Fun with a cheap stick welder

The weld dot com YouTube channel has some great introductory (and more advanced) stick welding videos. Here are a couple you might heck out to start with:


The best way to learn is arc time. Padding beads on plate is a great way to get more consistent. When you build a 6x3” piece of 3/8 plate up to doorstop size, well, you‘ll have learned SOMETHING anyway.

Don’t be afraid to brace, prop, or otherwise support yourself. Actively look for ways you can improve your stability when welding. There’s no shame in that. Pros will do it every single time.

I am fortunate enough to have several welding processes available to me in my shop, but stick welding is my happy place. I really enjoy a session of just burning rod and working on some aspect of my skills.
 
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Getting a good view of the weld is very important, I've found. If you can't see clearly what you are doing, you can't do a good job
Those new auto-dark full color helmets are pretty nice- but expensive. I'm still using my 50 dollar budget auto helmet, for the money it's alright
-M
 
snoopdog said:
Watch the puddle.
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Best advice I can give.
Sometimes it is tough to see thru the slag, but you can get the gist with a little practice.
I am far from a certified welder, so I feel no shame when I say-

"I will choose 6011 over 7018 every time I can get away with it."
 
pontiac428 said:
You should give 7014 a try. It's a good all-rounder for low alloy steels, but the arc control, slag lift, and bead finish will make you feel all good inside. It's what I learned with as a teenager. Master the basics, then try dirtier/more finnicky fillers like 6010.

Edit: Unless you're a farmer. If you are, you're ready to go to work on some equipment!
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My wife Lisa said she married me because I _wasn't_ a farmer. Then she started turning me into one (I didn't protest overmuch) :D. Learning to weld is just part of that progression! Once I get somewhat proficient, one of the first things I want to make is a set of forks to attach to the front loader. They look like they could be handy for all sorts of things. And Lisa has pointed out some trellis designs I "should look at".....

I didn't get any 70XX rod to try because it's been my impression that it's sensitive to moisture. Living in western Oregon we tend to get a lot of that there moisture. I see you live in Bremerton so you know exactly what I'm talking about.

I have a toaster oven I bought specifically for tempering home-made springs and hardened alloy steel. Is it OK to dry rod out in an oven heated to ~200F or so, then use it to weld? If so, I'll add 7014 to my library.
 
Good question on drying out your welding rod. Living in eastern Washington I don't have the moisture problem.

To store my rod I have made a couple of PVC containers.
 
70xx are not inherently more (or less) sensitive to moisture. The 70 refers to the 70ksi tensile strength of the deposited metal.

(You're probably thinking of low-hydrogen rods like 7018 and 7028. XXX8, XXX5 and XXX6 are low-hydrogen rods.)

200F won't really dry a rod that's gotten wet. That's at the low end of storage temperature. If you have issues, 300-350F for 20-30 minutes will dry 7014. Your toaster oven should be able to do that. I would think that if you stored them in a rod tube or home-made equivalent you wouldn't really need to worry about it, though.

7018 would require a much higher drying temperature.
 
homebrewed said:
I didn't get any 70XX rod to try because it's been my impression that it's sensitive to moisture. Living in western Oregon we tend to get a lot of that there moisture. I see you live in Bremerton so you know exactly what I'm talking about.
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Good stuff! I can be a farm boy too, when the wife requires it. The rest of the time I try to be practical! And if not practical, at least I have fun.

Yep, I'm surrounded by salt water in all directions save for a land bridge to the south, and my shop sits at 30' above mean sea level. I specifically said 7014, because it does not have storage issues. 7016 would require a drying oven and causes headaches because of it. Both of these rods have low splatter, smooth arc, shiny pretty beads, and slag that falls off on its own. Good for all positions, too. Like I said, you can learn to weld with a splattery cantankerous rod, or use a well-mannered rod. The kinder rod will allow you to see your work and correct your mistakes while you learn how to get the techniques down. Then, when you are ready for the real crud, you will already be doing the right thing and can chase other known issues to get better performance from 60xx coat hanger rods or what have you.

Edit: I miss Nevada. No rust, no hydrated welding rod, no mud, no teeth.
 
Abrasive said:
70xx are not inherently more (or less) sensitive to moisture. The 70 refers to the 70ksi tensile strength of the deposited metal.

(You're probably thinking of low-hydrogen rods like 7018 and 7028. XXX8, XXX5 and XXX6 are low-hydrogen rods.)

200F won't really dry a rod that's gotten wet. That's at the low end of storage temperature. If you have issues, 300-350F for 20-30 minutes will dry 7014. Your toaster oven should be able to do that. I would think that if you stored them in a rod tube or home-made equivalent you wouldn't really need to worry about it, though.

7018 would require a much higher drying temperature.
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As a kid I lived in SW Colorado and NW New Mexico on the high desert. No humidity problems there, either. Everyone had whole-house swamp coolers for the summer and appreciated a little higher RH.

My little oven is supposed to get up to 500F so not a problem unless the flux coating melts :).
 
homebrewed said:
As a kid I lived in SW Colorado and NW New Mexico on the high desert. No humidity problems there, either. Everyone had whole-house swamp coolers for the summer and appreciated a little higher RH.

My little oven is supposed to get up to 500F so not a problem unless the flux coating melts :).
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The flux happily sits there 1/4" from a 6K-8K F welding arc without burning off, so I think it'll be OK. :p
 
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