Got my PA200 last night

[Haywire]

I got home from night shift to find a box on my back porch. I should have gone to bed and left it for this morning, but I had to take it out to the shop and burn my first couple rods at 2am.

Guess what.... I don't know how to weld. LOL I did figure out that 7014 doesn't stick nearly as badly as 6011. I was trying to compare what I was laying out to the pictures of bad welds that I got off the Lincoln site to try to figure out how to adjust. Hehe... too slow, too fast, too much current, and too little all wrapped up in one weld. I must be talented.

Ian

 

[Shield Arc]

 

[Haywire]

Nothing to really take a pic of except 10 or so rod stubs and a bunch of small metal bits globbed to one larger metal bit. I already took a grinder to most of the flat beads I was trying to do... emphasis on trying. I did get to the point this morning that I could strike the 6011 maybe 60% of the time without sticking it. Beyond that, it's UGLY. I need to watch a closeup of what a puddle is supposed to look like.

Ian

 

[Shield Arc]

Try running your 1/8 inch 6011 around 90 to 95 AMPS. With a 3/16 inch arc length.

Way too early for you yet, but most people run 6010 / 6011 too hot, that is why they can't get the stack of dimes.

 

[Haywire]

Thanks... I'll turn it down and try it again. I've got 5/32 6011 and was running it in the upper half of the range on the box. The range on the box said 130-160 and I was in the mid 140s.

Ian

 

[Shield Arc]

If you're having trouble with it sticking, turn it up some. Right now it's better to run too hot, than too cold. Later you can work on the stack of dimes look. You'll find you have to really watch the arc length!

 

[Haywire]

Here's what I did just now. Everything is 130a except the top two. The top one is 100a and one down from that is 115a. After watching some folk weld on youtube, I think I've been traveling too fast and getting ahead of the puddle.

Ian

 

[Shield Arc]

Too hot!


This kid may be a little too advanced for you, but he knows his welding.

YouTube - Watch Great Stick Welding on The Welders Lens Home Study Course

 

[Haywire]

This kid may be a little too advanced for you, but he knows his welding.

YouTube - Watch Great Stick Welding on The Welders Lens Home Study Course

I happened to find him yesterday morning and signed up for his site, but it wouldn't load in Firefox for me. Something about unsupported compression. It loads in IE fine though.

I couldn't maintain an arc at 90a for very long and the resulting weld had that "on top" look of too little amperage. At 100a, I can maintain an arc fairly easily. I can say this though. The slag comes off much easier at 100a than 130+.

thanks,
Ian

 

[Shield Arc]

Michael is kind of a nut, but he knows his welding, x boiler maker. I was really impressed with his Tig welding on pipe, he does this thing where he sticks the filler rod through the pipe and welds on the opposite side. This technique is used when the pipe is too close to the wall, floor, or ceiling.

What brand of rod are you using? I find Hobart's 335A 6011, and ESAB's 10P-Plus 6010 works best for me on my PA-200.