# is my logic correct here?



## mzvarner (Dec 13, 2017)

I am a home hobby welder, mostly making furniture and target stands for myself and friends. I have a Hobart 210 MVP using C25 and solid core wire. I am self taught, with most of my resources coming from "learning the basics" videos on youtube. 

My question is; the Hobart machine has a chart with recommended wire feed/ voltage settings. if I go up a notch in voltage, will i get better penetration? Do I have to adjust the wire feed speed as well?
 Thanks


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## Karl_T (Dec 13, 2017)

to penetrate more up the volts or slow the wire. I find most important thing for penetration is how fast you move the stick. Go slower and weave a bit for a deeper more solid weld.  Also, if you ground a "V" in the metal to join makes a HUGE difference.

With MIG, its real easy to make a purdy weld with no penetration at all.

I'm a farmer and often weld large thick rusted steel assmeblies. That's 6011 stick territory.


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## magu (Dec 13, 2017)

+1 to Karl's recommendation


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## ConValSam (Dec 13, 2017)

I am a self taught welder also, use a Hobart welder (though not as nice as yours), and use gas shielding.

My experience has been that the highest setting I can use and still control the arc yields the best weld.  I also look for far the heat stain extends into the surrounding metal: more is stronger.


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## Firestopper (Dec 13, 2017)

Be careful with too much heat effected zone or heat stain as you called it. Too much will result in distortion/warping. The machine recommended setting are just a starting point. You can tell a lot from the sound produced by a well balanced machine and proper technique.


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## magu (Dec 13, 2017)

ConValSam said:


> I also look for far the heat stain extends into the surrounding metal: more is stronger.



Be careful with this: more is more, not better. Mild steel is relatively forgiving, but you don't want to put any more heat into the metal than what is required to achieve proper penetration. The metal in the heat affected zone changes properties. It is also prone to warping and cracking. 

The heat affected zone is a great visual indicator if you know how to read them and what to look for.


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## ConValSam (Dec 13, 2017)

firestopper said:


> Be careful with too much heat effected zone or heat stain as you called it. Too much will result in distortion/warping. The machine recommended setting are just a starting point. You can tell a lot from the sound produced by a well balanced machine and proper technique.





magu said:


> Be careful with this: more is more, not better. Mild steel is relatively forgiving, but you don't want to put any more heat into the metal than what is required to achieve proper penetration. The metal in the heat affected zone changes properties. It is also prone to warping and cracking.
> 
> The heat affected zone is a great visual indicator if you know how to read them and what to look for.



Schooled and I appreciate it.


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## RandyM (Dec 13, 2017)

As a self taught metal melter I have found that there is no way I can become an expert welder. I just don't do enough of it, some of this just takes time and practice to perfect it. So, I have committed to just being satisfied with the results I get. I have been lucky enough that all my welding to this point has held up. And, if my welds require cosmetic perfection. I just keep adding filler until I can grind it smooth.


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## magu (Dec 13, 2017)

ConValSam said:


> Schooled and I appreciate it.



No worries, I think we pretty much all start out with the "more is better" mentality.


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## markba633csi (Dec 13, 2017)

I thought that too in the beginning Randy but have been steadily improving. Some tricks I use for AC stick welding:
1) Clean the parts well, clamp properly to avoid warping
2) Don't expect great results with crap steel (bedframes, variable results but 6011 works sometimes)
3) Burn off a bit of rod first, shorter rod easier to control
4) Heating the parts with a propane torch seems to improve striking
5) Don't pull back, Keep the arc short, and weave a bit. I still have trouble here sometimes
Mark S.


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## woodchucker (Dec 13, 2017)

mzvarner said:


> I am a home hobby welder, mostly making furniture and target stands for myself and friends. I have a Hobart 210 MVP using C25 and solid core wire. I am self taught, with most of my resources coming from "learning the basics" videos on youtube.
> 
> My question is; the Hobart machine has a chart with recommended wire feed/ voltage settings. if I go up a notch in voltage, will i get better penetration? Do I have to adjust the wire feed speed as well?
> Thanks


I am of the practice, test, practice , test camp.  with different metals, you get different results.. BTW I suck at welding, but still, I do a bit of it.  Wish my hand steadier and my eyes younger.


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## brino (Dec 13, 2017)

@mzvarner,

Whenever I have a concern about the machine settings for a particular job, I simply do some tests.
Use the same material, the same technique and play with the machine settings until you get what you need.
You can learn a lot about the machine, material and the process this way.
I have not found any better indicator.
-brino


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## barnett (Dec 13, 2017)

RandyM said:


> As a self taught metal melter


I've never heard it put that way ! 
+1 Randy


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