"You can always tell a welder, but you can't tell him much."

Funny, I just came back to my post because I didn't want it to sound condescending.

I was right to be concerned. Not my intent.

From your description of the problem and the parameters you listed for the low hydrogen electrode, I would have put my money on you using the wrong amperage, i.e., most likely too low and possibly too long an arc length. Then again it could have been that you kept the electrodes in your back pocket and they got damp (see another thread on that subject). Arc wander; not from the description you provided. Sounds like you were trying to weld over some old concrete left on the surface of your practice plate.

As for welding circles around me; it’s funny that it wasn’t me that had to ask the question.

I'll stack the welding certs I've held over the years and my 45 years experience as a welder against yours any day cowboy.

I hope everyone sees there is some humor in all this. I'm laughing so hard my wife just came in to see what was so funny!

I'd love to follow this a while longer, but I have to put on my ghost costume for my grand children’s' Halloween party. Maybe I should switch and go as a welder.

I wish I had packed a lunch for this one and I could stay here and really have some laughs! I usually have to pay to be entertained, but here its free! I really do have to go! I think I wet my pants from laughing so hard.

Best regards - Al

Well then, put your money where your mouth is and sign up for the professional welder competition this year at the AWS Welding expo in Chicago, Ill!!!

When you win that competition, then you can bark as loud as you want on being the top dog amongst us welders, and then I'll challenge you to a mirror welding contest just to bring your ego back to earth because that is where it belongs JL!!! I may be disabled, beat up, in bad shape physically but, I don't mind a good challenge from someone running their mouth over someone trying to give some solid advice in your direction!!! This is not a forum like the other one's you may have frequented before JL!!! This one you show respect in order to receive it back - CAPECHE??? You don't, chances are you become just another blip on my target list, and you can ask anyone that being on that list isn't fun!!! ;) ;) ;)

BTW, I practice with my mirror every chance I can and I'm ready for you so, get your butt over to McCormick Place this November for the contest so you can see that there are plenty of folks who will be there besides myself eager and willing to give you a lesson you certainly deserve!!! SEE YOU THERE JL!!! :) :) :)

Henry

Hello Fellas;

Back again. I was laid low yesterday with a touch of the old flu bug that's going around the neighborhood. I slept all day yesterday and ache like the devil today, but I couldn't stay in the bed any longer.

The brand of electrode does make a difference. At least to me it does. I can't argue with most of the comments made regarding that issue. I had terrible experiences with Hobart 718, but I loved their 418 low hydrogen electrode. The 718 resulted in too much convexity regardless of the amperage and I do like to run hot. The 418 produced a flatter bead and produced a smooth arc regardless of the position of the work.

I have had good results with Atom Arc and Excalibur. I run a lot of Excalibur when repairing some of the heavy steel castings and plate from which large presses are made due to the higher manganese content to counter any sulfur in the casting. So far, knock on wood, the results have been excellent.

My experience has been that pipe welders run cold compared to structural welders. It makes sense when you look at the work each is doing. In general, pipe welders are welding what most structural welders consider to be thin material, i.e., schedule 40 or even schedule 80 is relatively thin compared to 3/4 or 1 inch or thicker plate or structural sections. The problems associated with running low amperage rears its ugly head every time I test a pipe welder for structural steel. The flip side of the coin is that structural welders weld with higher amperage and struggle when they attempt to pass an open root pipe test. It is a matter of different techniques used by each industrial segment.

Well, keep your rods dry and keep the arc burning! Oh yea, check the polarity while you're at it.

Oops, I almost forgot, with regards to which welding machine is better, check the slope characteristics of the machine you are using. Some welder prefer a machine with steep slope because the current doesn't change drastically with a small change in arc length, while other welders (mostly pipe welders) prefer a machine with a shallower or flatter slope because it gives the welder more amperage variation as they vary the arc length. The internal inductance of the machine is going to determine how fast the machine reacts to variations in the arc length, thereby possibly producing too much arc instability if there is too little inductance. It’s all a balancing act and the nature of the work often dictates the particulars of the power supply.

And thanks for the vote of support! However, I did make my initial response unintentionally terse. JL's response wasn't completely unwarranted and it did make for an interesting thread. I still laugh as I read through them!  I can use a good laugh today. Like a "Wuss", I cancelled the work I had lined up today to keep my little germs all to myself. 

Best regards - Al