Newbie needs stick welding advice

By broberts13 Date 06-23-2008 01:32 Edited 06-23-2008 01:46

I can't seem to get a good weld on an inside corner (T weld). I need to weld a 1" square bar to 1/4" plate and 1/4" wall square tube to 1/2" plate.

Using a stick welder, and 1/8", 6011 and 6013 rods, I get what my book calls poor fusion. It looks like a bead on each piece with a void between the 2 beads. I've tried currents from 70A to 160A with the same results. I can lay a beautiful bead on a flat piece of the same material at a wide range of currents. I get a good inside bead from my 120A flux core wire feed welder, but I don't think it has the penetration I need.

Please advise.

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 06-23-2008 02:41

I would use the 1/8" 6011 and somewhere between 100 and 120 amps, this will depend on Your machine & cables, every machine is a little different. Keep tha arc short and manipulate the rod to MAKE it arc to both pices & fill out the fillet. If You want more or complete penetration grind a bevel so that there is less than 1/8" of the tube wall left. This does sound pretty heavy for Your 120 A wire machine.

By Sourdough (****)

Date 06-24-2008 05:43

Got a little sumpthin to ad :

Use an extreme forward angle and oscillation when striking your arc. Dip in and out quickly in your puddle at first to keep it hot. you should tie in that way. after that keep it fast or you wil burn through...

Relax your forward angle as you progress.