tonight.

 

[neelpeel]

well, i've just finished round two. I up'd the amps to 90A and got the welds overlapping quite nicely (pic). Even tried a bit of weaving (pic). And guess what....nearly all of the welds were peelers!!

For my next lesson I think I'll try welding some joints. Watch this space.

 

[shenion]

Looks good. Maybe we can team up and sell the scrap to clueless modern art lovers:

( Tree of industrial Life, study in metal $1000 )
​

What rods are you using? Mine never peel by themselves but do come off in large pieces with a light tap. Then again i don't do long runs, I think the length helps the peel.

 

[neelpeel]

The rods are white box ones from here...
http://www.wecs-ltd.co.uk/online-store/d.i.y.-welding/wires-electrodes/electrodes/mild-steel/welding-electrode-x-2.5mm-4.33-kg-e6013.html
Shipping is £9, but it works out pretty cheap if you're buying more than one box.

Its my first shot at welding so I don't have anything to compare them to. Seem good to me though. No good for overhead welding but apart from that.


Strangely enough, I know you're kidding but I've actually been trying to think of an art project that I can use my new found welding skills on. I might try and create something for the garden.


Oh and by the way, my name is no reflection on my welding ability! (in case anyone thinks I'm being bigheaded) it was chosen before I even heard about welds 'peeling' and I think I've just been lucky with the kit I'm using.

 

[lovelectricity]

getting there, try to burn into the next , it will be more like the basis of a pad then turn 90' and do short runs. good going looks like you got the priniple of it!! to much weave on the short runs though half that amount or less, they have to burn into each other as well.

 

[gavuk]

pads were the first thing we did at college for arc welding ,overlapping by 1/3 on last run ........restarts and crater build up were the other useful things to practise....well worth some time .....

 

[lovelectricity]

if your gonna do a pad all slag must be removed before the next run, my favourite is an angle grinder with a wire brush, for nearly everything!!!