Stick welding tips?

[Jarred Hitt]

Hey guys, I'm new on here but I'm in high school and work in an AG shop as one of the few halfway skilled welders we have. Do you guys have any tips on how I can get better?

 

[Haywire]

Do you have access to a welder at home? --Ian

 

[crash325]

Hey guys, I'm new on here but I'm in high school and work in an AG shop as one of the few halfway skilled welders we have. Do you guys have any tips on how I can get better?

Welcome & have fun.
Go to Forums and look up welding. lots of welding information on all types of welding.

 

[Shield Arc]

There is only one way to get better at welding. Just do it! You have to burn lots and lots of rod. Working in a fab shop is a very good way. Burning rod, wire, filler 8-hours a day, is a good start, but you always need to challenge yourself! Get good with plate in all positions, then work on open root plate in all positions. Then test your welds with some destructive testing. Once you're satisfied with the results, then move onto pipe, start with 2-G, then move onto 6-G, then 5-G. Once your satisfied with the results, do some destructive testing on your pipe welds.
It's a very long road to being a good weldor.

 

[Jarred Hitt]

Do you have access to a welder at home? --Ian

I do but it An ac welder and it's a little more difficult for me to work on my vertical with it

 

[Jarred Hitt]

There is only one way to get better at welding. Just do it! You have to burn lots and lots of rod. Working in a fab shop is a very good way. Burning rod, wire, filler 8-hours a day, is a good start, but you always need to challenge yourself! Get good with plate in all positions, then work on open root plate in all positions. Then test your welds with some destructive testing. Once you're satisfied with the results, then move onto pipe, start with 2-G, then move onto 6-G, then 5-G. Once your satisfied with the results, do some destructive testing on your pipe welds.
It's a very long road to being a good weldor.

I really appreciate the tips. Just practice practice practice! It really helps and I have been talking to my dad who was AWS certified as a weld in specter and he just said to do some deconstructive testing to see how they are.

 

[smfcpacfp]

Rather than just burning lots of rod as some suggest, do some reading about technique (appropriate angle, push vs pull, spark gap, etc,), appropriate machine settings, differences in rod, metals. etc.

I am not very fond of the "by guess and by golly" approach to becoming a better welder. Each practice session should teach you something new based upon your reading and thinking. Having a guide like your father is invaluable.

 

[Shield Arc]

I really appreciate the tips. Just practice practice practice! It really helps and I have been talking to my dad who was AWS certified as a weld in specter and he just said to do some deconstructive testing to see how they are.

If you really want to get serious about becoming a better weldor, you'll need to invest in some tools.
The Everlast PowerArc 200 is the best bang for the buck for DC SMAW, and GTAW.

Here are a couple how to threads.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/191855-newbie.html


http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/207094-oh-baby-where-you-been.html

 

[Shield Arc]

smfcpacfp has a good point! Here are some really good books on welding.
The Lincoln site has some good deals on books.

https://ssl.lincolnelectric.com/foundation/store.asp?PID=16&cat=8

 

[Just Bill]

This guy has a lot of welding tips.
Old School Stick Welding still Rules. 6011, 7018, anyone?

 

[Jarred Hitt]

I might just look into some books. It seems like a good idea, and with the techniques I learn there try them in the shop? I have the weave, semi circle, and Z down pretty good. Reading material will help.

 

[rankrank1]

If you have access to an AC welder then you have something to practice with. AC is fine for most stick applications. Yes AC is harder to use in some out of positions applications, but any techniques that you master with AC will possibly be slightly easier with DC. In short learning to weld with AC will only help you once you do get a DC machine. 6011, 6013, and 7014 rods all burn well on AC power. If you decide to get really serious with welding then an upgrade to an AC/DC machine may be worth it. If you never get real serious about welding then AC power will likely work fine for you and you did not have to invest any added money for a better welder.

a) Lots of forums out there (Welding Web and Hobart Weldtalk).
b) Libray has books
c) Youtube can be good sometimes. Some posters are bad though.
d) Local Joint Vocational schools also have classes that are affordable if you decide to get really serious with welding

 

[Haywire]

I have the weave, semi circle, and Z down pretty good.

Then you're already where I'd like to be. I have nothing helpful to add. :thumbsup:

Ian

 

[MikeD74T]

I do but it An ac welder and it's a little more difficult for me to work on my vertical with it

If it was easy anyone could do it, practice until you're one of the few that can. MikeD74T

 

[Jarred Hitt]

If it was easy anyone could do it, practice until you're one of the few that can. MikeD74T

I worked on it tonight. At first I was going too fast and my bead wasn't wide enough for my expectations, but after a few drips and beads later I got it down okay. It just seemed to work better with stringers instead of weaving.

 

[Jarred Hitt]

If you have access to an AC welder then you have something to practice with. AC is fine for most stick applications. Yes AC is harder to use in some out of positions applications, but any techniques that you master with AC will possibly be slightly easier with DC. In short learning to weld with AC will only help you once you do get a DC machine. 6011, 6013, and 7014 rods all burn well on AC power. If you decide to get really serious with welding then an upgrade to an AC/DC machine may be worth it. If you never get real serious about welding then AC power will likely work fine for you and you did not have to invest any added money for a better welder.

a) Lots of forums out there (Welding Web and Hobart Weldtalk).
b) Libray has books
c) Youtube can be good sometimes. Some posters are bad though.
d) Local Joint Vocational schools also have classes that are affordable if you decide to get really serious with welding

Thanks that helps.

 

[Shield Arc]

Until joining this site and another tractor site I never thought about welding SMAW on AC, so here again curiosity got the better of me. I didn't notice much difference, but the sound. Now the sound when I first started really set me back, I almost stopped, thought something was wrong with the machine!:laughing:

Here is a vertical open root plate I did with 6011 on AC.

 

[Haywire]

SA, are you using a band saw to prepare your bevels?

 

[Jarred Hitt]

Until joining this site and another tractor site I never thought about welding SMAW on AC, so here again curiosity got the better of me. I didn't notice much difference, but the sound. Now the sound when I first started really set me backhttp://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/268/shockd.gif/, I almost stopped, thought something was wrong with the machine!:laughing:

Here is a vertical open root plate I did with 6011 on AC.

That's just about how mine looked with 6013

 

[dcyrilc]

SA, are you using a band saw to prepare your bevels?

Yep. He said so here:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/202226-arc-blow-g3-test-plate-3.html#post2340306