Lincoln AC/DC question

[rickyb01]

I got this old welder from a friend. Of course I’m trying to understand how to read this chart on the side of it. I took this photo off Lincoln’s website. I’m looking at getting a couple rods. 6013 and 7018. My first question does these two rods come in various sizes. Like 3/32, 1/8, 5/32. I’m thinking Lincoln may make the fleetweld series of rods. Should I stick with fleetweld rods or is this just a preference of Lincoln. Thanks for the help.

 

[Wolfy]

For general purpose welding a 1/8" is what I like. 6013 is the best stick to resist burn thru. 6011 is a must for rusty, painted, questionable material. 7014 works well on new steel. I have never tried 7018 but hear its very strong, and also very sensitive to humidity.

 

[Wolfy]

I should add, those are known as Lincoln tombstone welders. They are very efficient at lots of welding, their big downside is fumes, and also they are not good at sheet metal.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I use any type rod that still has the flux on it. Usually odd numbers are AC, even numbers are DC. I have a machine just like that one. Got it when I was 21 or 22, right after the Gulf War. I got out just before Christmas that year. So it's been a few moons. It's been used a good bit. 1/8" DC rods may be the max because it may not be hot enough. Now a 5/32" 6011 on AC, that sucker will cook. These machines seem to have an emphasis on AC, with DC capability. Who knows, yours may run hot enough to burn a 5/32" DC rod. I learned that though welders are the same, they are different. My gas welder is the same as my brothers, but I've had sho nuff welders use both and said mine was smoother. And, mine may have less performance because I have longer leads on it. My brothers shop machine is a big Lincoln with the hand turn dial on the front. It is smooth. It has the adjustable flexibility that we all love. I bought my dad a dial one for his shop. See my brother built, we built a huge shop next door. The welder was really my brothers. So he put it over in his shop. Dad really can't weld, and he does have a wire welder. But he is a worker and will cut pieces for us all day long. I bought him a welding machine so I would have a machine there if a project came up. He has a nice big shop. Tractors and loaders to move everything. There is only one set of bottles and a torch between them. So I put it on a large two wheel dolly. Whoever uses the torch that needs it. The gas welder is usually at dads, and it's on a trailer, and the bottles can be put on it if we need to go to a location to fix something somewhere. Like one day he was baling hay and had a flat on the front. Tire was not fixable. On the newest cab tractor we had. Lug bolts were turning in the spindle. Had to use torch and welder in that hot hayfield. Everything wanted to burn. I have seen a pto generator on a trailer, pulled with a tractor, welder just like yours on the trailer. Portable then. Those generators are reasonable around here. I have one, 25 kw I think. That's an option.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I should add, those are known as Lincoln tombstone welders. They are very efficient at lots of welding, their big downside is fumes, and also they are not good at sheet metal.

I can take some 3/32" rods and weld two soup cans together. It's not easy. My brother is like a professional welder, but he has difficulty with thin metals. Like welding purlin together. He does some of the best welding I ever seen. I worked in south texas building drilling rigs a few years, so I have seen some welding. I was a fitter, I had to do a little welding, but mainly fit. Just welded when I had something fit up and need a weld before I could cover it up. Had to use 100-18 rods on HSLA 70 MODIFIED. Had four of them grade 70 tubes on each half of the derrick. I'd go ahead and weld a small spot then call in an MT/UT test, and once they put a stencil on it, I could cover it. API 2 H 50 was armor plate used on a crane mount on the off drillers side. 100% seal welded. Shop was over 1/4 mile long. I could walk the entire length on welding cables and never touch the concrete. There was five white guys, three black guys, and a thousand Mexicans oops, and three Vietnamese. They didn't like it when the Mexicans called them Chino's. They straightened it out.

 

[Wolfy]

I have 3/32, 6013 rods. I like them for 1/8" or steel. My hats off to anyone who can weld 2 soup cans together with them....

 

[Cycledude]

Have what appears to be the exact same welder, bought it new back in about 1980 , it has worked very well for my use but I’m mostly just a rookie welder with very little training. Put wheels and longer cables on mine. It works excellent for heavier duty welding with 7018 rods.

 

[rangerfredbob]

I see it is set on DC, leave it there, welds much better on pretty much anything unless you get fancy, 6011 and 7018 are my go to's, 1/8" rods at around 100-125A run pretty good, if you were just to have one rod get 6011, 7018 is nicer to run with prettier welds but you have to break the tip flux off every time you strike and they have to be kept fairly dry (assuming you aren't getting x ray inspected...). For lighter stuff 3/32 rods are more useful but I have an abundance of 1/8" so it's what I use or I just go to the wire welders...

 

[WranglerX]

Some information to help you select and apply different types of electrodes....

Welding electrodes – Understanding the SMAW electrode symbols | Welding & NDT

Different types of Carbon steel electrodes used in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) explained in this article.

www.weldingandndt.com

 

[cqaigy2]

That's a pretty durable welder. I got mine from my father, he bought in the 70s. Now my nephew is putting out good welds with it.